Helium In Tires: What Happens? (Is It A Good Idea? Explained)

Many people have been thinking about what would happen if they put helium inside their tires. This is a thought that keeps everyone buzzing because they want to know what will happen. So let us learn more about it. 

So what would happen if you put helium in tires? Well, not good because helium is not enough to fill the inside of the tires, and the tires will not float. 

Some people think that if they fill their tires with helium and not air, they will save a few ounces of weight, and they think that filling their tires with helium can make the performance of their tires more powerful. The tires of every vehicle play a vital role in the performance and condition of the vehicle. Some people keep on asking if they can put helium in their tires. 

Some people already wanted to do it. However, they are hesitant because of the possible damage it can cause to the tires. 

With that, this article is made to explore putting helium in your tires. Let us start. 

Helium In Tires

Can I Fill My Tires With Helium?

Balloons have helium in them, and it makes them lighter. So if you fill the tires with helium, can they help save weight? It does not necessarily mean that helium has a very low-density gas and helium is much denser than the earth’s atmosphere. 

In a balloon, the helium will weigh less than the air. This will make the balloon float in the atmosphere because of the buoyancy. The balloon is fragile, and it is so light and weight, which makes buoyancy. 

However, a tire is a heavy thing. You cannot put enough helium to make it float. So if you want to fill your tires with helium, you can do it, but it does not make any change. 

What Happens If You Put Helium In Your Tires?

If you put helium in your tires, a problem will occur because the tires will go flat very quickly. The helium atom is tiny, and it will be quickly migrated into the rubber. 

Helium has the smallest of all gas molecule sizes. It would be a bad idea. There’ll be a minimal decrease in the weight, and helium is pricey. 

Does Filling A Tire With Helium Make It Lighter?

No. Putting helium inside a tire will not make it lighter. Helium has a low-density gas. It is less dense than the atmosphere of the earth. 

Therefore, it will not make the tire float. So if you are planning to fill a tire with helium to make it lighter, you might have to think twice because there is not much difference. 

Helium In Tires Pros And Cons

If you put helium in your tires, there are pros. 

Pros

  1. There’ll Be A Gradual Loss Of Pressure
  2. Nitrogen Does Not Expand
  3. There Is A Displacement Of Water Vapor And Oxygen 

Cons

  1. Currently, No Feasible Devices
  2. The Nitrogen Is Stored Commercially 
  3. Produce Percentage Of Oxygen In The Space That Is To Be Reduced

Helium In Bike Tires

If you are wondering if you can put helium in bike tires, here is your guide.

Can You Do It?

The atoms of helium are tiny compared to the molecules of nitrogen. With that, there is a high rate of diffusion into the bike’s tires. 

As a result, the bike tires will be flat quicker than the average pace. With that, you can put helium in the bike tires, but it is not a good idea.

Is Helium Widely Used In These Tires?

No, not really. Helium is not something that bike owners always use on their tires. There are very few to none who use helium for their bike tires. It is not recommended. 

Is It A Good Idea?

Not really. Putting helium in bike tires is not a good idea. It does nothing good for your tires. You might as well put air into it. 

Is It Dangerous?

It does not need to be dangerous, and it does not get dangerous. It does not do you any good, and there are no benefits. 

Why Would You Do So? 

Some people think that they should do it because they think that they would save weight. This is because helium is light in comparison to the air. 

Pros 

  1. There Will Be Less Leakage From The Tires
  2. There Is More Consistency In The Fuel Economy
  3. There Is More Consistency In Handling
  4. There Will Be A Reduction In Tear And Wear

Cons 

  1. It Is Inconvenient
  2. You Will Still Need To Add Nitrogen
  3. There Is More Cost
  4. It Is More Time Consuming

Quick Summary

People want to put helium in their bike tires. They think that putting helium on bike tires is lighter. 

However, it is not very recommended and advised. This is because it does not do well. It is still recommended to put in air instead of helium.

Helium In Airplane Tires

If you are wondering if you can put helium in airplane tires, here is your guide.

Can You Do It?

Yes. In fact, airplanes today are using helium. Of course, you cannot do it yourself, but airlines have been doing it.

Is Helium Widely Used In These Tires?

