Nitrogen

[2datrak]

Where's the best place in town for filling tires with nitrogen?

[JohnW8]

Crown Pontiac in Hoover had a special: 4 tires for $99

Where were you Sunday Mark? Your Dad came to play but you were missing.

[87RX7RACER]

99 bucks!!! Yow!!! If you know somebody who is a mechanic for a tire place you can probably get it done for nothing.

-Vincent.

[2datrak]

Thanks! I'll let my "friend" know. Absent by choice I'm afraid. I was working on an upgrade to the car. I'm hoping that registered architects drive faster than intern architects. Gotta outrun general contractors and their "Hemi" powered trucks. Dad said that he had a great time Sunday and wished he could have mingled a bit more. He was upset that you beat him by 10 +- sec. I told him that I know just how he feels. Nice cold weather runs!
I hope you and all my fellow CSPr's have the happiest and safest of holidays and I will definately see you guys next season.

[2datrak]

99 bucks!!! Yow!!! If you know somebody who is a mechanic for a tire place you can probably get it done for nothing.

-Vincent.

Thanks. I've also heard that Trussville Mazda will fill nitrogen (cost unknown) as well as a company that operates around town changing air/nitro in truck tires. If I find out who, I'll post.

[BradleyMiller]

$99? Jeeze what a rip. I'll fill your tires with 78% nitrogen for $50.

[TouringBubble]

$99? Jeeze what a rip. I'll fill your tires with 78% nitrogen for $50.

I'll do 78% nitrogen for $42.99 ... got a special this week.

[slowautoxr]

And how do you go about replacing the air with nitrogen - assuming only one valve stem? Fill, empty, fill, empty...... how many times do you gotta do that? Yea once for 78% but what if you want close to 100%. Do they check the amount of Nitrogen afterwards?

[TouringBubble]

I haven't done it myself, but I'd guess that most would just cycle the air once ... twice at most. If I paid $99 for a fill though I'd want it measured too! Maybe they vacuum the tire down as much as possible then fill.

I honestly like the idea of nitrogen but it's just not a good option for me. Especially with auto-x. My pressure are so different on the street it would be a waste of cash. I like the idea for street cars or full on track cars though.

[waflet]

hideeho
has anyone tried it for autox? as long as you dont fiddle w/ your preasures to much any way it sounds like a good idea. the big question i have is do you get your tires hot enough to mess w/ the nitrogen pressure when autoxing or racing?

l8rcu
waflet

[TouringBubble]

That's the whole point. Nitrogen doesn't respond to the heat so pressures are pretty constant. The tire surface itself would get warm, but pressures would be withing a couple of PSI at all times.

[waflet]

hideeho
thats the point of the question. a couple of psi makes a difference in autoxing, unlike street driving. w/ air, between the 1st & 3rd/4th run my preasures go up by 5-6psi. i keep the preasures regulated to the exact same preasure every run untill the preasure stops going up. with nitrogen, on the street you will never legally generate enough heat to affect the preasure, but how about racing? we regularly double the heat generated. how much psi does that generate w/ nitrogen? if the same heat range gets 1-2psi or more it makes it worthless to autoxers & racers because you still have to moniter your preasure just as tightly. you just wont have to make as big a change each time. now if the preasure variation is .5psi or less, for the same heat range, it becomes a fill & forget thing.

l8rcu
waflet

p.s. when i say it is worthless to racers, i am refering to racer like us who have a very limited budget. to real race teams w/ real $ to spend nitrogen would be a god send.

[Jedi1]

This is pretty much a waste of money for Solo. I totally understand Nitrogen not responding to a heated tire and thus no rise in pressure, but loosing the ability to adjust pressure on the grid is not a good idea at all. You have a push drop a pound in the front. Still pushing add two to the rear. Can't do that with Nitrogen and you completely loose your best tool for balancing the car during your runs.

[TouringBubble]

I don't think auto-x temps would ive much rise in pressure at all ... probably none with close to 100% nitrogen. I agree with Sean though. There is no perfect pressure for an auto-x car ... its constant adjustment. For a track car I can see a benefit.

For auto-x, a dry compressor is your best option. But, honestly, who lugs dry air to our events? Maybe the national guys have really nice compressors, but not us.

[BradleyMiller]

This is an age-old myth that's been tested by numerous sources. The difference is so minuscule it's hardly worth the effort, much less paying anything for it. External factors are going to have a much bigger impact. For example, surface temperature is going to make a greater impact on your tires than nitrogen, and on a variably cloudy day, it can change 10* or more within minutes. Or the amount of rubber laid down. Or whether someone kicked a few stones onto the line. Or whether you yourself can actually hit that perfect line every lap.

Point being, for $99 in particular, there are much better ways to spend your money.