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Archive for August 31st, 2005
Question 116
Posted by Tom on August 31, 2005
I’ve read that nitrogen filled tires have been used by the airlines and Formula 1 race cars for over 20 years. My local Costco store now offers nitrogen filled tires for all new tire purchases. The purported benefits of filling tires with nitrogen include reduced expansion under high temperature conditions leading to less sidewall flex and hence longer tire life. An ancillary benefit is that the rubber compound doesn’t break down as fast as when tires are filled with air. What do class 8 truck tire manufacturers opine on this subject and when would nitrogen be available for commercial truck fleets? It seems that the tire manufacturers have a disincentive to promote nitrogen filled tires.
Theoretically Nitrogen being an inert gas will not diffuse through a tire as fast as air. However, our testing has shown that tires do not run cooler with Nitrogen plus our commercial tires have a chlorobutyl innerliner which will prevent both air or Nitrogen from any significant osmosis. I you put 100 psi in a commercial tire and let it sit for a year...it will only lose a few psi. Tires typically lose air because of punctures and leaking valves.