February 23, 2022 - Heels & Horsepower Magazine

Nitrogen in your tyres: What are the benefits?

vuyi on February 23, 2022

By Vuyi Mpofu

Nitrogen gas is an alternative to compressed air but did you know that it’s good for your tyres too?

Many motorists use air in their tyres but very few seem to know about the benefits of using nitrogen instead. Since converting to nitrogen many years ago I can confidently attest to the numerous benefits of using it instead of air.

Before getting into an overview of the benefits of using nitrogen in your tyres, let’s first discuss what nitrogen is.

What is nitrogen?

The air we inhale comprises approximately 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. In its purest form, nitrogen is simply dry air that is completely devoid of oxygen. Nitrogen is:

Non-combustible
Non-corrosive
Non-flammable
Environmentally friendly

Unlike air, nitrogen does not oxidize (or weaken) the rubber of the tyre.

Of all known gasses, nitrogen has the biggest molecules which means it seeps through tyres much slower than air. As a result, it takes longer for a tyre pumped with nitrogen to lose pressure than one filled with air.

The benefits of using nitrogen:

As mentioned I am a firm believer in using nitrogen for the following reasons.

Tyres run cooler because nitrogen does not hold heat, which drastically reduces instances of having a burst tyre.
Cooler tyres also mean better handling on the road, here’s why: When tyres heat up, their inflation pressure increases, resulting in a smaller tyre footprint (the area in contact with the road). The smaller the tyre’s footprint, the less grip, so the cooler the tyre the better it grips
Nitrogen reduces tyre pressure variation normally caused by fluctuating temperatures.
Due to its molecular structure, nitrogen escapes through the tyre’s inner liner at a slower rate than air, meaning the pressure in your tyres will hold for longer.
Nitrogen does not contain moisture, meaning a notable reduction in corrosion to the rubber of the tyres.

With the above in mind, I am sure you’ll agree that using nitrogen in your tyres is a good idea. As a result of the above-mentioned benefits, tyre manufacturers agree that nitrogen can improve a tyre’s lifespan by up to 20%.

While I’m not an expert, I am further encouraged by the fact that Formula 1 race car drivers use nitrogen in their tyres, and if it’s good enough for Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, it’s good enough for me!

Illegal automotive friction materials destroyed

vuyi on February 23, 2022

By H&H Admin

The Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) welcomes the recent destruction of non-conforming automotive friction materials.

The Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) welcomes the recent destruction of non-conforming automotive friction materials at the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) in Midrand.

Vishal Premlall, national director of the South African Petroleum Retailers Association (SAPRA), a proud association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) and Regulatory Compliance Manager at the RMI, was a guest at the event at which about R80-million worth of illicit products were destroyed.

Vishal Premlall (National Director of the South African Petroleum Retailers’ Association and Regulatory Compliance Manager at the Retail Motor Industry Organisation) and Acting CEO and Head of Automotive at the NRCS Duncan Motengwa.

Products were classified into four main categories: automotive, electronic, chemical, and legal metrology.

The automotive products destroyed included brake pads, brake shoes, headlamps, globes, foam tyre cleaners, and infant car seats. At the destruction event, Phambili Services coordinated the destruction processes, which included crushing with a baler, hammering, cutting, chemical processing, dumping into landfill sites, and, where possible, recycling.

Only 10% of the products were destroyed that day, with the balance to be destroyed over a period of three weeks.

“We are pleased to see progress and for the first time in many years; a public display of non-conforming product destruction. Now we need a database of the conforming products as a starting reference for the consumer because the continued trade in inferior products impacts the safety of road users,” he said.

*Confiscated headlamp globes being crushed by a bailer*

Premlall explained that the collaboration between the RMI and the Automotive Friction Material Industry to regulate brake friction materials has existed over an extended period, but had often been hampered with frustrating results for the parties involved.

The project seemed to lack momentum by the regulatory and compliance bodies despite the fact that the growth of brands of friction material over the past two decades has been exponential.

Most concerning, Premlall says, is there has been no means to confirm the quality and validity of these products in the local marketplace.

“The illegal trade is evolving daily. Careful tracking is essential. Accordingly, the RMI will partner efforts with all relevant stakeholders to bring guilty perpetrators to account,” he says.

*Confiscated brake pads, shoes, and linings to be destroyed*

To further this agenda, the RMI will take steps to ensure that products entering the automotive market are safe and are of acceptable manufacturing standards.

“RMI member workshops pride themselves in only dealing with reputable parts suppliers with trusted products that meet the regulatory standards. We must stand together to rid the industry of unscrupulous traders,” Premlall concludes.

The NRCS is an agency of the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition and was established on 1 September 2008.

Source: Retail Motor Industry