Is
all the hype about nitrogen worth the discussion? Should you spend
upward of $10,000 to get into the nitrogen market? Here are some of the
facts as I have discovered them...
Tire
dealers and scientists have pondered the idea of filling tires with
nitrogen since approximately 1967. NASCAR and the airlines have been
using nitrogen in tires for quite some time, so why all the hype and
controversy about the current trend to use nitrogen in passenger cars?
Because it’s new and because it’s expensive (profitable).How hard can it be to sell when the FAA requires all commercial aircraft tires to be inflated with nitrogen; Section 25.733? NASCAR
teams use nitrogen because it allows them to more accurately predict
tire pressure changes. Additionally, higher nitrogen levels eliminate
the explosive properties of oxygen.So,
with these endorsements, why can’t you sell this to the consumer? I’ve
tried to come up with the cons and can’t find any. There are no adverse
affects from the use of nitrogen that I have found reported anywhere!
So, in order to prevent this from being a “too good to be true” product
I came up with these two cons…as a shop owner you must invest in the
right equipment which can cost in the area of $10K and as a consumer
you can pay up to $10 per tire to fill it with nitrogen! (The average
price charged seems to be around $5 per tire). But
soon enough, nitrogen will be out there in the gas stations parking lot
where you can fill your own tires with nitrogen…for a cost of course.
To get more facts on nitrogen, visit the Get Nitrogen Institute, a non-profit organization which provides a load of information about nitrogen.
When
it comes to tire inflation, nitrogen has many advantages over oxygen.
With nitrogen tire inflation, improvements can be noted in a vehicle's
handling, fuel efficiency and tire life through better tire pressure
retention, improved fuel economy and cooler tire temperatures. It's
not about the nitrogen. It's about reducing oxygen, water vapor and
other gases. Proper tire pressure is a big deal, maintaining it with
nitrogen you'll see these three primary benefits:
