Nismo Tire Pressure

nabenson · 11-18-2010, 05:40 PM

I normally use a compressor at home (18 gallon tank, got it Home Depot during a killer sale and this is about all I use it for).

My Z came with some BS nitrogen fill - does anyone know anything about this? I haven't had to add any air yet, but am curious as to what I should do when it needs it. The dealership is the only authorized dealer (can't remember which company it was) in the area and their make-ready is the only place to get a fill.

crash1369 · 11-17-2010, 08:51 PM

Your question has been answered already but to elaborate, if your interested. As long as your running OEM sized/ load rating tires (or close to it) you will want to stay with the recommended pressure on the door (or close to it) as that should provide optimal tire wear and gas mileage. If you were to make a drastic size change that pressure would no long apply, but you never want to use the Maximum pressure, unless you are at the maximum load for the tire in question. Which you would also probably want to avoid.

Lower Tire pressure, within reason, can give you better traction. Obviously there is a limit though, Probably a few PSI. If the pressure is to low it can cause the tires to over heat and fail, as well as uneven tire wear. The outsides would wear out faster becuase the center is not firmly on the ground.

Higher pressures will decrease rolling resistance and can actually help gas mileage (allot of OEMs spec their pressure a little high these days for that reason) but at the cost of traction. If the pressure is to high less of the tire is contacting the road which makes it roll more easily but since only the center is in contact you have less traction and obviously uneven tire wear.

As mentioned the tire pressure will also affect the ride characteristics of the car since the pressure in the tire determines it's stiffness and in turn how much impact it absorbs. I do not recommend adjsuting tire pressure to compensate for ride quality, that's what the suspension is for, but it does make a noticable difference.

If you're not sure what your tire pressure should be, or curious if you really have it just right an easy way to determine what it should be is to draw a line across the tread with chalk. Drive a short distance until the chalk starts to wear off and see if it's even. Again if just the center wears off your pressure is a little high try letting a pound out, or vise-verse. It's easiest to knowingly overfill them a bit for this test so you can just let the air out until you get where you want to be rather then trying to fill them in tiny increments.
If you really want to get crazy/ exact you can use an infrared thermometer and adjust the pressure until the tires temperature is consistent across the tread surface.

To much information yet?

FERRARI · 11-17-2010, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crash1369

Your question has been answered already but to elaborate, if your interested. As long as your running OEM sized/ load rating tires (or close to it) you will want to stay with the recommended pressure on the door (or close to it) as that should provide optimal tire wear and gas mileage. If you were to make a drastic size change that pressure would no long apply, but you never want to use the Maximum pressure, unless you are at the maximum load for the tire in question. Which you would also probably want to avoid.

Lower Tire pressure, within reason, can give you better traction. Obviously there is a limit though, Probably a few PSI. If the pressure is to low it can cause the tires to over heat and fail, as well as uneven tire wear. The outsides would wear out faster becuase the center is not firmly on the ground.

Higher pressures will decrease rolling resistance and can actually help gas mileage (allot of OEMs spec their pressure a little high these days for that reason) but at the cost of traction. If the pressure is to high less of the tire is contacting the road which makes it roll more easily but since only the center is in contact you have less traction and obviously uneven tire wear.

As mentioned the tire pressure will also affect the ride characteristics of the car since the pressure in the tire determines it's stiffness and in turn how much impact it absorbs. I do not recommend adjsuting tire pressure to compensate for ride quality, that's what the suspension is for, but it does make a noticable difference.

If you're not sure what your tire pressure should be, or curious if you really have it just right an easy way to determine what it should be is to draw a line across the tread with chalk. Drive a short distance until the chalk starts to wear off and see if it's even. Again if just the center wears off your pressure is a little high try letting a pound out, or vise-verse. It's easiest to knowingly overfill them a bit for this test so you can just let the air out until you get where you want to be rather then trying to fill them in tiny increments.
If you really want to get crazy/ exact you can use an infrared thermometer and adjust the pressure until the tires temperature is consistent across the tread surface.

To much information yet?

good post +1

crash1369 · 11-17-2010, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FERRARI

good post +1

Thanks

fuct · 11-18-2010, 11:51 AM

crash1369 · 11-18-2010, 06:45 PM

The main benefit to filling your tires with nitrogen is that it is lighter then air, which is supposed to increase your gas mileage. But as mentioned it also does not leak out as fast, there is also less affect from varying temperatures which means your tire pressure will remain more consistent. If you can get them topped off with nitrogen for free and without to much hassle you might as well it's certainly not hurting anything, but again regular air is largely composed of nitrogen anyway and there is no harm in "mixing" them.

FERRARI · 11-18-2010, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crash1369

The main benefit to filling your tires with nitrogen is that it is lighter then air, which is supposed to increase your gas mileage. But as mentioned it also does not leak out as fast, there is also less affect from varying temperatures which means your tire pressure will remain more consistent. If you can get them topped off with nitrogen for free and without to much hassle you might as well it's certainly not hurting anything, but again regular air is largely composed of nitrogen anyway and there is no harm in "mixing" them.

