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[sharky]

Hi, recently had 4 new tyres (budget) fitted, can't afford high quality   but I had nitrogen instead of air used and the difference is amazing, ride is better, handling definately improved, used to find car was pulled all over the place because of the wide tyres but now that prob has disappeared , they reckon you don't have to check pressures hardly and if it does need topping up they do it f.o.c, this is from Merityre in Leatherhead, Surrey, very helpful guys there.
Thought some of you might be interested in this??

Cheers, Mark.

[Spearmint]

Been using it free of charge for years but then again I do work on Aircraft.

Nitrogen doesn't absorb moisture like air does but imho you should still check pressures as often.

[feeutfo]

wont stop you getting a slow puncture. And handeling will be down to tyres most likely. Out of interest, what size and make where the old ones and what do you have now?

[Toby]

I've never seen the point in nitrogen.

Not when you consider that air is 78% nitrogen anyway!! 

As above, probably down to the tyres

[Del Boy]

I'd still check the pressures regulary mind you.

[bigdods]

It will be the new tyres making all the difference, nitrogen doesnt help I'm afraid. Its been tested by many car mags, car clubs etc and I have yet to read an article where any measurable difference was found.

Theory is that as there is no water vapour in the nitrogen fill the tyre pressures are more stable. But IIRC even F1 teams dont use it. They just use dried compressed air.

Most places will want a few quid more for Nitrogen so money down the drain really. But if its free then no problem.

First time you use a foot pump to top it up you will destroy any supposed benefits.

I guess if you were doing track days and really pushing the tyres to the limits it might help.

[sharky]

wont stop you getting a slow puncture. And handeling will be down to tyres most likely. Out of interest, what size and make where the old ones and what do you have now?

Well I have only had budget tyres as I don't do loads of miles really. The ones I had on there were 'Linglong' which had V tread, now its 'kccelera alpha' (as I said budget, ), £220 fitted (4) + £65 for full computer tracking,  size- 235/45/17 same as the linglong.

[bigdods]

Never understood why doing not so many miles = budget tyres. Tyres are the only thing keeping you in contact with the road and control of the car. 1 mile or 10000 miles makes no difference. The one place you dont want to economoise is on brakes and tyres.

For an extra £80 (fitted) you could have had a set of 4 decent branded tyres and have confidence in your car to go round corners, particularly in the wet.

[Lazydocker]

the tyres you have had fitted are actually "high end budget"

I've been running Accelera Alpha's on mine for quite a while now and think they're pretty good really

Only thing that lets them down a little is the fact they're a bit hard so can let go when pushed very hard in the wet and are a little noisier than some of the premium brands. That said, they seem to last well

[wheels-inmotion]

I've never seen the point in nitrogen.

Not when you consider that air is 78% nitrogen anyway!! 

As above, probably down to the tyres

99%+ 1 atmosphere is better.

[Entwood]

Nitrogen is more "thermally stable" and the molecules are the largest in "normal" air mix which is supposed to reduce seepage, so a nitrogen filled tyre will hold  a far more constant pressure over a long period.

Add to this that pure nitrogen is "dry" and without water vapour and oxygen, oxidation (rust/corrosion) cannot occur, so again... long term gives better protection to your wheels.

It is for all those reasons that aircraft use nitrogen.. the tyres go long periods without removal, and are subject to extreme and rapid temperature change.

Vey few high performance/racing cars, and certainly no F1 cars have those problems .. so they don't bother.

"Supercars" may benefit as most of the owners probably don't know how to check tyre pressures anyway !!!

[mathewst]

Entwood one other thing.
Nitrogen is less subject to expansion and contraction on temperature change than air. So the car behaves more the same when the tires are either hot or cold

[Entwood]

Entwood one other thing.
Nitrogen is less subject to expansion and contraction on temperature change than air. So the car behaves more the same when the tires are either hot or cold

I believe I said "more thermally stable" ...  ?         

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

For an extra £80 (fitted) you could have had a set of 4 decent branded tyres and have confidence in your car to go round corners, particularly in the wet.

 *nods sagely*

 I got a set of Falken FK452s for £270-ish, then £40 fitting - so much better than the previous budget tyres.

[deviator]

I agree with the above, the tramming was probably improved by the new boots.

Nitrogen is better for track days as it doesn't expand and contract anywhere near as much as air and therefore allows for more consistant driving.

On the road, they aren't really likely to make much difference what so ever and are a bit more of a gimmick IMHO.