[W126 Coupe] Tire pressures

[Axel Wulff]

I was aware that race cars use nitrogen in their tires, but has anyone any 
idea why helium was not considered?

Like nitrogen, it is an inert gas and will not burn or cause explosions (I 
mean detonations, not blowing out tires due to excessive pressure 
build-up..).

Not much of a weight gain, but with unsprung weight, every ounce counts.



Regards,
Axel J. Wulff
610-731-5453 Cellular
610-572-4611 Home





>From: "Shayegan, Richard" <rishayegan at davidson.edu>
>Reply-To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
>To: "Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists" <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
>Subject: RE: [W126 Coupe] Tire pressures
>Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2006 09:40:44 -0400
>
>It's not about pressures going up too quickly, it's about pressures going 
>up consistently. At any given time air can be made up of different things, 
>but the nitrogen they use is always the same so they know exactly what hot 
>pressure will be yeilded by a given cold pressure. Ask da boy from 
>Charlotte.
>Richard
>
>________________________________
>
>From: mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com on behalf of Dan Landiss
>Sent: Thu 6/1/2006 9:25 AM
>To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists
>Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] Tire pressures
>
>
>
>Axel Wulff wrote:
> > I like to go to the highest elevation in the Rocky Mountains to change
> > my air.
> >
> > The fresh, non-polluted air extends tire life and is gentler on the
> > rubber and, as everyone knows, the air is lighter at high altitude so
> > I save weight.
>
>All kidding aside, the race tire suppliers now pump all the air out of
>newly-mounted tires and replace it with dry air or dry nitrogen. Reason?
>When it heats up, the water vapor expands faster than dry air would, and
>thus the pressures go up too fast.
>
>--
>
>   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>   Thinking is what a great many people think they are doing when
>   they are merely rearranging their prejudices.  --William James
>   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
>
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>
>


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