OMG !!! CAN you not read? air is 78% nitrogen....lol........so much fake science in this thread........
Hey ...why not fill your tires with Helium? they you could lift off the ground........lol

Sorry CRASH1369 not aimed at you.....

chops · 11-18-2010, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FERRARI

OMG !!! CAN you not read? air is 78% nitrogen....lol........so much fake science in this thread........
Hey ...why not fill your tires with Helium? they you could lift off the ground........lol

Sorry CRASH1369 not aimed at you.....

get your facts straight. there's no fake science in this thread. if you actually bothered to google, as i just did, you will see that nitrogen molecules are in fact larger than normal oxygen molecules. pure nitrogen inflated tires will leak less and are less susceptible to temperature/psi variations as well as being lighter than your typical air (4% lighter, however fuel savings are negligible at best). while our air is 78% nitrogen anyway, the rest of the gases you fill into your tires will find their way out faster, hence why pure nitrogen is used more commonly today.

ChrisSlicks · 11-18-2010, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chops

get your facts straight. there's no fake science in this thread. if you actually bothered to google, as i just did, you will see that nitrogen molecules are in fact larger than normal oxygen molecules. pure nitrogen inflated tires will leak less and are less susceptible to temperature/psi variations as well as being lighter than your typical air (4% lighter, however fuel savings are negligible at best). while our air is 78% nitrogen anyway, the rest of the gases you fill into your tires will find their way out faster, hence why pure nitrogen is used more commonly today.

The molecular size differential is 3%. The only reason the Nitrogen scam works at all is because the Nitrogen they sell you is dry. The key to consistent tire pressures is to put in a dry gas, whether Nitrogen or regular air. Fuel savings comes from having consistent tire pressures, nothing else.

Pelican170 · 11-19-2010, 08:40 AM

Easy killers, the only reason to fill your tires with nitrogen is as mentioned above, because it stays in the tires longer (NOT because it is lighter lol). either way, its a rip off. Back to the subject, when I mentioned a small compressor, i meant like a 5 gallon tank or something like this:

Amazon.com: Porter-Cable C2002-WK Oil-Free UMC Pancake Compressor with 13-Piece Accessory Kit: Home Improvement

FERRARI · 11-19-2010, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chops

get your facts straight. there's no fake science in this thread. if you actually bothered to google, as i just did, you will see that nitrogen molecules are in fact larger than normal oxygen molecules. pure nitrogen inflated tires will leak less and are less susceptible to temperature/psi variations as well as being lighter than your typical air (4% lighter, however fuel savings are negligible at best). while our air is 78% nitrogen anyway, the rest of the gases you fill into your tires will find their way out faster, hence why pure nitrogen is used more commonly today.

My facts are right.......BTW and I have a Doctorate in Chemistry....I dont have to Google..... just how much do you tires leak? You are being scammed

chops · 11-20-2010, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FERRARI

My facts are right.......BTW and I have a Doctorate in Chemistry....I dont have to Google..... just how much do you tires leak? You are being scammed

scammed? tell me how so. whenever ive gotten new tires they fill it with nitrogen for free. i check my tire pressure monthly (force of habit) and have never had to fill my tires. i get my tires below tirerack prices installed with free rotations and balances for the life of the tires and never once had to worry about low pressure. if that qualifies for being scammed then so be it.

on the other hand, ive yet to get new tires on our acura mdx, yet i have to top off the tires every so often to keep it at 35psi cold. nitrogen IN MY OPINION does not have any leakage problems compared to regular compressed air.

crash1369 · 11-18-2010, 08:56 PM

uh, ok. good cuz I was pretty sure I was agreeing with you when I said air was mainly nitrogen anyway.

The rest was just the reasons why they say it is superior, if it really makes a difference or not is debatable.

Dpeters · 11-19-2010, 09:52 AM

I have a local shop that fills my tires with nitrogen for free. I think they're standard charge is 7 bucks a tire (nothing compared to the dealership charges). I've ran Nitrogen in my tires for 6 years now and have never had to have them topped off. I know it's subjective as to whether or not it's beneficial, but I have never had any leaks since switching to Nitrogen.

Disclaimer: Some will say that a properly installed tire won't leak air either but the fact is that I've never had a car not leak air and I've never had a car leak nitrogen.

