Got nitrogen? - Anyone rolling on it?

[.::Astina|Brad::.]

[color=#728FCE:post_uid0]Hey guys. Was @ work bored lastnite, and i found this article about people filling their tyres with nitrogen instead of air. This was the first time i'd heard of such a thing. I went on to say that F1 cars use it and Aircraft use it in the planes tires.

here's the link to itWEBSITE (http://todaytonight.com.au/stories/485601.html)

Any of you filled your tires with nitrogen? seems as though it has alot of advantages.

Brad.[/color:post_uid0]

[MrShadow]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Nope, I haven't heard af anybody running it in their cars (apart from F1 of course). Main reason used in aircraft is if a tyre blows, nitrogen isn't flammable, so less chance of everything going up in smoke. Just for those who can't be bothered reading the article.

You could argue that as Nitrogen is lighter than air, it is also saving weight, but the amount is so small it wouldn't make one bit of difference on a 747.[/color:post_uid0]

[BigMal]

[color=#000000:post_uid1]Interesting.
Maybe a group buy of a large bottle from CIG to do a
handfull of cars would be a better option. I am willing
to give anything a go in the search for better handling
so may consider it in the future.

Regards

Mal[/color:post_uid1]

[.::Astina|Brad::.]

[color=#728FCE:post_uid0]Well the article said it' around $10 per tyre @ bob jane tyre centres so i think i mite give it a go when i get new tyres in the next couple of weeks...[/color:post_uid0]

[MrShadow]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Let us know how it goes, cause I'd be interested. Have just read the article, so am now "clued up" :p[/color:post_uid0]

[Rupewrecht]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]there was a report on this on Today Tonight (the TV ws just on, dammit) a few nights ago.

Apparently the ride is a lot smoother with the nitrogen, and your car handles better.[/color:post_uid0]

[MrShadow]

[color=#000000:post_uid0][quote:post_uid0]there was a report on this on Today Tonight [/quote:post_uid0]
Hey Rupe, check out the article........

:p :D[/color:post_uid0]

[Sandyman]

[color=#FF0000:post_uid0]if anyone wants to risk damage (just for 'research'), try putting helium in your tires. it might reduce a little weight (seeing as it's lighter than air) and....thats all i can think of[/color:post_uid0]

[BigMal]

[color=#000000:post_uid1]Sandyman,
Why dont you put a bottle of Johnie Walker in your tank
so that you have an alcohol production car..
Bit of silly remark mate. It was a serious post and
you say things like that. I don't know why you said it,
it wasn't even funny :(

Mal[/color:post_uid1]

[Sandyman]

[color=#FF0000:post_uid0]mal, you are right. i should think before i speak or soemthing like that. however, i was partly serious about the helium. i was actually wondering if there were benfits of helium tires, and whether tires could handle the pressure.[/color:post_uid0]

[SehnKhan]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]I seriously doubt there would be enough pressure, I mean helium? Come on, look at the physics of it. Ultra light gas . . . not tyre material. ???[/color:post_uid0]

[BigMal]

[color=#000000:post_uid1]Think you would get better gains by using alloy
wheels and taking out the spare tyre than using a
lighter gas in your tyres.

Regards

Mal[/color:post_uid1]

[bRaDiNhO]

[color=#FF0000:post_uid3]Maybe its just my bad mood that I'm needing to take out on someone, but I'm with Mal. Stop the stupid space fillers in serious topics. :angry:

Either way - how heavy is air? Get a space bag with a one way valve (out), put all your clothes in it, take out the air, and see how much weight you save. About the same as taking a cigarette lighter out. Yay.[/color:post_uid3]

[Sandyman]

[color=#FF0000:post_uid0]the helium will try to rise above the air, leaving the car lighter. does anyone understand?[/color:post_uid0]

[chuky]

[color=#FF0000:post_uid0]i understand what ur sayin sandyman... how and ever, consider a baloon with approx. twice as much volume as your standard 45/50 profile tire filled with helium... the relative difference in densities is hardly enough to raise the baloon never mind making a difference to a car....

now here comes my ridiculous addition to the conversation, a red herring as it were... :p *furthermore, if there was enough helium used to ceate an effect, it would be detrimental as opposed to good because it'd be upforce and not a weight saving and as we all know, we put spoilers/ wings/ diffusers/splitters etc on to create downforce....

as an aeronautical engineer (not ****ting) i only ever heard of nitrogen being used because of the fact that its inert and non flamable.. hence far safer... i will read the article though and wait to be corrected... ???

Chuky[/color:post_uid0]

[Sandyman]

[color=#FF0000:post_uid0]i was also thinking about the downforce too before. couldn't be bothered to think too much about it though.[/color:post_uid0]

[MrShadow]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Um, OK. As long as you put 30psi or whatever in, it'll have the same pressure as normal compressed air. Doesn't matter what gas it is, 30 psi is 30 psi. You might need more of it, but it is still 30 psi.

And the point of it isn't about making things lighter or anything (as somebody mentioned, that would decrease grip), it's [i:post_uid0]claimed[/i:post_uid0] to make for a smoother ride and is also supposed to hold it's presure for longer, that's all. Somebody in the report also mentioned that as it doesn't contain moisture, it will help reduce corrosion. I think that's only a really minor benefit, but considering how much road noises there is in my 323, I'd be willing to give it a go if it made the ride smoother.[/color:post_uid0]