Nitrogen vs. Air in Tires: Which One is Better?
Maintenance |Did you know that you can put nitrogen in your car’s tires instead of air? Most people don’t know that, but it is becoming a more popular choice for car and truck owners. Even though it’s becoming more popular, it isn’t the right choice for all drivers. It can come down to personal choice, force of habit, or the extra cost with nitrogen. We will explore both options and try to highlight the pros and cons of both. Nitrogen vs. air in tires: Which one is better? Here we go.
Advantages of Nitrogen
The biggest advantage of nitrogen versus air in tires is that nitrogen has different properties that behave differently than air. When it comes to tire pressure, having your tires inflated to the proper psi is important to prevent uneven wear. Nitrogen molecules are larger and move slower than air. That means nitrogen won’t seep out of the tire as fast as air, keeping the tire inflated longer. The other benefit of using nitrogen vs. air in tires is the absence of moisture. Compressed air can have water molecules in it that will slowly rot the rubber and steel belting in the tire. Racing teams figured out long ago that nitrogen is superior for their needs on the track.
Advantages of Air
People have been filling their car tires with air for almost as long as there have been cars. It’s an acceptable way to fill the tire because it’s reliable and available at every gas station. Accessibility is probably the biggest advantage of air over nitrogen. It is also cheaper than nitrogen, costing around one dollar to fill four tires. Anyhow, air is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, so there’s no need to worry about filling your tires with compressed air from the gas station as it will still work.
The Verdict
If you are the car owner who wants the absolute best for your vehicle, then nitrogen is the way to go. It performs better, lasts longer, and is the preferred choice of race teams around the world. If anyone knows cars and what works the best, it’s race teams. Putting air in the tires is cheaper, easier, and still effective, so don’t feel bad if you opt for that. When you want to fill your tires with nitrogen, visit RNR Tire Express. We fill tires in Greenville, NC with nitrogen or air, whichever you prefer.