Dpeters · 11-19-2010, 11:17 AM

I have an air compressor in the basement and ran tubing to my garage. I even installed a retractable compressor hose that's mounted in the corner. As stated above, I use nitrogen in the Z tires, but this comes in handy for my old truck and various lawn equipment. I also use the blower nozzle when I detail my Z.... it helps with removal of lint/dust/residue after waxing

11-17-2010, 08:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
crash1369 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Tobyharlem Age: 42 Posts: 474 Drives: C300 - 6spd Rep Power: 729	Your question has been answered already but to elaborate, if your interested. As long as your running OEM sized/ load rating tires (or close to it) you will want to stay with the recommended pressure on the door (or close to it) as that should provide optimal tire wear and gas mileage. If you were to make a drastic size change that pressure would no long apply, but you never want to use the Maximum pressure, unless you are at the maximum load for the tire in question. Which you would also probably want to avoid. Lower Tire pressure, within reason, can give you better traction. Obviously there is a limit though, Probably a few PSI. If the pressure is to low it can cause the tires to over heat and fail, as well as uneven tire wear. The outsides would wear out faster becuase the center is not firmly on the ground. Higher pressures will decrease rolling resistance and can actually help gas mileage (allot of OEMs spec their pressure a little high these days for that reason) but at the cost of traction. If the pressure is to high less of the tire is contacting the road which makes it roll more easily but since only the center is in contact you have less traction and obviously uneven tire wear. As mentioned the tire pressure will also affect the ride characteristics of the car since the pressure in the tire determines it's stiffness and in turn how much impact it absorbs. I do not recommend adjsuting tire pressure to compensate for ride quality, that's what the suspension is for, but it does make a noticable difference. If you're not sure what your tire pressure should be, or curious if you really have it just right an easy way to determine what it should be is to draw a line across the tread with chalk. Drive a short distance until the chalk starts to wear off and see if it's even. Again if just the center wears off your pressure is a little high try letting a pound out, or vise-verse. It's easiest to knowingly overfill them a bit for this test so you can just let the air out until you get where you want to be rather then trying to fill them in tiny increments. If you really want to get crazy/ exact you can use an infrared thermometer and adjust the pressure until the tires temperature is consistent across the tread surface. To much information yet? __________________ "At no point during your rambling, incoherent response did you ever come close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. We are all now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul."

11-18-2010, 06:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
crash1369 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Tobyharlem Age: 42 Posts: 474 Drives: C300 - 6spd Rep Power: 729	The main benefit to filling your tires with nitrogen is that it is lighter then air, which is supposed to increase your gas mileage. But as mentioned it also does not leak out as fast, there is also less affect from varying temperatures which means your tire pressure will remain more consistent. If you can get them topped off with nitrogen for free and without to much hassle you might as well it's certainly not hurting anything, but again regular air is largely composed of nitrogen anyway and there is no harm in "mixing" them. __________________ "At no point during your rambling, incoherent response did you ever come close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. We are all now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul."

11-18-2010, 08:56 PM	#13 (permalink)
crash1369 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Tobyharlem Age: 42 Posts: 474 Drives: C300 - 6spd Rep Power: 729	uh, ok. good cuz I was pretty sure I was agreeing with you when I said air was mainly nitrogen anyway. The rest was just the reasons why they say it is superior, if it really makes a difference or not is debatable. __________________ "At no point during your rambling, incoherent response did you ever come close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. We are all now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul."

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11-18-2010, 05:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
nabenson Base Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 103 Drives: 10 370z Nismo PW M6 Rep Power: 15	I normally use a compressor at home (18 gallon tank, got it Home Depot during a killer sale and this is about all I use it for). My Z came with some BS nitrogen fill - does anyone know anything about this? I haven't had to add any air yet, but am curious as to what I should do when it needs it. The dealership is the only authorized dealer (can't remember which company it was) in the area and their make-ready is the only place to get a fill.

11-18-2010, 11:51 AM	#5 (permalink)
fuct A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2009 Location: Sugar Land Posts: 3,692 Drives: 97' Ranger :) Rep Power: 24

11-19-2010, 08:40 AM	#10 (permalink)
Pelican170 Track Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sandy Hook, CT Posts: 972 Drives: Nissan 370z Nismo Rep Power: 16	Easy killers, the only reason to fill your tires with nitrogen is as mentioned above, because it stays in the tires longer (NOT because it is lighter lol). either way, its a rip off. Back to the subject, when I mentioned a small compressor, i meant like a 5 gallon tank or something like this: Amazon.com: Porter-Cable C2002-WK Oil-Free UMC Pancake Compressor with 13-Piece Accessory Kit: Home Improvement

11-19-2010, 09:52 AM	#14 (permalink)
Dpeters Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 88 Drives: 2009 Nismo PG 370Z Rep Power: 16	I have a local shop that fills my tires with nitrogen for free. I think they're standard charge is 7 bucks a tire (nothing compared to the dealership charges). I've ran Nitrogen in my tires for 6 years now and have never had to have them topped off. I know it's subjective as to whether or not it's beneficial, but I have never had any leaks since switching to Nitrogen. Disclaimer: Some will say that a properly installed tire won't leak air either but the fact is that I've never had a car not leak air and I've never had a car leak nitrogen.

11-19-2010, 11:17 AM	#15 (permalink)
Dpeters Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 88 Drives: 2009 Nismo PG 370Z Rep Power: 16	I have an air compressor in the basement and ran tubing to my garage. I even installed a retractable compressor hose that's mounted in the corner. As stated above, I use nitrogen in the Z tires, but this comes in handy for my old truck and various lawn equipment. I also use the blower nozzle when I detail my Z.... it helps with removal of lint/dust/residue after waxing