Mike Noel wrote:
The Discovery Channel did a segment explaining why N2 is better. This page
has a link to the segment:

http://www.getnitrogen.org/

Basically, it leaks more slowly and preserves the rubber.



OK, I'll buy the reducing the oxidation of the rubber on the inside.
Since I've never had to replace an aircraft tire or tube due to the
rubber breaking down, I don't think this is significant except maybe for
a hangar queen.

I don't buy the "leaks more slowly", not for an instant. Oh wait, it is
published on a website that is promoting use of nitrogen in tires. That
means it must be true, right? Silly me.

If the air loss is indeed due to the other gasses leaking out, then each
time I top off my tire, the N2 concentration inside the tire should
increase, since presumably the pressure lost was due mostly to the
oxygen molecules leaking out and my making up the difference with air
which is 78% nitrogen. Eventually, I'd have near pure nitrogen in my
tires just from replenishing the air each time the tire is low if I
followed this reasoning to an extreme.

I understand that in certain aircraft, the oxygen in tires can be a fire
hazard, which I think is where filling with nitrogen originated. For
our light aircraft though, this isn't a concern. No, I suspect most of
the nitrogen for tires hype is just another way to separate cash from a
wallet.