Does Higher Tire Pressure Shorten Tire Life?

It may be better using a browser other than Safari. I recommend Opera if it's in the app store.

That's probably because of the vast atmospheric pressure pressure changes they have to endure. I believe nitrogen molecules are larger than the pores in the "t y r e" and don't migrate across as readily.

 

So are molecules of every other gas contained in common air.
The key is DRY nitrogen.
Water vapor inside an airplane tire can wreak havoc as it freezes and thaws repeatedly.

 

Same problem with nails also!

 

Tire shops put nitrogen in a tire that is already filled with air. They don't suck the air out of the tire before they put nitrogen in it.
It's fine if they put nitrogen in mine but I top off with air. The air should be relatively dry though.

 

The shops I've seen, suck out the air and put in nitrogen, 10-20$, and of course, your air loss is minimal for 6-9 months.

 

Do new Toyota's come with air or nitrogen, I don't know?

Do you top off with Nitrogen or Air?

 

Not from the factory, if the dealer says they put in nitrogen ask if they took out the air first, they would've charged, otherwise, top with 72% nitrogen....air.

 

Dry 100% nitrogen is not needed in car and light truck tires.

 

That's an opinion, some replace tires with general (cheap) tires, some Michelin, to each their own.

 

Just trying to save you guys from a cheap marketing scam...which this is.

As a commercial aircraft mechanic who knows why we use dry 100% nitrogen...and...a consumer who buys/maintains tires for his own ground vehicles...I just might know a little about this.

Use "my opinion"...or not...it's your car.


.

 

It would be interesting for some of us if you could enlighten us as to exactly why 100% dry nitrogen is used in aircraft tyres. Thanks.

 

I was a big time skeptic. Then, after a discussion with a friend who was pro-nitrogen, I did some googling. This Popular Mechanics article convinced me that there are advantages to nitrogen. But it's still not worth the bother for me since it's just too darn easy to use my own air compressor in my own garage. If I couldn't pump my tires at home, I'd consider it. BTW, mine were 2 pounds low yesterday with the cooler temperatures, so now they are back to 42/40.
Nitrogen vs Air In Tires - Why Nitrogen in Tires

 

See post #22.

 

Sorry Sam, but that just states that water vapor causes problems - not why the nitrogen is preferred. I was inquiring of an aviation specialist why the aviation industry demands nitrogen in aircraft tyres. Perhaps on this occasion you should have followed the thread to my comment at #31.

 

Somebody here recently mentioned they didn't want to get tires at Costco, because they didn't want the ongoing hassle of dealing with nitrogen, down the road. Words to that effect. A fundamental misconception: your tires may be intially filled with nitrogen, but there's nothing stopping you "adulterating" the fill with regular air. For me, Costco tires typically stay pristine nitrogen for 3~4 kms, the distance to the nearby Chevron on my way home.

Regarding the premise of the title, I don't think higher pressures, under max sidewall indicated pressure, are detrimental to tires. However, I would speculate they increase wear-and-tear on suspension components. How much is debatable, but it must have some effect.

 

Air, from the compressor, is mostly nitrogen. 78%. So, even if the air is vacuumed out of the tire and replaced with nitrogen, it is only a 20% upgrade in total nitrogen.

 

What would be the mechanism from higher tire pressure that damages suspension parts? The total energy is the same no matter what the tire pressure is. I am not being argumentative, but just want to know what your assumptions are.

 

If the tires have less "give" they transmit more road deflection through to the shocks/springs/joints?

 

Bottled compressed nitrogen (liquid) has only a few molecules of water left in it, just by virtue of how it is made.

That makes it a relatively inexpensive way to get absolutely dry "air" into the tires.
As a secondary advantage, it is also non-flammable.

And otherwise it performs pretty much the same as regular air.......since air is about 70% nitrogen anyway.
Because it is so much like regular air, no special considerations are necessary to use it.

 

Like "energy absorbing" front ends on cars, a flexible tube filled with air also "absorbs" some of the energy right at the tire.
The softer the overall tire is, the less energy is transmitted to the suspension.