Yes, helium is widely used in the tires of airplanes. However, not all airplanes arouse helium. But most of them are using one. 

Is It A Good Idea?

Yes, it is a good idea. Since big airlines are using it, it must be already good for the tires and safe for the passengers. It also provides comfort with the performance of the airplane. 

Is It Dangerous?

It is most probably not dangerous. Airplanes are carrying thousands of lives, and it is an essential matter. The airlines will not do it if they think that it is dangerous.

Why Would You Do So?

Since almost all airlines are using it, the other airlines might as well do it. So it might be suitable for the other airlines as well. 

Pros 

  1. It Does Less Leakage From The Tires
  2. It Is More Convenient
  3. There Will Be More Consistency In Fuel Economy
  4. There Is More Consistency In Handling The Vehicle
  5. It Reduces Wear And Tear

Cons

  1. It Is More Time Consuming
  2. It Is More Expensive
  3. You Might Need To Add Nitrogen

Quick Summary

People are asking if they can put helium for the tires of an airplane. The answer is yes. Airlines have been using helium for their airplane tires. 

Helium In Truck Tires

If you are wondering if you can put helium in truck tires, here is your guide.

Can You Do It?

Well, yes, you can put helium in your tire trucks if you want to. It is the driver’s choice, and any driver who insists on putting helium on their truck tires can do it. 

However, the real issue here is that it is not recommended nor advised. It also does nothing good to the tires of your truck. 

Is Helium Widely Used In These Tires?

No, the tires of trucks are not filled with heliums. Helium is light, and it cannot sustain the trucks’ tires.

Is It A Good Idea?

Definitely not. It is definitely not a good idea. That is why no truck owners are putting helium on their tire tracks.

Is It Dangerous?

It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s dangerous, but it is also not safe. You cannot drive on a truck with tires with helium because it will not sustain your tire.

Why Would You Do So?

It would help if you did not do so. You should fill your tires with air and not with helium. It would help if you were on the safe side. 

Pros 

  1. There Will Be Less Leakage From The Tires
  2. There Is More Consistency In The Fuel Economy
  3. There Is More Consistency In Handling
  4. There Will Be A Reduction In Tear And Wear

Cons 

  1. It Is Inconvenient
  2. You Will Still Need To Add Nitrogen
  3. There Is More Cost
  4. It Is More Time Consuming

Quick Summary

Even if there are some advantages, it is still not enough to use helium on tires trucks. So it is still the best choice to use air and not helium.  

Helium In Racing Tires

If you are wondering if you can put helium in racing tires, here is your guide.

Can You Do It?

Yes, you can if you want to. Many racing cars use a gas that is almost the same as helium. The reason is that helium is higher. 

Is Helium Widely Used In These Tires?

Not really, but it is used by some race cars. Helium is lighter than any gas, and that is why it is often used with some people because it is lighthearted.

Is It A Good Idea?

It depends. Putting helium is done by some people because it is light, and they want to maintain the lightweight of their race cars.

Is It Dangerous?

It is not dangerous because many race cars are already doing it. You can do it if you want to. It will make your vehicle much lighter. 

Why Would You Do So?

This will make your vehicle lighter because helium is light, and it saves a lot of weight for your vehicle. 

Pros 

  1. There Will Be Less Leakage From The Tires
  2. There Is More Consistency In The Fuel Economy
  3. There Is More Consistency In Handling
  4. There Will Be A Reduction In Tear And Wear

Cons 

  1. It Is Inconvenient
  2. You Will Still Need To Add Nitrogen
  3. There Is More Cost
  4. It Is More Time Consuming

Quick Summary

Helium can be used for racing tires, but not all of them use one. However, you can put it if you want to. 

Summary

In summary, many people are asking if they can put helium on their tires. Helium is light, and people think they can put helium on their tires. 

This is mainly because helium is not heavy and might have a good effect on the vehicle. Use the guide above to know what to do and if you can put helium in tires.

Related:

Resources

Image credits – Canva

Share on:

My name is Hank, and I've been in the automotive industry for 27 years. I've been working in my own auto repair shop for the last 13 years, and now I want to help you here, on my blog. Let me know if you have any questions. Read more