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ARB Air Compressor

Rockcrawlerdude said:
@el_barto you've had this set up for a while now. Are you happy with the compressors performance without a tank? Would you add or change anything?

Have the push fittings been reliable? What size is that air line and do you feel like it moves air well enough?

I ordered the same compressor and two of the ARB couplers with covers yesterday. Need to source a few more parts.
Click to expand...

Haven’t had any issues with the push fittings, other than being difficult to disconnect (when I changed rear bumpers). I used 3/8” OD (1/4” ID) Nylon DOT tubing.

I feel like it moves air fine, but I’m not using air tools, just airing up. Seems to air up as fast or faster than other peoples compressors, but variables are tire size, air-down pressures, and air-up pressures. Obviously not as fast as a power tank. I save time not having to pull the compressor out, connect it to the battery, etc.
7B3B1368-02F0-4C05-A86B-7E4EE233785C.jpeg

I considered a tank but I don’t think it would really benefit my use…. a tank isn’t going to be enough for all the tires so once you empty the tank (probably before the first tire is filled) the compressor will be doing all the work. If I had airbags or an air horn, a tank might be valuable.

I have been looking to add an adjustable mechanical regulator inline , so I can just let it rip and then cutoff once the target tire pressure is hit.
www.mcmaster.com

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.
www.mcmaster.com www.mcmaster.com
 
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el_barto said:
Haven’t had any issues with the push fittings, other than being difficult to disconnect (when I changed rear bumpers). I used 3/8” OD (1/4” ID) Nylon DOT tubing.

I feel like it moves air fine, but I’m not using air tools, just airing up. Seems to air up as fast or faster than other peoples compressors, but variables are tire size, air-down pressures, and air-up pressures. Obviously not as fast as a power tank. I save time not having to pull the compressor out, connect it to the battery, etc.
View attachment 24454

I considered a tank but I don’t think it would really benefit my use…. a tank isn’t going to be enough for all the tires so once you empty the tank (probably before the first tire is filled) the compressor will be doing all the work. If I had airbags or an air horn, a tank might be valuable.

I have been looking to add an adjustable mechanical regulator like inline , so I can just let it rip and then cutoff once the target tire pressure is hit.
www.mcmaster.com

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.
www.mcmaster.com www.mcmaster.com
Click to expand...
Thanks for your thoughts and feedback. I will probably do an install similar to yours but haven’t settled on a compressor location yet
 
el_barto said:
Just wanted to share how i installed my ARB air compressor... it’s been a long time coming. I bought this compressor for my Chevy Colorado a few years ago but never got to install it before trading the truck


Decided I would mount it under the rear seat it the Ram last summer, and routed air lines to the front and rear bumpers using a bulkhead fitting and and existing penetration/body plug in the cab under the carpet in the storage area under the seat.
View attachment 12222
View attachment 12230
I built a little bracket for the air connector in the front bumper, and just installed it directly into the rear bumper. Used ARB quick connectors (they are super easy to connect/disconnect, and got Dust caps to keep them clean)
View attachment 12223
View attachment 12224

Installed the SwitchPros last month, which serves as the on/off switch, but still had to wire it directly to the battery with a relay since it requires a 40amp fuse and 10ga wiring. Routed all the wiring under the carpet/door sills.
View attachment 12225
View attachment 12226

Finally actually got the bracket made, and installed the compressor, shortened the excess wire, and connected it all up!
View attachment 12227
View attachment 12228View attachment 12229
Click to expand...
This is a legit setup
 
el_barto said:
Haven’t had any issues with the push fittings, other than being difficult to disconnect (when I changed rear bumpers). I used 3/8” OD (1/4” ID) Nylon DOT tubing.

I feel like it moves air fine, but I’m not using air tools, just airing up. Seems to air up as fast or faster than other peoples compressors, but variables are tire size, air-down pressures, and air-up pressures. Obviously not as fast as a power tank. I save time not having to pull the compressor out, connect it to the battery, etc.
View attachment 24454

I considered a tank but I don’t think it would really benefit my use…. a tank isn’t going to be enough for all the tires so once you empty the tank (probably before the first tire is filled) the compressor will be doing all the work. If I had airbags or an air horn, a tank might be valuable.

I have been looking to add an adjustable mechanical regulator inline , so I can just let it rip and then cutoff once the target tire pressure is hit.
www.mcmaster.com

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.
www.mcmaster.com www.mcmaster.com
Click to expand...
I agree about the tank, but I just did it because it was inexpensive and an easy add. The ARB dual can handle all of my needs without it. I'm considering bags with daystar cradles and some childish train horns, so I figured I might as well throw the tank in there now rather than change the setup later.

I also thought it'd be nice to be able to air up the kids' bike tires and such without turning on the truck/compressor.
 
Mounted mine under the cab, hidden up on the frame. As you can see, it’s an area that stays clean. I don’t wheel my Ram, but it is used quite often as a “base camp” and air for tires will be very handy.

I have not routed the 3/8” OD / 1/4” ID push connect air hose yet, but I have put one QD in the bed and that is also where the compressor power switch is. I located it next to the bed/canopy lighting switch, since the air hose and accessories will be in the bed anyway. You can see the open air outlet, there will be a T with one line going forward and one going back.

I plan to route another air line to the front bumper, but I haven’t figured out where I want to drill a 3/4” hole in my $3k bumper yet. By the time I finish routing the air lines, I will have made a decision on that.

592CD537-7712-46B0-ABC3-DCB2A6926D02.jpeg6CA6484D-B12C-4218-9D4F-86542094DB67.jpegAAB331DF-37C4-4E82-9834-2630638F6568.jpeg
 
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Ok, a decision has been made for the front air QD. I’ve decided to mount it inside the cubby in the front bumper. I don’t actually have a 3/4” drill bit at the house so I’ve drilled it out to 1/2” So I’m committed. I gotta run and pickup a 3/4” drill bit for the bulkhead connector
D13CD5A5-7721-4200-AC91-581782F62119.jpeg
D49AC102-909E-4C06-A940-3B0236B296C9.jpeg
 
@el_barto thanks for sharing your experience with the push connect hoses. I have had them before with ARB lockers but didn’t think to use them for OBA because I didn’t realize they came in larger OD. The lines for the air lockers are tiny. The 3/8” OD tubing is perfect, it’s 1/4” ID just like the fittings

My last OBA setup I built was on my Cherokee and utilized a converted sanden AC compressor. I used barbed fittings and cut air hose to length and used hose clamps. It worked but wasn’t pretty. That was a decade and a half ago, though.

Here is the switch at night with the trucks lights on, switch off
C7D66F0F-B6D5-4690-AFD9-A08F8DCCE660.jpeg

Here is the switch with the lights on and the switch on
8F091805-B65B-4E06-B9BD-AD1582907EA5.jpeg
 
The wiring harness that ARB sends with the compressor is quite a rats nest if you’re not running front and rear lockers. They give you all the wiring and connectors for two extra switches and two solenoids. I dissected the wiring harness and only used what I needed, then put all the wiring in wire loom. I had to extended the power leads to the battery with 10awg wire. But, they didn’t design the kit to be installed the way I installed it.

If anybody tackles this and needs help breaking down the wiring just hit me up.
 
I did the same, had to extend the wires anyways, so I trimmed off all the excess wires for the lockers, etc.
 
Nice installs everyone. I'll be mounting mine in the RSi SmartCap once I get the truck and the cap. lol

@Rockcrawlerdude , are your blue lines DOT rated? If so, where did you get them?
 
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Looks great. I’m doing the same in the floor board cubby. Where are you getting 12v keyed power from?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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