Reparing Leak in Tire Side Wall

Clare...

The fact that the cost is small compared to a new set of tires really isn't, and shouldn't be, the issue. The point is that paying $10 for nitrogen in a new set of tires costing $600 is still a waste of $10, and there's nothing good, admirable or even sexy about wasting anything, even a lowly 1.7 percent. I would no more pay $10 to have nitrogen in my tires than I would pay $20 to have a factory racing stripe painted onto my car. In both cases I know I'm wasting my money, and my brain is hard wired to avoid that.

In fact, a good arguement can be made AGAINST the use of nitrogen in a car's tires. Having the driver of the car acutely aware that ordinary air leaks out of the car's tires a tiny bit faster helps to ensure the driver pays attention to his car's tires and their inflation pressure, and that alone is worth more than $10 in fuel savings and longer lasting tires. With nitrogen in the tires, vehicle owners may be more complacent about looking at and paying attention to their tires because with nitrogen in them, they may feel they don't need to pay as close attention.

Bottom line here is that they should change the name from "Nitrogen" to "Racing Air" and it'd probably sell like crazy. After all, everyone knows that ordinary air is 78 percent nitrogen anyway. Racing air, on the other hand, is obviously what high performance cars use, so it might be worth the extra ten bucks in better performance.

Reply to
nestork
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Total nonsense. Autos, AFAIK, never had rims that came apart and tires with tubes were mounted to them before the switch to all tubeless.

That's probably true. IDK about putting a tube in a tubeless, other than I've never seen it done.

Agree that I would not patch a sidewall.

Reply to
trader_4

There's still a difference. At least with racing stripes you have something that's visible and if you like it, then it's worth it. In the case of nitrogen, what you have is 99% marketing gimmick to add $$ to the bottom line. AFAIK, what they have done is extend nitrogen from critical applications where the difference it makes can matter, to the family car, where the difference is negligible.

Reply to
trader_4

2x on that. Best tires on the rear axle. It's easier to control a blowout on the front, you can still steer. Rear blowouts are prone to causing the rear to come around, IE spin out.
Reply to
repairman54

Well, I'd not heard that. But then, I didn't take some of the higher level college courses. Thanks for helping me understand.

I guess if I filled my trailer with nitrogen, I'd have less air leakage, and keep the heat in better?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Yes, the racing stripe is something you can see and impress people with, just like the added wing type spoiler on the trunk of some cars. Or like a diamond ring costing several thousand dollars. Not good for much,but people think they want it. The nitrogen is not visiable to look at nor will it do any good that I am aware of.

I thought I read somewhere about nitrogen in airplane tires had some kind of advantage, but that could have just been some internet dribble.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

Just out of morbid curiosity, did you ever work at a place that installed tires (I did). If you had, you would know that practically all auto and light truck rims are one piece (the OP didn't say what kid of vehicle). You would also know that tires with tubes were routinely installed on those rims without incident (except for the odd idiot that was not paying attention to what he was doing). There was also a specific tube for radial tires that could stand more flex than tubes for bias ply tire tubes. A puncture in a bias ply sidewall could be repaired. Not so for a radial. However, if it was just a puncture the radial could be used by putting in the proper tube.

I agree that in this case the tire should be replaced, but not for the reason you state.

Reply to
Mike

The actual rationale is that less tread = more possibility of sliding in adverse weather conditions. Your average driver's reflexes handle understeer (front sliding) much better than oversteer (rear sliding)

Personally if my tires are thin enough that I'm worried about blowouts, in my mind it's about time for new tires...

nate

Reply to
N8N

No idea what you mean. (?)

Are you talking about filling your trailer TIRES with nitrogen, or filling the living space of your trailer with nitrogen?

If it's the latter, you can't have air leakage if there's no air inside the trailer to begin with. Also, I don't know why there would be any difference in heat loss from the trailer living space if it was filled with nitrogen. (?) It would seem to me that would be entirely dependant on the insulation (if any) you have in the walls of the trailer and the temperature difference across those walls. I don't see any reason for nitrogen to be any warmer than air under the same circumstances.

Probably a better idea would be to fill the living space of your trailer with helium and invite everyone over to have a Funny Voice party.

Reply to
nestork

The "secret" is simply to lightly inflate the tube before installing the second bead, then inflate to low pressure, bounce the wheel, and inflate to seat the bead. Sure isn't rocket science!!!

Reply to
clare

That's not the reason though. The reason is the rear end needs to stay BEHIND you, and with less tread on the rear, it WILL come around just when you least expect it. This is why in MOST jurisdictions it is ILLEGAL to put snows on the front only on a front wheel drive car.

Reply to
clare

The way the wind passes through your redneck bungalow it would need something a lot stiffer and thicker than nitrogen to keep the heat in!!! (like good foam insulation, perhaps)

Reply to
clare

The use of nitrogen inflation actually started with aircraft tires. Where it DOES make a significant difference. EXTREME temperature and pressure differences during every takeoff and landing.

Reply to
clare

You know, at the WALMART near me, they INSIST on put the NEW TIRES on the drive wheels. Which in MY CASE is the BACK. That didn't MUCH help when I got HIT BY a semi driver on THE HIGHWAY. My vehicle SLID SIDE WAYS and then tipped UP on its SIDE and slid SOME MORE.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I've not decided if you're dense, obtuse, or throwing my nonsense back at me.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Well PAST time. In 46 years of driving I have NEVER had a blowout and have only had 4 tires go flat on the road - 2 from cracked valve stems. Those 46 years included a couple million miles of driving on 2 continents.

Reply to
clare

Just fill the entire trailer with blown cellulose. Problem solved.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Been a WHILE since I saw it, but one SHOW had a feature about a PLANE that got into TROUBLE. The guys had RUN OUT of nitrogen, and left the TIRE a bit soft. That caused a CRASH.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

A COUPLE of years back, I noticed my VAN was NOT QUITE right. I was on the 55 zone limited ACCESS ROAD, so I pulled over at an EXIT and turns out one TIRE had SEPARATED at the side wall. Ended up call AAA and get FLAT BEDDED home. the next day I took OFF the TIRE AND brought it back to WALMART, as I had the WARRANTY. Inside, I noticed I'd PICKED up a NAIL through the TREAD. Back home, and PUT the new TIRE back on.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

That should make a case for rotating the tires every 5000 or whatever miles. They all have about the same ammount of tread and should all be replaced at the same time.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

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