Check your tyres (tires)

[kmclemore]

Hmm... not sure about that, Ray. I agree that lots of guys are selling this as a performance improver, rot preventer and as a way to stabilize pressures, but I've also heard that it's kind of a scam... after all, nitrogen molecules are actually smaller than oxygen molecules, so how can the tire leak down less with nitrogen than oxygen? Doesn't make sense to me. As far as not rotting, well, most rotting is not due to oxygen but instead it's due to ozone, and pure nitrogen does have less ozone than ambient air (which is mostly nitrogen to begin with, btw), but that doesn't prevent the ozone from attacking the outside of the tire, and that's where most of the damage is done in the first place - witness the dry, chalky, cracked exterior of your average old tire. So, I guess I'm not in a rush to pay extra to get nitro in my boots.

[NiceAft]

I'm not in a rush either Kevin, but that's what the report said. I've gone this many years without it for my cars, and I've also owned a trucking company, and went without it for my trucks.

It was either on channel six or three's eleven o'clock report. You can try to check out if the video is still on the web site. I only mentioned the nitrogen fact as a "hey! guess what I saw."


Side note: Do you think that you will be ready in the Fall to go with me for a Friday afternoon sail on the Delaware?


Ray

[Chip Hindes]

The nitrogen in the tires thing has been making the rounds for some years. I believe the claims of benefits are nothing more than marketing hype to get people to buy something they don't need. I would have said to separate fools from their money, but that would be unkind to those who have already bought unto the hype.

A combination of unsubstantiated and manuafactured anecdotes, exagerration, junk science, and in some cases outright falsehood.

Sort of an analog of the claim that waxing your car will give you better gas mileage because of decreased wind resistance.

[NiceAft]

Sort of an analog of the claim that waxing your car will give you better gas mileage because of decreased wind resistance.

Boy oh boy Chip You just want to burst every bubble

Ray

[kmclemore]

Sort of an analog of the claim that waxing your car will give you better gas mileage because of decreased wind resistance.

Funny enough, Chip, that latter one is true! Not so much because it's waxed, but because when it's been waxed it's also (presumably) been cleaned. Recently airlines have been more regularly washing their planes - particularly the engines, and some use "dry washing" (a type of waxing) on the aircraft itself - in order to reduce their wind resistance and hence decrease their fuel usage. Now, admittedly, in a car this advantage is hardly noticeable, but on an aircraft moving at +500mph it makes a difference that pays off in hard cash.

[Chip Hindes]

Now, admittedly, in a car this advantage is hardly noticeable, but on an aircraft moving at +500mph it makes a difference that pays off in hard cash.

You're missing the point while also valildating the point.

Of course the statement is true, it's just that the difference in automotive gas mileage is not just "hardly noticeable," it's so low as to be not measurable by any technique known to man. You can't use the cleaning results on a 500mph aircraft to make your point vis a vis an automobile in which average speed is somewhere around 40 mph, any more than you can take the use of nitrogen in the tires of 200 mph Indy or Formula 1 cars which completely use up set of tires in a coulple hours or of racing to validate its use in your '94 Caprice.

[kmclemore]

Well, that kinda depends on perspective, Chip. Yes, in a given tankful it may be entirely unnoticeable. But over 100,000 miles, it may indeed make a difference and offer cash returns. It also depends a lot on how slippery the car's signature (coefficient of drag) is to begin with.

[Chip Hindes]

Perspective?

You won't save enough gas in 100,000 miles by washing your car to pay for the first wash job. You might save enough to pay for the water bill you'll incur if you wash it yourself, but not enough for the soap, rags, and wax, let alone the time spent.

Wash your car because it looks better when it's clean. If you'd like to think you're increasing your gas mileage as well, go right ahead.

[Kelly Hanson East]

Im running a special this week. Instead of filling your tyres with Nitorgen for 40 USD, I will fill them with 80 % nitrogen for only 20 USD.

Thats only 20 percent less Nitrogen for half the price!!!

paypal accepted

[richandlori]

Tires? Can't find any on THIRD DAY.

Just another advantage of Living Aboard....hey....imagine how my Carbon Foot Print has went down.

Hey...Al Gore should give me an award...or on second thought....I have some Carbon Credits to sell....anyone interested?


Rich
From the Chart Table of S/V THIRD DAY
Port San Luis, Ca
www.svthirdday.com

[NiceAft]

OK, I give up!

I'm frustrated!

I have tried several times to watch the video on the tires/tyres, and only get an advertisement. Can anyone out there in the world wide Mac universe who has actually watched the video post how to decipher the code on a tire? I just purchased four new ones, and would like to know how old they are.

Thanks

Ray

[Hamin' X]

I'm not sure what your difficulty is, I just tried the link and it works fine (requires Adobe Flash). Anyway, the date code is the last series of numbers of the DOT code. Examples are:

444 = 44th week of 1994
4202 = 42nd week of 2002
231 = 23rd week of 1991

More info is available from the code. Do a Google search on DOT tire code. Hope this helps.

~Rich

[c130king]

Hey Ray,

It seems that smoking has REALLY stunted your growth...



Jim

[NiceAft]

I'm not sure what your difficulty is

Rich, it depends on who you are speaking to It all goes back to my childhood.

Thanks for the reply.

Ray

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Youre at great risk (IMO) for a serious disaster with the weight of a Mac being towed on a single axle trailer if these 3 items arent closely checked. I dont intend on creating fear to Newbies with MacGregors, but its too important to overlook.

tire quality,

adequate tire pressure to specifications, (15" are better than 14"). I dont think tire size makes a difference concerning the older model classics because of the reduced weight. My classic did fine with 14", towed great, and the tires were over 6 years old.

*lug nuts correctly tightened, because
*it's amazing how easily those lug nuts can shear off (been there, done that, and hopefully never again).