Nitrogen inflated boat trailer tires......

[Mumblerone]

"The primary reason is the consistancy of the air pressure during a run on a set of tires. With them full of nitrogen, they pressure doesn't change, makeing significant 1/2 lb pressure changes actually possible. Without using an inert(sp?) gas such as nitrogen, this wouldn't be possible."

I agree. I would also like to add; the loads on NASCAR tires are differen on every corner of the car. Very important to get it perfect, trailers tires are not quite so critical. Pressure is pressure. I inflate my Goodyear Marithons to 50 PSI. I always check the correct pressure dailywhen trailering. OK, so when they warm up, lets say the're 55 PSI: all of them. 55 PSI of nitrogen is still the same 55 PSI in the tire using air. Many wheels today are aluminum or galvanized; so rusing is a moot point. As to the Space Shuttle; no comment! IfI go back to my Physics courses; I'm sure there isa theoritical advantage, but in the real world or trailering Iwould wonder if it's even noticed. I'd have a hard time investing in 'nitrogen stations'at $5.00 a tire. Now if I had a Saleen S7I might pop for $20.00 to see if it made a difference.

[welder]

Could I use argon or helium or co 2 already got that bottled.

[ReelWork]

This is another version of the "Tornado! It'll increase your gas mileage one gazillion percent!"

Snake oil and nothing more.. Why not use Helium so your tires are lighter?

[ReelWork]

Oh yeah, I found an air compressor we all can afford!

[Holy Smoke]

You can use argon and it work just as well just dont tell the boss as its about 4000% more expensive

I bet I could sell nitrogen for the trailer tires if I added:

Opti-nitrogen

Ox66-Nitrogen

Hdpi injected Nitrogen

And the my Fav E-TecNitrogen

[greyg8r]

The main advantage for nitrogen is it permeates much more slowly through neoprene tires. I have a lot of things on my mind. $20 to not have to remember to check the trailer tires is money well spent IMHO.

[Reel Boobs]

ReelWork - 11/9/2005 7:05 PM

This is another version of the "Tornado! It'll increase your gas mileage one gazillion percent!"

Snake oil and nothing more.. Why not use Helium so your tires are lighter?

Once again, Chris makes me laugh out loud! Helium might work to lessen the load of the trailer, therefore my tow vehicle could tow more weight and get better mpg! BTW, how do they keep those helium bottles from floating away?

In all seriousness, POE was just trying to tell us of new technology, not telling you that you MUST use it. Don't kill the messenger! Thanks POE

Look at my parents, they STILL DONT have call waiting!

[YankeeBoater]

Mumblerone - 11/9/2005 6:16 PM
Pressure is pressure.

I agree - I am a chemist, and from what I know, pressure is pressure. Now, it is true that different gases may have different permeabilities through bulk media (like your tire rubber).

I looked up permeability rates on the net real quick, and found a few refs:
http://www2.dupont.com/Vamac/en_US/a...rmeability.pdf
http://www.diffusion-polymers.com/Gas%20Diffusion.htm
It *does* seem that nitrogen permeates these polymers more slowly than oxygen. Of course, as CB Haws points out, air is mostly nitrogen already (78%), so in effect, we are going from 78% nitrogen to 95% nitrogen...

As gd says, the oxygen from outside the tire *will* be diffusing back inside to try to equilibrate partial pressures - so the purity will gradually decay.

Besides the tire going flat, another possible issue is reactive properties, and it is true as POE says that oxygen can support redox reactions better than nitrogen can. In fact, while looking for the permeability data, I came across some studies indicating that tire failures due to oxidation reactions do occur (over a long time of course). Here is a study that appears to be from Ford Mo Co on tire life (an accelerated study using ovens), that is indicating benefits of nitrogen inflation...
http://www.branick.com/pdf/nitrogen_age_slower.pdf

Who knows, maybe we will be seeing more of this done?

For now at least, this guy is going to stick with his old fashioned air technology though

[kingair]

chiefbob1 - 11/9/2005 6:00 PM

again, my original statement stands

but i can see that perhaps in the Palmetto state nobody has access to free air and the only compressor you can buy there costs 475.00.

I was going to say they were giving you free air because you are paying high gas prices, but I just saw that gas is below $3 in cali

[Bullshipper]

POE400 - 11/9/2005 4:09 PM

Well, none of us will be racing our boat trailers but we will not have to check the psi as often either....Im sure this technology will get cheaper as time goes by.....The rusty rim thing was another thing they talked about...it does stop the moisture and some tire rot.

