Southern California Club Xterra
Southern California Club Xterra => SCCX General Discussion => Topic started by: JFanaselle on February 18, 2015, 10:05:51 PM
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I got bored over the weekend and decided to turn my portable compressor into an on board air setup. It's a tankless setup, but I figured it'll be easier to air up on the trail by simply flipping a switch and plugging the hose in. The compressor I have is the Harbor Freight one that typically goes on sale for $59.99. As far as cheap compressors go, this is right in line with the rest of them. It's a little bigger than the MV50 that a lot of people get (the little red one from Pep Boys, Amazon, etc) and I certainly don't expect it to last forever, but it airs my 32" tires up plenty quick and I've been pretty happy with it.
I needed a location to mount it - somewhere that it could get enough air to cool off, but also where it wouldn't be completely exposed to a ton of moisture. I ended up deciding on the space where the horns are mounted - behind the driver's side headlight between the back of the headlight housing and the stock air box. The compressor fits into this area well but requires removal of the headlight or airbox (or both) in order to be installed. I relocated the horns to the space between the airbox and driver's side fender (just below the inlet pipe for the stock airbox) and screwed the compressor baseplate down using self tapping screws. Two of the screws popped down into the fender well a little bit, but they were easily trimmed off.
My original plan was to mount a male air fitting to the rear bumper and allow the air to simply flow out of the fitting when the compressor is turned on but not connected to anything. I quickly realized that this would require an "always open" type of tire inflator, which is both hard to find and kind of a pain to deal with.
To remedy that situation, I decided that I need a pressure switch on the system to shut it off as soon as the lines are pressurized. I ordered one online and have yet to receive it in the mail (this is the only thing holding up the finished project at this point). With a pressure switch installed, I changed my design a little to use a female air connection instead, and decided to install one up front in addition to the one at the rear bumper.
I built a small manifold using two "t" adapters. The line from the compressor feeds into one "t", which will have the pressure switch connected to it and the second "t" connected to it as well. The second "t" has an air line running out to the front connection and another running to the back connection. The pressure switch runs to a relay that switches the compressor on and off, and I have the pressure switch wired up to an on/off switch inside the cabin. The pressure switch will shut the compressor off within a few seconds after being switched on, once the lines are pressurized to about 100 PSI. This way, I can turn the compressor on and it will switch itself off as I move from tire to tire, turning back on once I engage the trigger on the tire inflator. Here's a crude drawing of how the system is setup:
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And here are some photos of the install so far. Like I said, I'm really just waiting on the pressure switch to arrive, so I can finish up the wiring and tighten down the clamps on the air lines.
Headlight removed to install the compressor:
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Compressor mounted in it's final location:
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View of the air line running from the compressor to the "t" fittings. I cut the funky chinese fitting end off of the Harbor Freight compressor's air hose and used a barbed 1/4" NPT fitting with a hose clamp in it's place. You can also see the front fitting mounted above the compressor. I used a metal "L" bracket and just screwed it to the back side of the radiator support under the hood. There is a 90* brass fitting under the "L" bracket, and a washer on either end of the bracket helping sandwich it all together:
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A closer view of the "t" fittings and air lines. The black line is coming in from the compressor. The two clearish lines are running out to the front and rear connections on the vehicle. The last open port on the "t" fittings is for the pressure switch (it has a 1/4" to 1/8" reducer bushing installed, as the pressure switch has a 1/8" NPT thread on it):
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A closer view of the front connection, which is mounted above the compressor. In this photo, the airbox is reinstalled, so you can see how everything fits together:
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A view of the "t" fittings with the airbox reinstalled. I plan on using zip ties to simply attach these to some of the existing wire looms in the area, just to keep them from bouncing around and putting unnecessary fatigue on the air lines. I'll attach the lines down in a few places as well, I just need it all loose for now so I can get the pressure switch mounted once it arrives:
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The rear connection mounted on the outside of the bumper. I opted for this spot just to the left of the license plate and kind of high up on the bumper so I won't kick it when I use the hitch as a step:
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A view from the back of the bumper showing the rear air line attaching to the fitting. Just like on the front, I used a 90* elbow to route the line in the correct direction without putting too much stress on it. The 90* fitting has a washer sandwiched between it and the bumper, but there is no washer on the other side of the bumper where the female air connection is. This is because the metal on the bumper was much thicker than the "L" bracket I used up front, and there wasn't much threading poking through to attach the female connector to if I used the second washer:
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Overall, I'm happy with how the system is coming out. The entire setup will have run me about $115 in the end. I spent about $50 on the compressor (used a 20% off coupon when it was already on sale for $59.99), $12 on a 25 foot 1/4" air line which I cut up for the project, about $25 at Lowes on the brass "t" fittings and 90* elbows and 1/4" to 1/8" reducer bushing, $8 on the pressure switch, about $10 for a relay and switch, and a few dollars on the female air fittings, the 1/4" NPT barbed air line fittings and the washers.
