Nitrogen Fill Tires
Why Nitrogen Is Superior For Your Tires
Prolonging the life of your car’s tires is a constant battle. With daily commutes, uneven pavement, potholes, and temperature fluctuations - your tire pressure is consistently decreasing each time you hit the road. The average price of a new tire can run between $80 and $150 depending on the brand, style, and size. Multiply this times four and you’re looking at a serious investment for your vehicle. While most gas stations have quick fill air stations, these stations might not be improving the health of your tires or fuel economy as much as you think. While air is the standard medium for filling your tires, nitrogen is actually a better choice. First, lets unpack how air and tire pressure work hand in hand.
Conventional Air & Tire Pressure
The primary challenge of tire pressure is to carry your vehicle's weight. This means the entire body, mechanical system, electrical system, passengers, and cargo rely on your tire pressure. That’s a big responsibility! Air is the default type of gas used to inflate tires but the molecular breakdown is more complex than most realize. Standard air is comprised of 78% nitrogen, the rest is a combination of water vapor, oxygen, carbon dioxide and miscellaneous noble gases. This molecular concoction affects how tires respond to temperature and environmental changes. Air is highly susceptible to expanding and contracting depending on the outside temperature which can result in drastic swings in performance.
Why Nitrogen Has An Advantage
While nitrogen is part of the gaseous makeup of air, when it operates alone without water vapor or oxygen at play - that is when the true performance enhancement occurs. Nitrogen is a high-purity gas and inert, meaning property-free. Due to the absence of other properties the environment has little to no external factors working against the tire pressure beyond regular use. Water vapor within oxygen triggers oxidation. Oxidation can lead to rot, rust, and corrosion which affects the overall integrity of your tires.
Nitrogen is a standalone gas that has been filtered of all potential contaminants or particles leaving you with a superior fill in your tires. Another component is the size of the molecular structure. Nitrogen’s molecular structure is larger which makes it more difficult for the gas to leak through tires the way air naturally permeates through tires over time. When it comes to fuel economy, the decline begins when the psi of inflation decreases steadily. In a tire pressure study between air and nitrogen over a year’s time, the tire with air decreased in psi by 3.5 compared to 2.2 for nitrogen. This difference directly impacts your wallet in regard to how many times you’ll have to stop for fuel.
What Risks Are Involved With Nitrogen In Tires
While you might be concerned about a different form of gas inhabiting your car tires, there is little to be concerned about. In fact, they’re just as safe as regular air in your tires. Nitrogen is not flammable, so no need to panic about a different substance in your tires. It is theorized that nitrogen is actually safer than regular air. Due to the consistent performance of tires with nitrogen, it is less likely to experience tire failure while operating your vehicle.
It’s Commonly Used In Race Cars
Now, we’re not recommending that you fill your tires with nitrogen and hit the highway like it’s the Daytona 500. But it is true that most race cars across different types of racing use nitrogen filled tires instead of traditional air. As the sport has advanced over the years, the mechanical teams caught on to the increased dependability and predictability of nitrogen. Now it is standard practice to use the air alternative. On a racetrack, the drivers are not only competing against the other drivers, they are in competition with the track and conditions itself. The race car is a highly tuned piece of machinery that needs to maintain optimal performance if a team wants a chance at winning. Another aspect is speed with pit crews. When a race car comes into the pit, they’re operating on seconds not minutes, to get the car serviced and back to the track. If the tires are using traditional air, the pit crew has to handle air compressors which can slow down pit times.
What Are The Costs For A Nitrogen Fill
Beyond the cost of tires for your vehicle, if you’re considering a nitrogen fill then you can expect to pay about $80-$150 per tire for the initial fill up and air conversion. After the initial cost, a refill will range between $5-$7 depending on your market. But this service is not offered at every automotive service center or garage. Before you commit to nitrogen over air, double-check that there is a nitrogen fill center in your area. You’ll need to visit the nitrogen fill center every 3-4 months for a refill so it is imperative that there is a location within reasonable distance from your home for this switch to make sense.
Is All Nitrogen Gas The Same?
Not all nitrogen available for your tires is created equal. The quality of nitrogen all boils down to the overall purity. As mentioned earlier, the less particles and extra elements within a nitrogen makeup, the less factors working against the success of your tires. High purity nitrogen is the way to go if you’re making the switch. If you’d like to go a step further, choose NitroFill. NitroFill is especially formulated and refined to achieve up to 99.995% nitrogen purity, This means you’re driving with peace of mind knowing your tires have a highly specialized, patented formula in your tires.
Make The NitroFill Switch With Beach Ford
As a designated NitroFill center, Beach Ford is equipped and ready to help you make the switch. Commit to extending the life of your tires and boosting overall fuel economy with nitrogen filled tires instead of regular air. Visit our dealership today or give us a call and schedule your NitroFill appointment today!