I noted that Tire Choice (local tire chain in South Florida) was offering to fill all four tires with helium. They claim up to a 10% increase in gas mileage. Of coures that translates to more hp also.

Anyone heard of that mod??

 

Wow... that's the first I've heard of this. It may give you a little bit of an improvement, but I can't imagine that the amount of Helium they can put in your tires is enough to give you a 10% increase. Assuming your car weighs 3500 lbs, do you think the Helium in your tires can offset 350 lbs of weight (10% of the weight)? I'm not sure it will even offset 1% (35 lbs).

A problem that I can think of though, is the need to re-inflate your tires more often. Since Helium molecules are SO much smaller that Air or Nitrogen, it will escape through the tires and the seal between tire and rim at a much faster rate.

A novel idea though... My guess is they probably charge more for this service? And with the Helium escaping your tires faster than Air or Nitrogen, you get to keep going back for more. Great money-making idea!

 

^Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

It probably has the same advantages as Nitrogen over regular air (which is also arguably marginal advantages), but I don't see any advantage over Nitrogen. Helium probalby costs more than Nitrogen, it probably dissipates through the tirewall faster, and it won't save any weight or add an HP to the ground. You may save a couple ounces of weight, but you might as well take a dump and do the same than spend money on helium.

As for 10% increase in economy, that's not the whole picture.

Nitrogen "leaks" slower than air, so a tire with nitrogen will remain closer to optimum pressure over a longer time than regular air. If one were to use regular air and adjust their pressures as required often enough, there would be arguably no advantage to using nitrogen because the fuel economy would be about the same. And in this case, Nitrogen probably costs you more overall since you have to pay more for it than regular air.

I just use regular air and check the pressures bi-weekly, adjusting when needed.

 

i doubt it was helium... the op probly means nitrogen

 

Yeah, but if you take a dump AND put helium in your tires your whole theory goes out the window

 

I believe Rosenthal Acura in MD has some kind of deal on this. I believe the advantages are minimal at best. Most of us can increase our MPG by just checking the air pressure regularly. Seems to me they should offer this free of charge anyway.

 

taking a dump is free (granted you are using a public restroom where you don't need to pay for water/sewer cost or TP, or you are in the forest with lots of leaves and fern to use as TP), and you have to do it anyway. Helium is expensive and the weight savings from both a dump and helium still isn't worth the cost.

 

and "air" is already 78% nitrogen. So it just comes down to marketing

 

Agree

 

I got my tires at Tire Choice and they filled them with nitrogen. They had them up to 40psi each and I had to let some air out to get the ride quality I was looking for.

I doubt you really mean helium.

 

dumb idea...the idea of helium inside a football was botched by the mythbusters. Taken into propespective hypothesis, I highly doubt any thing good would come out of this plan.

 

i wanna try it, i wanna float!

 

well helium is lighter and when ur wheels spin that creates a lower centripetal force cuz its lighter. no?

 

go on a diet and take a dump. that will net you some good weight savings. Cheapest way to lighten your car is to lighten yourself - I'm working on a 20 pound weight reduction system now, should blow the doors of helium tires!

 

google it or just watch the myth busters show. They said it does not make a difference.