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An onboard air system was by far one of the best and most versatile upgrades I ever did with my X. I only have one output connection though, interesting idea how you have two. I'd like to take a look at it on the Bradshaw run.
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I figure i'll probably use the one in the rear mostly. The coiled hose I have can reach all 4 tires when connected to the rear fitting, but it does put some pressure on the connection when I'm all the way up at the front (especially on the driver's side, since it's coming out of the rear bumper at about a 45* angle toward the passenger side and then bending back). I just figured it was easy to install the second one up front in case I ever need it.
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It looks good Joe! Nice job! Cant wait to see it in use on the Bradshaw Trail!
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Awesome job Joe, I was trying to figure out where to put OBA with stock bumper, now i have a new project lol
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That spot is exactly where my ARB compressor is mounted for my air locker...good choice!
Excellent garage engineering Joe :)
Only concern that I see is dispersion of heat from the compressor head (the engine compartment is always a hot mess while you are driving) as running it to full inflation on four tires usually results in some high temps.
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Nice set up. I finally bought a compressor last week and am trying to figure out what to do with it in the future.
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one thing you are going to want to do is get some caps for the female quick disconnects, they like to fill up with dirt. im in the process of upgrading my OBA setup, my gf got me a new pump for valentines day so the puma pump is going away and an air zenith OB2 pump is taking its place, 200psi 5 gallon bomb under the truck :)
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one thing you are going to want to do is get some caps for the female quick disconnects, they like to fill up with dirt. im in the process of upgrading my OBA setup, my gf got me a new pump for valentines day so the puma pump is going away and an air zenith OB2 pump is taking its place, 200psi 5 gallon bomb under the truck :)
Nice! Now that's a REAL Valentine's day gift right there! My wife is always wondering what kind of stuff to get me for Valentine's day, Anniversaries, Birthdays, etc, and I always tell her I want something for my Xterra. I FINALLY got a 40" LED bar for my birthday/father's day last year, so she's starting to get the hint. :)
I figured those female air connections were going to get nasty fast. That's why I was originally going to install a male fitting on the bumper - I could always just turn the compressor on and blast any crap out of it if it were a male fitting. I will look into some kind of little plastic caps or something. I'm sure I can find something cheap on the interwebs. Not like they're very expensive to replace, but I don't want to be stuck on the trail one day unable to air back up (I guess that's another good reason to have the second connection under the hood as a backup). I suppose I better throw one into my tool-kit as a spare, just in case.
John - I am definitely worried about the heat situation. There just wasn't a good place to mount it where it wasn't going to get any heat at all. In addition to the confined space issue, it's also in position to get heated up a lot before ever needing it out on the trail. A day of wheeling in the desert during the summer will get that bad boy pretty warm before I ever even need it. I don't know if you noticed also, but two of the little head displacement fins are broken off of the heat sink on top of the piston housing (they broke off in the carrying bag a long time ago). So far, it hasn't gotten THAT hot when using it regularly, so I'm hoping that with the expected increase in heat now, it'll still be able to do my four 32" tires just fine before it shuts down. If not, I guess I'll be looking for a new compressor soon, or trying to figure out a way to get some airflow onto this one (maybe a little fan or something?!?).
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Awesome job Joe, I was trying to figure out where to put OBA with stock bumper, now i have a new project lol
Jay, take a look at my setup tonight, might give you some ideas.
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I always envisioned mounting my OBA where the spare used to be...any cons as to mounting it there?
ie. exposure to undercarriage stuff ie. mud/water/dirt/dust, etc
Also....is this feasible to do w/ any compressor? I have a VIAIR300P and I'm guessing the hardware is not the issue; more or less the mounting and electrical are the 2 obstacles I forsee...
Worth the hassle or wait and do it w/ the big air tanks that other guys have...?
EDIT: compressor http://www.viaircorp.com/300P.html
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i mounted my compressor in the storage area below the cargo area and mounted my tank where the spare goes, i wanted to keep the pump more or less out of the dust/mud/water as much as possible.
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I always envisioned mounting my OBA where the spare used to be...any cons as to mounting it there?
ie. exposure to undercarriage stuff ie. mud/water/dirt/dust, etc
Also....is this feasible to do w/ any compressor? I have a VIAIR300P and I'm guessing the hardware is not the issue; more or less the mounting and electrical are the 2 obstacles I forsee...
