Choosing Great Looking Wheels

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Nitrogen Tires

by Tommy Brewer

Tires that are filled with nitrogen are an alternative to the traditional air-filled car tire. Due to nitrogen's distinctive material characteristics, tires that are filled with this gas are given a unique set of advantages and disadvantages when compared to regular car tires. Understanding what filling your vehicle's tires with nitrogen has to offer you can help you figure out whether or not nitrogen tires are the right fit for your driving needs.

Advantages of Nitrogen Tires

Increased Tire Lifespan: Nitrogen-filled tires are filled up with nitrogen by several rounds of inflation and deflation of your tires. This means that any moisture will be removed from the interior of your tires, and regular air can carry quite a bit of humidity. This reduces the risk of any rust occurring on your tire rims, and reduces the risk of you having to have your tire mounting units repaired in the near future. Further, pure nitrogen will not cause oxidization of the rubber of your tires, as oxygen can, which is a process that can leave the rubber brittle and prone to breaking.

Better Tire Pressure: In addition, pure nitrogen has a harder time passing through rubber than oxygen does, which means that your tire pressure will slowly go down over time at a much slower rate than if your tires were filled with regular air. In addition, nitrogen is much better at withstanding temperature fluctuations, which means you are less likely to see uneven tire wear patterns on your tires during the summer and winter months (which goes hand in hand with the above point as well).

Disadvantages of Nitrogen Tires

Expense: The largest downside of having your car tires filled with nitrogen is the cost associated with the process. Nitrogen is more expensive than filling your car tires up with regular air, and it can be hard to find a mechanic that has the equipment or experience to complete the process on your vehicle, which can drive up prices as well. This can make nitrogen-filled car tires the less than ideal choice for vehicle owners who are operating under a tight budget.

Maintenance: Another key consideration of filling your tires up with nitrogen is that you need to have a professional fill up your tires to maintain proper tire pressure. This means you can't just head to a gas station or use a pump at home, as you would with normal tires. Beyond driving up the price, this is an extremely inconvenient process that requires you to take time out of your day for a simple automotive maintenance task. 

For more information, check out sites like http://evanstire.com today.

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