AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

How to save 25% on tires - stop putting air in them!

The NBT (Next Big Thing) in car service will be nitrogen generators at every tire store and truck stop. Military aircraft and large jets have used nitrogen in their tires for decades, and so have race cars. Nitrogen is more heat-stable than regular air which carries about a quarter oxygen plus water vapor, carbon dioxide and more yucky stuff. Nitrogen does not migrate through the tire as much as oxygen. Consequently, your tires are more likely to hold their pressure with nitrogen, and pressure will be less dependent on the temperature.

Ok, but where do you get nitrogen. Well that's the think, until recently the only way to get nitrogen was to buy it in bulk cylinders from industrial gas suppliers. Now there is a new generation of portable Nitrogen Generators. These generators work by passing compressed air through a membrane that separates out the oxygen and the nitrogen components. The portable nitrogen generators are gaining acceptance in tire stores as we speak. The tire store buys the nitrogen generator for $8000 and sells the nitrogen for $10 or so for the inflation of 4 tires.

Is it worth it? Nitrogen advocates claim that tire wear is cut about 25% through using Nitrogen. They also claim fuel economy gains of 4-5%. In addition, you don't have to check or fill up your tires as often. SO if $10 will save me $100 off of a $400 tire purchase, I'd go for it.

Truck operators have much more to gain. Trucks have a lot of tires that need frequent inspection. When they need air, it is a significant project. Also, blowouts are common in trucks. Trucks drive a lot of miles, often on retread tires. It seems like a no-brainer for any significant truck operator to add nitrogen equipment.


Bridgestone/Firestone Commercial Truck Tires