Nitrogen tire filling arrives in Calgary (CostCo)

Nitrogen tire filling arrives in Calgary

CFCN.ca

POSTED AT 5:08 PM Wednesday, September 29

Got a flat? You may want to try filling your tire with nitrogen. A
Calgary tire retailer is using the gas instead of regular air. The
difference is subtle.

Nitrogen is an inert, non-flammable gas. It was developed for racing
and military applications. Now Costco Wholesale is bringing the gas
to its retail tire customers.

Experts say that nitrogen molecules are four times larger than oxygen.
Retailers say tires with nitrogen should stay inflated four times
longer, maintain a consistent tire pressure and increase its life
span.

Nitrogen tire filling is already widely used in Europe. Costco
doesn't charge any extra for the gas, which is included in the price
of the tire and installation.

See also:

http://www.alltiresupply.com/archives/newproducts/IR-Nitro-Tire-Sys.html
http://www.irco.com/pressroom/newsatir/is/58711_Print.html

Nitrogen -- a dry, inert gas used by racing professionals and the U.S.
military to inflate racecar tires and military vehicles, respectively
-- leaks through a tire's rubber walls three times more slowly than
oxygen. As a result, tires filled with high-quality nitrogen delivered
by IR's system stay inflated longer, which allows them to grip the
road better and provide greater control in all weather conditions.

"It's an obvious safety issue," said Ray Evernham, a three-time NASCAR
Nextel Cup champion crew chief, team owner of Evernham Motorsports and
an IR spokesperson. "Simply put, tires filled with nitrogen provide
more stable pressure. That's why IR's Nitrogen Tire Filling System
represents the best solution for drivers and tire-repair centers."

http://www.tirebusiness.com/subscriber/opinion2.phtml?cat=3&id=1082990463
http://www.tirebusiness.com/subscriber/opinion2.phtml?cat=3&id=1074521989

 

Interesting. It's not such a big deal since it's about 79% of the
atmosphere,... but I still have never heard of it for tyre filling in
Europe...

I wonder how much it would cost. Compressed air is usually free or a
trivial price.

DAS
--
For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
---

..................

 

In a racing situation, the bigger motivation for using nitrogen is the
low moisture => temperature stability (vs. the bleedout), and that's
what's probably the fact behind Everham's statement. For the consumer
it's both mechansisms (low moisture/temperature stability *and* bleedout
over a long period of time) that come into play.

I guess the longer you leave normal air in a tire, the higher the
concentration of nitrogen, since the smaller molecules will bleed out
and leave only nitrogen. 8^)

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

I wonder if nitrogen-filled tires play any role in preventing leaks on
aluminum rims or reducing rust and pit formation on aluminum rims.

hmmm. I wonder what the "nitrogen experts" would say about that?

 

My 1972 Land Rover has been sitting (and lounging around) in my brother's farm
yard since 1987 and the tires have not deflated. They were and still are filled
with air.

Marketing baloney at it's best. Thanks Bill for your sunbtle commetary ;-)

 

Some on the 300M ezBoard have had some bead leak/corrosion problem with
some of the Razorstar wheels that came from the factory. There have
been some discussions there about using nitrogen as a preventaive for
just that problem. Also, a guy in San Diego reported on the 300M
ezBoard that a Costco in SD put nitrogen in his tires:
http://p209.ezboard.com/f300menthusiastsclubfrm6.showMessage?topicID=176.topic

8^)

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

The sad part is that there will be idiots that go to Costco for tires just
because
of this, which is why Costco is probably doing it.

Ted

 

Our local Costco uses Nitrogen, but does not really make much to do about
it. As for pricing, they are almost always within a couple pennies of the
price for the exact same tire at the Sam's Club down the road.

Bob

 

The average intelligence of people in your area is probably higher. Costco
tailors it's advertising regionally.

Whenever I've gone into Costco and looked at tire prices (P185 75r14s) they
have always had the most expensive prices in town. Of course, I'm not
looking
for name-brands since the vehicle that uses those tires I drive and it
doesen't
care what's on the wheel. I'm looking for the cheapest tires available. I
think
the last time I asked the cheapest tire in the place was $60.

Now, when the tires on the van finally wear out that will be a different
story -
since the tires on it now that the previous owner installed are anything but
low-noise, and a van amplifies everything from the tires. And the rims on
it
are cast aluminum. I'm resigned to having to be screwed up the ass for
tire prices on that vehicle.

Ted

 

Umm.. not true. Or, so sayeth my chemist wife, after she got through with
ROFL when we say this at Costco ourselves.

 

I fill mine with helium. It has a tendency to lift the vehicle a hair, thus
reducing the weight (pull of gravity) and greatly increases the mpg.

 

That's fine in the summer, but in the winter you definitely want to fill
your tires with Freon. Being heavier than air, it helps your tires stick
to slippery roads.

 

Actually, farmers fill their tractor tires part of the way with salt water
to help keep the tractors from rolling over. Perhaps this should be required
by the Feds in all SUV's to solve their roll over problem. Cheaper than
those computer stability systems for sure.

Richard.

 

Mercury would be even better for handling. Plus, it conducts electricity
should your car be struck by lightning.

Seriously though, liquid-filled tires are only suitable for very slow-moving
equipment like farm tractors. They would never balance at speed.

 

Wrong. I have developed a complex computer program that will predict the
dynamic balance requirements of brine filled tires on the run, so to speak.
Cheap Chrysler has so far refused to fit this $3,800.00 system on any of its
cars or SUV's. Where is Ralph Nader when you need him?

Richard.

 

Completely with calcium chloride for traction !

 

The reason Nitrogen is used by racers is because (1) it's moisture-free
and therefore expands less at temperature, and (2) it's real cheap.

You can accomplish the same thing by getting yer tire air at a good
scuba shop, where the air pumped is also dried.