Nitrogen tire inflation is increasing in popularity. Nitrogen tires have been in use in professional racing cars for a while, but do they offer any benefits to a passenger vehicle owner?

Let’s have a look at the possible advantages of nitrogen tire inflation and find out if it is a good option for you. The main benefit of nitrogen tire inflation is that nitrogen tires will lose pressure four times slower than tires filled with oxygen. This result was obtained from the research done by Bridgestone. Oxygen present in the compressed air is responsible for the rate of loss of pressure in attire which is why your tire benefits from replacing air with nitrogen.

The second advantage of nitrogen tire inflation is that nitrogen keeps your tire dry from the inside. Moisture present within the tire can be the cause of radical fluctuations in pressure as the temperature of the tire increases. Nitrogen has a dew point of -50 Fahrenheit so there is very little possibility of liquid or vapors being produced inside the tire. With the decrease in temperature there is no condensation within the tire, which saves the rims from rusting.

Oxygen can be the cause of different problems related to tires. Oxygen molecules are smaller in size than nitrogen molecules; as these molecules escape the tire, they rust the steel belts, cause rubber breakdown and other issues. On the other hand, nitrogen tire inflation stops the aging process of tires almost completely. This anti-aging quality of nitrogen means that your tire will have more tensile strength than regular tires. How much more strength? Nitrogen tires have higher tensile strength after two years than regular tires after ten weeks of use.

Not checking the tire pressure is a common problem. In fact, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association, eighty percent of the population has this habit. So, the pressure retention that you get with nitrogen tire inflation is a distinct benefit if you don’t have the habit of checking air pressure in your tires at oil changes.

Pressure retention has an effect on the gas mileage that you get from your vehicle. Better gas mileage is also beneficial for the environment because it means less production of harmful gases. As it’s clear from the points mentioned above most of the benefits of nitrogen tire inflation are from better pressure retention.

What do the big names in tire manufacturing think about nitrogen tire inflation?

Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone and other manufacturers have done research on the benefits of nitrogen tire inflation and they believe that it extends the life of tires. One of these companies also offers nitrogen inflation to its employees. Something interesting to note here is that tire manufacturers are promoting products that extend tire life.

Is nitrogen a substitution for compressed air?

While there may be some benefits of nitrogen tires, it is not a substitution for regular pressure checks. But, if you belong to the eighty percent of population that don’t check their tire pressure on a regular basis, nitrogen tire inflation can be something you can benefit from.

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