Question about NITRO in tires???

[swat49833]

Can I add regular air to my tires when they already have NITRO in them? Will the mixture of the two have a negative impact? Reason i am asking is I went to my local dealer and ask to have NITO installed up to 45 psi. Max on tires say 51 psi. Wanted to try and get a little extra on the mileage. They refused to go above 34 psi NITRO. I do understand about the tires wearing faster with over inflated tires in the center but this would be my prob. not theirs.. Any info would be helpfull...

[AhsGrad1973]

Over inflation can cause handling problems too, especially in wet conditions.

[TCroly]

Originally Posted by swat49833

Can I add regular air to my tires when they already have NITRO in them? Will the mixture of the two have a negative impact? Reason i am asking is I went to my local dealer and ask to have NITO installed up to 45 psi. Max on tires say 51 psi. Wanted to try and get a little extra on the mileage. They refused to go above 34 psi NITRO. I do understand about the tires wearing faster with over inflated tires in the center but this would be my prob. not theirs.. Any info would be helpfull...

The point of putting Nitrogen in tires instead of just "air" ( which is 78% nitrogen) is that the nitrogen is "dry". This means you will not see as much fluctuation in pressure when the tires heat up and they will maintain their pressure longer without molecules migrating through the rubber and causing the tire to very gradually deflate. This dry air will also ensure that the tire pressure monitors will not corrode due to excess moisture trapped in the tire.

If you add some regular air, you will lose some of these benefits, but not all of the benefit because the majority of the air will continue to be just nitrogen. Nitrogen is not magic, it is just removing a bit of a variable that exists in tires filled with just air.

The reason the dealer and Costco as well, won't overinflate your tires is for their own liability protection. Should the tire fail or you have some kind of loss of control, they fear that you would try to sue them.

Now as to how much risk you are taking, that is up to you to evaluate. There certainly is some decrease in tire performance, ride quality and tire wear characteristics that would come from gross overinflation. In no case should you risk inflation beyond the maximum stated on the sidewalk of the tire.

[91CRXTC]

why would you want to over inflate your tires anyway?

So my tires now are inflated with Nitro or do i have to ask for it? and can it only be done at the dealer or can i get it done some where else?

[swat49833]

Originally Posted by 91CRXTC

why would you want to over inflate your tires anyway?

So my tires now are inflated with Nitro or do i have to ask for it? and can it only be done at the dealer or can i get it done some where else?

More MPG'S my friend. Yes I know all about the stiffer ride, the tires will wear a little faster in the center. However, I am sure there is an in between number where I can get better MPG, If the tires where out quicker that's ok----Guess I would just have to get new tires...HMMM... Might as well get some nicer wheels while it's time to get tires...See where I'm going here? Momma didn't want me to start sinking a bunch of $ into it, so I shall find ways to do things a little faster, then blame dealer for putting such chear ass tires on it in the first place and I should put up-graded wheels and tires that will last longer----Then stop over flating tires. HEHEHE.

[dntower85]

To me Nitrogen or N2 is highly overrated for street driving. Yes it does work to limit tire pressure changes with temperature, by limiting the amount of moisture in the gas that is used to inflate the tire. Its the HO2 that makes the biggest change in tire pressure.
But it will truly only work if the tires are mounted in a N2 rich environment or a vacuum is pulled on the tire to suck out any moisture inside it before inflation.

If you plan to race on a track or autocross and want that last bit of of cornering force to be generated and your really good enough of a driver to get that last tenth or 100th of a second out of using a 95-98% N2 (I don't care what anyone says you can't get it to 100%) over 78% that normally comes in the air. And you want to control every factor that can determine an out come of a race, then go for it. But don't pay some one to inflate your tires go out an rent an N2 bottle just be careful they are charged to about 750PSI.

I forgo N2 and try to mount tires on days with low humidity and use a water trap on my air compressor. Then say for an autocross I just plan for how much the pressure will increase by the end of the run so I might be 1 psi low at the start and 1 psi over optimum at the end of a run. For running on a track I can usually set the tires to the correct pressure in practice and then during the warm-up lap get them back to temperature and pressure.

But for street driving your tire temps don't go that extreme and better off checking your tires pressures regularly.

And if you fill your tires up with Nitro CH3NO2 stay off the streets they might go boom