Worth the hassle or wait and do it w/ the big air tanks that other guys have...?
EDIT: compressor http://www.viaircorp.com/300P.html
Taking notes, as those were my exact thoughts and I have the same compressor.
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Christian - My first thought on mounting the compressor where the spare goes is that it'll eventually end up submerged, and will take on a lot of road grime and dirt/mud. I still have my spare under the rig and the amount of crap it accumulates is unbelievable. I would imagine a good pump can hold up to this no problem, but this cheap-o harbor freight one is definately not designed for that kind of abuse. I've read that some people make a small shroud out of metal to partially cover it, but that would almost entirely negate the added air-cooling benefits and would still leave it subject to being submerged in a water crossing at some point. Not like we cross a ton of water here in So Cal, but it could happen at some point. This particular harbor freight unit has a switch and fuse mounted right on the body that do not appear to be even the least bit weather tight. :(
This setup should work with pretty much any compressor, as long as it'll fit where you want to put it. This harbor freight unit just happens to fit very well into that little space, and my understanding is that some of the VIAIR units are very similar in size/shape (although I'm not going to claim to be anything close to an expert on that).The electrical shouldn't be a problem at all - just use large enough gauge wiring and use a relay if necessary (almost always going to need the relay, unless you run heavy gauge wiring into the cabin and use a 30+ amp switch). And the brass hardware and fittings are all contained within the air lines, so that will also work with any compressor.
Jordan - do you have an issues with the unit cooling in that storage area? Just curious, as that's easily as confined as where I mounted mine.
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Well both the puma and the ob2 compressors have integrated fans, I also had a few(12) 120mm fans left over from various computers so I mounted 2 of those to feed "fresh" air into the compartment from the cabin.
I never tested the temp but it didn't seem to get any warmer from my calibrated touch :)
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(http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae195/DzrtX/The%20GhostX/GhostX%20Mods/53C3BE80-B477-49B2-9197-A353B0252927-13362-00000E6CC998AB27.jpg) (http://s971.photobucket.com/user/DzrtX/media/The%20GhostX/GhostX%20Mods/53C3BE80-B477-49B2-9197-A353B0252927-13362-00000E6CC998AB27.jpg.html)
Sent from Planet Claire
using Tapatalk
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Jay, take a look at my setup tonight, might give you some ideas.
All this OBA talk , so many ideas, Eric (Celt) has an awesome set up, now I have to look at Jordan"s (Knightrider)
then get my ass in gear and install
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Puma
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n193/marinecorpwife8/compressor.jpg) (http://s112.photobucket.com/user/marinecorpwife8/media/compressor.jpg.html)
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Well the pressure switch FINALLY arrived in the mail today and I was able to get the OBA setup finished. Just in time for Bradshaw.
The teflon tape I used must have been low quality or something, because I have some tiny leaks around the brass "t" fittings. They're very small leaks, but with no tank, it's making the compressor turn on and off about every 10 or 15 seconds. Turns off when it hits 110 PSI, and turns back on in about 15 seconds when it leaks back down to 90 PSI and runs for about 2 seconds until it hits 110 again.
I'll get around to fixing it after the trip. But I did test it out earlier and was able to air up one of my tires from 20 to 35 PSI in about a minute and a half. That's good enough for me. :)
The more I thought about it, the more I was worried about the compressor running hot in that crammed little space (thanks a lot, Ghost! :)). I decided I'd sleep a little better at night if I hooked up some kind of fan to at least push a little bit of air into the space where it's mounted. I shopped around and found a small 12v blower for ventelating electronics on eBay for $20. Turned out the seller was right here in Murrieta and I picked it up from him the same day. I fabricated a little bracket and mounted it in a way to blow air straight down onto the piston housing, which also circulates down into the area where the compressor is mounted to cool the motor a little. I wired it to the switch that controls the relay BEFORE the pressure switch. So, when I switch on the whole system, the fan runs the entire time and the compressor kicks on and off as the lines are pressurized or when pressure drops. This way, the fan will continue to cool the compressor as I move from tire to tire and it's switching off. Overall, I'm very happy with how it all came out!
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Yea I will be using my little red mv50 for this trip, I wasn't able to source a piece of braided hose to connect my new pump to my tank, hello 20 minute fillup on Sunday :(
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Yea I will be using my little red mv50 for this trip, I wasn't able to source a piece of braided hose to connect my new pump to my tank, hello 20 minute fillup on Sunday :(
Bummer. :( What do you normally air down to? I'm always afraid to go too far below 20 PSI. Makes for a quicker fill-up at the end of the day, too.
