Nitrogen near Hartford, CT?

chrisp · 10-05-2007, 12:21 PM

Anyone near Hartford, CT have a nitrogen tank I can use? I want to purge and refill my tires in storage. I'll cover costs. I just want to avoid buying the equipment or transporting three sets of wheels/tires to the shop.

Eagledriver · 10-05-2007, 06:59 PM

I know this is all the rage but it's a waste of time. There is no advantage to Nitrogen over air unless you got excessive water vapor in when you filled them with air. All the main gasses in the air expand and contract the same as nitrogen with tempurature. The only time this would change is if you had so much water in there that some of it condensed out into liquid. As far as the argument that Nitrogen leaks out less than the other gasses this is an obvious fallacy. If it were true there would be no need to fill with nitrogen because as the other gasses leaked out the concentration of nitrogen would increase to 100 percent over time. (thereby accomplishing what you are trying to do now).

Oxygen can cause degredation of the wheels and tires but it is so slow an effect that it's not a factor. The inside of a tire is in much better shape than the outside no matter how old the tire is. I have never seen the inside of a wheel oxidize unless it had water in it.

Just my opinion and I know you didn't ask.

-Andy

HarryD · 10-05-2007, 07:38 PM

Ahh... but you forgot the weight saving advantage of nitrogen. A standard unit of nitrogen weighs 28 and the same size unit of air weighs 29. By using nitrogen, you have a 3% weight savings of the gas in your tire.

Besides, all the NASCAR Guys use it so it must be better.

dvkk · 10-06-2007, 01:05 AM

I fill my tires using a mixture of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.

chrisp · 10-06-2007, 05:12 AM

I was thinking of doing it because a tire engineer at a major tire manufacturer to told me store my DOT-R tires this way.

onlycafe · 10-06-2007, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryD

Ahh... but you forgot the weight saving advantage of nitrogen. A standard unit of nitrogen weighs 28 and the same size unit of air weighs 29. By using nitrogen, you have a 3% weight savings of the gas in your tire.

Besides, all the NASCAR Guys use it so it must be better.

try helium for real weight savings.

Eagledriver · 10-06-2007, 07:36 AM

The outside of your DOT R tires is what needs preserving. I find my Toyo RA1s work ok if I store them off the car (so they don't flat spot). There is probably some degredation due to sitting over the winter but I don't think you can do much about it. Try them on the first race of the next season and if they aren't satisfactory buy a new set. Mine seem to work OK even after sitting for one winter. I get about 4 weekends out of the shaved RA1s.

-Andy

Targa4now · 10-06-2007, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvkk

I fill my tires using a mixture of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.

+1 dvkk

I like dvkk's advice but throw in an additional 1% Argon for good measure

chrisp · 10-06-2007, 10:45 AM

I've got the outside taken care of. They are double bagged and stored in my 60 degree basement.

CT944 · 10-06-2007, 05:44 PM

nitrogen - if they can convince someone to pay an additional $10 per tire, they will.

dvkk · 10-06-2007, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryD

Besides, all the NASCAR Guys use it so it must be better.

I think one of the reasons the taxi racers use Ni is because to fill the tires you don't need power. Just connect up the hose and it fills. No compressor, no water separator, no looking for power or digging out the generator.

HarryD · 10-06-2007, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvkk

I think one of the reasons the taxi racers use Ni is because to fill the tires you don't need power. Just connect up the hose and it fills. No compressor, no water separator, no looking for power or digging out the generator.

Very true and a cylinder of Nitrogen is very inexpensive as well.