.jpg)
Generally we've argued against its use, saying that the benefits for the normal motorist are minimal and can't be justified when you consider the cost and availability of the gas.
Air is mostly made up of nitrogen and oxygen, which is fine for normal use, but oxygen does permeate through the rubber sidewall of the tyre causing a slight loss of pressure over time.
Nitrogen also permeates through the sidewall, but at a 30 per cent slower rate. The pressure loss is less with nitrogen, but regular pressure checks are still required.
When you do need to re-inflate your tyres to adjust for the pressure loss you have to find an outlet with nitrogen. The proponents of nitrogen also argue that it's a more stable gas and delivers more predictable tyre performance.
While that's true, it's really only beneficial in extreme conditions like motor racing where higher tyre temperatures are generated. There's virtually no benefit for the ordinary motorist.
Moisture inside the tyre's air chamber can cause the pressure to build up as the tyre temperature climbs, but nitrogen acts like a dry gas and doesn't support moisture, so doesn't have the same pressure increase.
In extreme conditions, like motor racing where higher temperatures are generated, this can affect a car's handling, but at the temperatures generated in normal driving on the road the benefits are almost non-existent.
Some tyre outlets promote the use of nitrogen, but charge a fee, which can amount to as much as $25 for a set of five tyres.
.jpg)
.jpg)