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Bummer. :( What do you normally air down to? I'm always afraid to go too far below 20 PSI. Makes for a quicker fill-up at the end of the day, too.
20 psi? Gesh man that's near roadway pressures. 8-12 psi is where it's at my friend!
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yea my normal air down is around 12, 8 if theres deep sand, 18 if im running the washes at 60+mph. my puma pump/5gal tank would go from 10psi to 40psi in 6 minutes doing 2 tires at a time, hoping my air zenith ob2 will be even faster, plus i will have more reserve in the tank since it goes to 200psi vs the 120psi of the puma. 40psi hot works out to about 35-37psi cold.
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I got you covered
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/27/71ced52395ad2a1dbbf4efbdcd6df0d1.jpg)
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Danny, can you just tell me....any issues with it overheating or reaching boiling temp back there? It's not that exposed to fresh air, and I assume that means longer to cool down...
Now, it's definitely not getting submerged or eating a ton of dust, which makes it the more attractive option especially if I'm gonna do it right the first time...
Is that the whole thing? Where's the tank itself? Are the 2 blue things tanks?
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It does get pretty warm in there, especially with the fridge now right in front of it. Phases 2.0 is going to be installing a small fan onto it.
The blue cylinders you see are the actual pumps. There are two of them working together with the outlet right near the middle. This is what gives this compressor its high ouput.
There is currently no tank with this. Everything runs right off the pump with out a problem. I have a 5 gallon tank that will be going in during the next major upgrade.
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Here is my setup - ARB Dual with 2 gallon tank. The unit doesn't seem to get real hot in the cabinet, but If I'm running for a longer period of time, I open the drawer and let it get some air (I have to open the drawer anyway to get my air chuck.)
Guage and Switches
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Rear Cabinet
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Top View
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Side View
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Tank
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Locker
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Quick Disconnects
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I used to have a Viair mounted upside down near the tank (in the empty spare tire space.) It worked great and never had any problems with the dirt or water - I rerouted the intake to a place inside the cab so it would get fresh air (Note - If you extend the intake line, get a larger diameter hose.) I upgraded to the ARB only for speed.
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That ARB compressor is fast, especially for its compact size. I'd like to upgrade to one eventually.
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So I have questions.... :o
1. I like the idea of installing the tank where the spare tire goes and the compressor in the storage compartment. Especially for water/mud crossings.. ::)
Any issues with this setup?
2. I think KnightRider is running this system Air Zenith OB2 (http://shop.air-zenith.com/dual-ob2basickit-1-1.aspx). Can you run Air Tools off this setup? My Google understanding is Airtools require 3-6 CFM at 90psi to run correctly. Is this true? The AZOB2 (http://shop.air-zenith.com/Manuals/AZOB2_PerformanceData.jpg)runs 2.66 CFM at 90psi
This is our max price point for OBA at this time (aka no ARB system). If the AZOB2 can't realistically run air tools - we are looking maybe at this option...... VIAIR 200 PSI Ultra Duty Onboard Air System (http://smile.amazon.com/VIAIR-Ultra-Duty-Onboard-System/dp/B001L7UX0S/ref=pd_sbs_263_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41w88MrYLKL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1XDVHKV59M8ZJW351863) which only runs 1.13 CFM at 90psi
3. I do like the Stainless Steel Braided Air Hose vs. the VIAIR 30' coil hose. And I notice the AZOB2 has 1/2" NPT Air Tank Fitting vs. the VIAIR 3/8" NPT Intake Port.
But are these differences significant?
4. Anything else I need to consider?
As always, I appreciate all input and help with spending more money...... O0
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1. No problem, just know the comp. does get hot.
2. Air tools vary greatly on requirements. Mr, Jordan?
3. No.
4. I think that you can get more for your $ by piecing together your own system. I got about $200 into my dual comp. set-up.
We'll talk :-*
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So I have questions.... :o
1. I like the idea of installing the tank where the spare tire goes and the compressor in the storage compartment. Especially for water/mud crossings.. ::)
Any issues with this setup?
