Nitrogen in Shocks?

[bryan52577]

Has anyone ever put Nitrogen in their shocks? Front or rear once you find the ideal pressure for the way you ride. Would it be feasible to do that or not?

 

I see and read about people installing it in their tires and just wondered if in the shocks would even make it worth while?

 

I found where "I" like the shocks at and found that I need to keep checking them for pressure. My thought was with the nitrogen I may not need to check but once a year? (Can you say , LAZY)?

[gibvel]

First, I guess it depends on your delivery system. If you have a pressurized tank there's no way you'll be able to put it in the front forks. Max is like 7 psi on those and if you use a pressurized tank, like they use for tires, you're going to blow your seals. Even the rear will fill up fast but I don't think would blow but then they can handle 50 psi too.

 

Why are you thinking of doing this? The only advantage I could see is that it would maintain the pressure between differences in hot an cold weather.

 

The reason they do it in tires is so that 1: The change in pressure between tires when cold and tires when riding will be very minimal and 2: So that the pressure stays more constant as the nitrogen is a larger molecule and doesn't leak through the tire as rapidly. Unlike tires your shocks will not generate heat by friction on the pavement. So I can't really see the practicality in this

[bryan52577]

Thanks Gibvel, I figured there was a reason not to. But when I pulled my trailer last year I did notice I lost about 10lbs in a week long trip.

As for a delivery system I have a regulator set-up I have with me "most of the time, if trailer is along" that I use so I can fill front or rear shocks from any air source and just dial in what pressure I need. Works great and I test it to make sure it is accurate to both my tire gauges. I use it on bike and trailer tires too so I don't have to keep checking.

But I think I will tie the front two shocks together so they have the same air all the time and/or leak down together if they do leak.

(Checked tonight and after sitting for a couple of months now, front is same as I left it last fall and the back is down 5 psi. And no the garage is not heated but she fired right up! I'm so happy!)

 

Bryan