RMA Issues New Service Bulletin on Nitrogen Use

The new bulletin – “Using Nitrogen to Inflate Passenger and Light Truck Tires in Normal Service Applications” – is now available.

RMA says its new bulletin outlines the benefits of using nitrogen, particularly in special applications like aircraft, racing and on mining equipment. While the RMA says that “for normal tire service applications, nitrogen inflation is not required,” the tiremaker group did not suggest that consumers avoid using nitrogen.

“Nitrogen inflation is permissible, as its properties may contribute to minor reductions in inflation pressure loss. Nevertheless, several other sources of pressure leaks, such as punctures, tire/rim interface (bead), valve, valve/rim interface, and the wheel, may negate the benefit of nitrogen,” RMA says in the service bulletin.

RMA warned that depending on nitrogen alone to reduce the requirements for inflation maintenance may, in fact, lead to underinflated operation, which may result in premature tire failure. “With the right amount of inflation pressure, you will achieve optimum tire performance,” RMA wrote. “This means your tires will wear longer, save fuel and help prevent accidents.”

Consumers and dealers can download RMA’s Tire Service Information Bulletins at rma.org.

If you’re a shop looking to sell summer tires, it’s important to know that customers looking for these tires have very specific needs. Let’s talk about why, before recommending summer tires, you need to fully understand customer performance requirements.

Unlike all-season or all-terrain tires built for diverse driving conditions, UHP summer tires are designed with one priority: dry and wet traction for performance driving. Lateral and longitudinal grip in dry and wet conditions are also important, which is achieved through optimized contact patches, high silica tread compounds and circumferential grooves to channel water. Generally, UHP summer tire tread design features large blocks and fewer grooves for more road contact on dry surfaces. The grooves are designed to channel water away from the tire, reducing the risk of hydroplaning on wet roads.