Nitrogen Tire Top Off Kit

downtheroad wrote:
Make this simple for yourself...when your tires need topping, top them with air from any compressor and get on down the road.

Yep. The air you breathe is 78% nitrogen. The entire nitrogen in tire thing is HYPE.

The only place nitrogen in tires might be useful is in racecar tires. It MIGHT give them a slight advantage in running cooler. But unless you are running racing slicks at 200+ mph, save your money.

If you own a fleet of airplanes, nitrogen or desiccated air is the way to go. Oxygen free compressed gas won't feed combustion either. Here on the ground, the most important thing is maintaining correct tire pressure. That being said, don't grouse over the oxygen in the tires, but you can do something about the water. I did on one occasion pump a bunch of water into a tire because the air line at the truck stop had an oil/water separation filter that had not been drained. Much of the water in the compressed air condenses into the tank and should be drained daily. At home, I use an inline desiccant filter to dry the air more. It is always a good idea to test the air coming out of the air chuck to see that it is not spitting out water.

If you like the benefits of nitrogen, go one better and use sulfur hexafluoride. It's a dry gas available from most gas suppliers, it has a kinetic diameter very much larger than nitrogen so it leaks out even slower, and it will make your wallet way way lighter than using nitrogen.

A camper came in the store the other day asking if we had nitrogen for the tires (we do not). When I suggested that he was wasting his money and whatever benefit he was sold about nitrogen was just an OWT, he looked at me as if I were crazy.

If you're worried about moisture, get a dryer for your air compressor. Readily available at auto body shop suppliers.

I should print out a bunch of deeds for the Brooklyn Bridge...

Amazon

If you are looking for something to do and have bunches of money, nitrogen filled tires is one avenue to consider. But I do keep all my tires at about 77-78% nitrogen.

Yeah, filling with nitrogen is simply a money maker for whoever does it. Unless you're driving a NASCAR or Formula 1 on the track, nitrogen is unnecessary. Just another way to separate you from your money.

It would be much simpler to refill the tires with a very available gas that is 78% N2. It is available almost everywhere and very affordable.

Matt

Make this simple for yourself...when your tires need topping, top them with air from any compressor and get on down the road.