Nitrogen Tire Inflation Benefit

Author:admin   Date:2016-10-29   Click:

Proponents of nitrogen tire inflation generally offer up the following benefits in its favor:

nitrogen tires

Nitrogen tires get better gas mileage. As a result you save money and the environment.

Nitrogen tires need to be filled less often and maintain higher pressure, making them last longer, which reduces tire replacement costs.

Oxidation from tires filled with oxygen can reduce your tire life – so you should use nitrogen to extend the life and save money.

On the surface, these are legit sounding benefits because it sounds like there is some science behind the claims. But even if all are true, are the added benefits really worth the added cost to get your tires filled with nitrogen?

The importance of maintaining proper tire inflation is well documented. Much of the earliest proof supporting nitrogen inflation comes from studies conducted by tire manufacturers working within the trucking industry. Goodyear’s Radial Truck Tire and Retread Service Manual states that under-inflated tires can reduce tread mileage by 8% causing a related decrease in fuel economy of 2.5%.  In Cummins’s MPG Guide the importance of maintaining proper tire inflation is strongly emphasized: for each 10 psi that a tire is under –inflated fuel efficiency is reduced by 1%. Cummin’s also noted that driving on under-inflated tires increases tire wear rates, creates irregular tread wear and reduces casing durability.

Nitrogen inflation helps maximize fuel efficiency. Testing conducted by Jim Keiser of Wood County Bandag in Bowling Green, Ohio concludes, ”nitrogen will give you approximately one tenth of a mile per gallon more than air.”