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While a few years back tubeless tyres were considered a premium upgrade for your vehicle, today tubeless tyres have become a common fixture on most vehicles. The pros of tubeless tyres far outweigh the cons, and that’s the reason why cars, bikes and SUVs come equipped with tubeless tyres as standard.
One of the biggest benefits of tubeless tyres is that breakdowns caused by flat tyres are hugely reduced. As there is no inner tube, the tyre gets deflated at a very slow rate. So, drivers can reach a puncture repair shop or a tyres shop nearby to fix the situation instead of being stranded on the road.
Another reason tubeless tyres are preferred by OEMs and drivers alike is the cooler running temperature of these tyres. Which, in turn, enables high speed manoeuvrings and reduces the risk of tyre burst. The reason tubeless tyres run cooler is twofold. One, the absence of a tube reduces the friction within the tyre and wheel structure. Two, tubeless tyres are often filled with nitrogen for keeping them cooler, and that’s what we are debating in today’s post.
Critics say that since air is about 78% nitrogen, the practice of using nitrogen in tubeless tyres is a mere gimmick. Let’s find out if there are any pros to filling nitrogen in tubeless tyres.
Since tyres leak air over time, tyre pressure is something that should be checked regularly as it can affect the performance of the car. Running on abysmally low tyre pressures can even become a significant safety hazard for you and others on the road. It has been observed in tests that filling the tyres with a higher level of nitrogen i.e. 95% or above, does help in retaining tyre pressure for longer. Nitrogen’s larger molecular size means, it leaks slower than dry air and can significantly reduce your tyre maintenance exercises.
Properly inflated tyres also help in increasing your vehicle’s fuel economy by reducing the friction between the tyre surface and the road. Nitrogen filled tyres will retain the ideal PSI for longer durations and thus, improve the fuel economy over time. So, another plus for having nitrogen in your car’s tubeless tyres.
The air inside a tubeless tyre remains in constant touch with the metal wheel. Any contamination, e.g. moisture, in the air can affect the alloy wheel. Over time, it can lead to rusting and weakening of the wheel as well. Nitrogen filled tyres reduce that risk as the gas enables oxidation, reducing the risk of metal deterioration.
So, all in all, nitrogen filled tubeless tyres do have an advantage over regular air filled tyres. Some of the best tubeless car tyres in the market can become even more effective at providing traction, fuel efficiency and durability with use of nitrogen as a filament.