Airlines have used this on their planes and jets. Race car crews have used nitrogen for quite some time. Even giant retail outlets are starting to offer it to their customers.

So what exactly is this strategy? It seems to be the new rage in tires. It involves using nitrogen to inflate your tires instead of air.

Costco now is offering nitrogen fill ups for new tire customers. That is how popular this strategy has become. Why fill your tires with nitrogen? What do race car crews and airlines know that we don't?

The claim is nitrogen offers a number of advantages over air. The first claim, nitrogen can keep your tires at the correct pressure longer than air can. The claim suggests that nitrogen loss from your tires is up to three times slower than air. (All tires loose pressure through air loss through the semi permeable surface of the tire). It is assumed that if your tires are at the correct inflation for longer periods, you will save fuel because under inflated tires produce increased road friction and this in turn decreases fuel economy.

The proponents of nitrogen also state that aside from the fuel saving benefits there are other benefits to using nitrogen. Nitrogen supposedly runs cooler than air. Therefore your tires will run cooler and there will be less expansion in the tire. That means that your tires will require less maintenance and may experience longer life.

The benefits of nitrogen are further enhanced by claims that there will be less internal corrosion of the rubber and the rim. Since air contains oxygen it starts to oxidize everything it comes in contact with. That means the tire rim will be oxidizing or rusting as soon as it is exposed to the air filling the tire. The tire itself also is oxidizing and eventually will break down.

If you fill a tire with pure nitrogen then there is no oxygen in the tire. The result: no oxidation will occur. The claimed benefit? Your tires should be safer and last longer.

Are these claims true? Is nitrogen a wonder drug for your tires? It is certainly worth a thorough investigation. The Jury is still out on this.