2. I think KnightRider is running this system Air Zenith OB2 (http://shop.air-zenith.com/dual-ob2basickit-1-1.aspx). Can you run Air Tools off this setup? My Google understanding is Airtools require 3-6 CFM at 90psi to run correctly. Is this true? The AZOB2 (http://shop.air-zenith.com/Manuals/AZOB2_PerformanceData.jpg)runs 2.66 CFM at 90psi
This is our max price point for OBA at this time (aka no ARB system). If the AZOB2 can't realistically run air tools - we are looking maybe at this option...... VIAIR 200 PSI Ultra Duty Onboard Air System (http://smile.amazon.com/VIAIR-Ultra-Duty-Onboard-System/dp/B001L7UX0S/ref=pd_sbs_263_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41w88MrYLKL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1XDVHKV59M8ZJW351863) which only runs 1.13 CFM at 90psi
3. I do like the Stainless Steel Braided Air Hose vs. the VIAIR 30' coil hose. And I notice the AZOB2 has 1/2" NPT Air Tank Fitting vs. the VIAIR 3/8" NPT Intake Port.
But are these differences significant?
4. Anything else I need to consider?
As always, I appreciate all input and help with spending more money...... O0
Prior to purchase the Winter Mojave run will give you lots of opportunity to eyeball everyone's vehicles to see how they are setup. Both of mine that are going have OBA but in different configurations. One is up front the other is in the spare tire area. I'm not partial to either one, they are both really great setups. On that run you can see the various compressors and tanks in action with fill times for airing up or if a bead gets popped etc. Both of my compressors are Viair rated for constant run for 35 inch tires. I've aired up 8 35's consecutively after a trip without any issues or overheating but that compressor was working very hard and I wasn't thrilled about working it so much. As a rule air tools can be run just not optimal with them so a short run like a cutoff tool etc. wouldn't hurt anything but long term use would as they aren't designed for that type of use. So check out the various setups and ask a lotta questions around the campfire during Fire Jenga sessions.
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1. I like the compressor in the storage area as it is not used otherwise, too hard to access when packed for camping.
Heat has not been an issue and the ob2 has a fan on the head.
2. I pieced my own kit together as the air zenith kit was not available at the time. It is a nice kit though and includes everything needed.
Air tools are possible, any on board air system is capable of running tools if you have a tank, the output of the compressor just refills the tank quicker.
With the 200psi of the ob2, you will need a regulator to reduce the output pressure for air tools as most air tools are designed for 90 psi. I have no issues running air tools, they came in handy while installing Henny's suspension at my house as I do not have an air compressor in my garage.
3. No difference unless you are running air bag suspension on a lowrider.
4. Having a quick disconnect plumbed to the front and back of the truck help make the OBA easier to use. I have a regulator and air dryer/lubricator on quick disconnects so that when using air tools I can regulate the pressure down to 90psi and it removes moisture and adds oil to lubricate my air tools.
Sent from my rooftop tent while stargazing
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I'm ordering and Air max system with dual Viair 444c compressors and 5 gallon tank. It was recommended from several people at the off road show. It's under $400 on ebay.
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4. I think that you can get more for your $ by piecing together your own system. I got about $200 into my dual comp. set-up.
We'll talk :-*
Duffer - M has parts/pieces of puzzle - he's gonna call you..... ;)
Prior to purchase the Winter Mojave run will give you lots of opportunity to eyeball everyone's vehicles to see how they are setup. ......So check out the various setups and ask a lotta questions around the campfire during Fire Jenga sessions.
Great idea, Celt. But we are hoping to have it installed prior to the Winter MRT ..... not sure if we can get a system together that fast tho ::)
1. I like the compressor in the storage area as it is not used otherwise, too hard to access when packed for camping.
Air tools are possible, any on board air system is capable of running tools if you have a tank, the output of the compressor just refills the tank quicker.
With the 200psi of the ob2, you will need a regulator to reduce the output pressure for air tools as most air tools are designed for 90 psi. I have no issues running air tools, they came in handy while installing Henny's suspension at my house as I do not have an air compressor in my garage.
4. Having a quick disconnect plumbed to the front and back of the truck help make the OBA easier to use. I have a regulator and air dryer/lubricator on quick disconnects so that when using air tools I can regulate the pressure down to 90psi and it removes moisture and adds oil to lubricate my air tools.
KR - awesome info! Thank you!
I'm ordering and Air max system with dual Viair 444c compressors and 5 gallon tank. It was recommended from several people at the off road show. It's under $400 on ebay.
Woody - Clicky link? 'Cuz I'm lazy like that...... :D
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If you are looking to build a system, I have the Puma pump I bought from Joe I can sell for the same price I got it $100.
Here's the link.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xvaiar+dual+444c+5+gallon.TRS0&_nkw=vaiar+dual+444c+5+gallon&_sacat=0 (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xvaiar+dual+444c+5+gallon.TRS0&_nkw=vaiar+dual+444c+5+gallon&_sacat=0)