What about the air outside the tire and the UV's that rust and attack the system?

[kingair]

Mumblerone - 11/9/2005 6:16 PM



"The primary reason is the consistancy of the air pressure during a run on a set of tires. With them full of nitrogen, they pressure doesn't change, makeing significant 1/2 lb pressure changes actually possible. Without using an inert(sp?) gas such as nitrogen, this wouldn't be possible."

I agree.* I would also like to add; the loads on NASCAR tires are differen on every corner of the car.* Very important to get it perfect, trailers tires are not quite so critical.* Pressure is pressure.* I inflate my Goodyear Marithons to 50 PSI.* I always check the correct pressure daily*when trailering.* OK, so when they warm up, lets say the're 55 PSI: all of them.* 55 PSI of nitrogen is still the same 55 PSI in the tire using air.* Many wheels today are aluminum or galvanized; so rusing is a moot point.* As to the Space Shuttle; no comment!* If*I go back to my Physics courses; I'm sure there is*a theoritical* advantage, but in the real world or trailering I*would wonder if it's even noticed.* I'd have a hard time investing in 'nitrogen stations'*at $5.00 a tire.* Now if I had a Saleen S7*I might pop for $20.00 to see if it made a difference.*

That girl is hot, and the car is nice too.

[Bullshipper]

But nitrogen would erase all of our deep seated fears about Hydrogen Embitterment, so that is worth $80 bucks any day on my 16 wheeler.

[chiefbob1]

ReelWork - 11/9/2005 4:09 AM

Oh yeah, I found an air compressor we all can afford!

that is very funny my friend -!

[cold beers]

If you want to put nitrogen in your tires just go to a welding gas supply store and get a bottle for $25 that will fill a lot of tires. I have been doing it for a long time, because it is cheap and easer than a air compressor. I did not know I was on the cutting edge of technology.

[tidester]

Last time I took thermodynamics, at low pressures PV=nRT. Since I work with compressed gasses for a living, I can tell you it's true!

The advantage of nitrogen? No oxygen, no moisture, and no compressor oil carryover. Oxygen permeates a little more quickly, but it also reacts with rubber. We have to perform oxygen aging and ozone resistance tests (as well as many other tests) to validate rubber for high pressure gas usage.

I agree with cold beers on using compressed nitrogen from a cylinder. Unless you use it by the thousands of cubic feet, it's much more cost effective to give a six pack to the local HVAC guy to fill your tires than lease cylinders or use this guy's service at $5 a pop! HVAC guys use nitrogen to leak test systems all the time, as it doesn't contaminate the systems with trace moisture!

Would I fill my tires with nitrogen? Not unless I was trailering at Z rated speeds (140 mph)!

[welder]

coldbears, I was told that it cost 4000 times as much to do that, so I guess a 270 cubic foot bottle at 2250 psi could only fill 5 tires.
In high rise work where you can't get an air comp. they use an nitrogen bott. for there air tools to do light work inside.

[tidester]

By my calculations, the water volume of a typical 15" rim trailer tire would be a little over 2 cubic feet. How did I calculate 2 cubic feet? The volume of a 28 inch diameter x 8 inch high cylinder is about 2.85 cubic feet. The volume of a 14 inch diameter (remember, the rim is measured at the bead, not the smallest point) x 8 inch tall cylinder is about 0.72 cubic feet. Since the width is not constant, round down for good estimation

At about 45 psi, that means that it would take about 6 cubic feet of air to pressurize the tire.

With a typical nitrogen cylinder fill of 240 cubic feet, I figure there would definitely be more than 5 fills per cylinder

Ain't math fun???

[POE400]

Oh,me oh my, The stuff i get myself into with you guys! I dont know what I'd do without ya'll ! I have never laughed so hard with any thread ! I love the bicycle pump!

[autobaun70]

which one of you poor bastards wants to volunteer to pump up the tires on my tractor with that bicycle pump. I believe I could finish a case of beer before you get done.

[welder]

OK we get 52 nitrogen cylinders 800 lbs of ice 6 spare tires 25 Penn internationals and rods to match 4-400 hp outboards all the electronics from every manufacture we can get on the boat [ O yea the boat will be made the top dozen CC , walk around, cabin manufactures ] and of course the 4 stroke motors will run on Hyd. taking it directly out of the sea water.

OK never mind I just woke up, I'll just use my old air compressor.