So far, my opinion on the matter is mixed. The difference in
expansion rate I think would only be relevant to racers. The
benefits of slower leakage would only be of benefit to people who are
too lazy to check their tire pressure once in a while. The hassle of
having to go somewhere and pay money, compared to using the
compressor in my garage would kind of make that benefit not very big to me.
The area that I am most interested in is the effect on the aging of
rubber. There has been rising awareness of tires becoming unsafe
based on age. It is not uncommon on classic cars to have old tires
that still have good tread, due to limited use. If nitrogen would
help tires last longer in this application, it might be
worthwhile. Jay Leno seems
convinced.
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/index.shtml?vidID=36613 He does
seem to think Nitrogen is exempt from the laws of physics,
though. And I'm sure he bought his own nitrogen generator out of
petty cash. Rich is good.
-Steve Trovato
strovato@optonline.net
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