In Pakistan, a new trend of using nitrogen gas to inflate car tyres is on the rise these days. Many car users have been seen filling up their vehicle tyres with nitrogen, recommended by shop owners who are promoting the use of nitrogen gas to earn more.
This is not a new phenomenon for racing cars and aircraft owners as nitrogen gas is used in their tyres. For commercial vehicles, it costs up to Rs.500 at some shops to fill up the tyres with nitrogen gas which is an additional expenditure to bear on a regular basis.
Some basic questions arising in the minds of many Pakistanis including drivers and car owners are; is the additional cost really worth it? Is use of nitrogen gas in car tyres beneficial and safe?
Nitrogen Tyre Advantages
Safe to Use on the Streets
Let’s talk about safety first; it is guaranteed that using nitrogen gas in car tyres is totally safe and does not affect the rims adversely.
Infact using nitrogen gas in car tyres is absolutely beneficial and justifies the cost. Following are some points explaining what nitrogen gas does to car tyres.
Nitrogen Gas Keeps the Tyres Cool
The tyre remains cool if the air inflated in it is dryer, as proved by research. We also know that the regular compressed air has moisture in it and it heats up the tyres when a car travels at high speed. Nitrogen keeps the tyres cooler as it contains less moisture, so if you have to travel long distance and at a high speed, you should inflate your tyres with nitrogen gas.
Nitrogen Gas Increases Tyre Life-Span
Since nitrogen keeps the temperature of tyres low, it protects the car tyres to a large extent from wear and tear, that is caused by high temperature. Thus it increases the tyres life but does not double it, hence keeping a regular check on the tyre condition is suggested.
Nitrogen Maintains Tyre Pressure
We all know that pressure is linked with temperature and the tyre pressure changes with temperature. Tyre pressure, in the case of pumped up with normal air, increases with the rise in temperature. On the other hand, Nitrogen gas has the tendency to maintain pressure at a wide temperature range, thus it maintains the tyre pressure as compared to normal compressed air.
Nitrogen Gas Leaks from Tyres Slower than Normal Air
The air in the tyres leak with time because tyres and tubes have slightly-thin porous. That’s why it’s good to check the tyre pressure regularly. Due to the chemical structure of nitrogen gas, it leaks slower in comparison to normal compressed air. Also, it is always a smart idea to rotate your tyres every 5,000 miles.
Nitrogen Gives a Better Ride at High Speed
There is no significant change in the feel when you ride your vehicles with nitrogen gas in the tyres. But when it comes to the point of travelling at high speed, nitrogen gas gives a smoother ride as it maintains temperature and pressure better than the normal air.
Other Factors
There are some other points to remember when you consider opting for nitrogen gas in tyres of your vehicle. Once you inflate your car tyres with nitrogen, you are bound to fill them with nitrogen each time as per need.
The availability and affordability are another important factors to be considered in this case, as most of Pakistanis have family cars and a majority cannot bear the Rs.500 cost at each top up. But if you have a sports car, don’t think for a second and go for this option.
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