On board air (cheap)

[Trynian]

are there drawbacks to tapping in to the onboard air tank. I saw a how to somewhere on putting a quickconnect off the end of the tank and using that, has anyone done that or have any experience with it?

I have heard you can get some faults while using it. Other things about running the compressor to much.

I would say just get a good portable unit.

 

[craiglud]

...

 

[craiglud]

i had thought about the possibility of doing this. that might be a good project for saturday.

BTW: those bump stops are great spacers for mounting your high-lift jack to your roof rack

 

[cbboard]

It wasn't hard and well worth it to gain the use of my hitch back.

You will need a long 10mm box-end wrench and really strong hands or a pipe wrench. The bolt heads are on top of the frame, kind of a tight space. Use the box-ended 10mm to hold the bolt head while using your pipe wrench to turn the rubber stop until it comes loose.

Good luck!

this has turned out to be a major pain in the rear for such a small project. first off, i think the guys at discount tire screwed my spare tire winch up. second off, i cannot get those bumpers off to save my life. i am about to head to lowes to try and find a different box wrench and a vice grip. did you remove the plastic muffler guards as well, or just the 4 bumpers? thanks! back to work...

on a side note i got a Q industries MV50 air compressor. thus far it has worked nicely for the cheap price.

 

[USAFbuckeye]

I did take the plastic guard off. It kind of helps to get the front (nearest the front of the LR3) bumpers off. The rear ones took a little more time. I had to hold the wrench on with one hand and turn the socket with the other.

Last resort- you could just cut the rubber bumper off and take a dremel tool to the bolt heads?

 

[cbboard]

I did take the plastic guard off. It kind of helps to get the front (nearest the front of the LR3) bumpers off. The rear ones took a little more time. I had to hold the wrench on with one hand and turn the socket with the other.

Last resort- you could just cut the rubber bumper off and take a dremel tool to the bolt heads?

i have given up trying to "unscrew" them. the rubber bumpers just spin on the bolt now. yes, cutting was my next plan. did you leave your plastic guard off for good? i would like to, but i don't know how how that exhaust gets, and if it could damage the tire in any way. thanks for the help by the way!

 

[cbboard]

in the words of the all knowing Borat...."great success!"

cut the bumpers and bolts off. got the tire wedged up in there at 5 psi. also, was able to get my hitch on with about an 1/8" clearance from the tire.

now time for a beer.

 

[USAFbuckeye]

good job man! Told you it was worth it!

 

[BldrRover]

I tapped into the tank and wrote a thread about it sometime last year. It is a fun project, but is not very practical for anything other than an emergency. It sets off the suspension light after a little while, so four tires would be really annoying. It is fine for filling up a deflated spare underneath though.

 

[MarsRover]

NWoods,

How did you bolt the compressor to the base of the second battery box?

I ask because I just got one of these and want to do the same.

Thanks

The better the compressor, the shorter the fill time (generally). I like the Viair 400. Its compact, great CFM rate, and fills my tires fairly quickly. However, the chuck is not the best, I think having an expansion tank in conjunction the compressor is a much better (though pricier) option. That way you can run a high quality inflator that is less troublesome to fit on the valve stems. Ergonomics can be important after a long day, at night, in the cold (or desert heat).

However, NOT the 450. I have one in my Jeep, and its strong and steady, but very slow. Takes forever to fill up my 35" tires, even with a 2 gallon tank.

The CO2 tank approach is great, but not very compact, and involves the extra step of getting it charged periodically, and they are 2x the cost for a decent setup with a good regulator and inflator.

Lots of solutions, pick what you prefer, but remember, the cheaper you go, the more you will spend after you get fed up and buy the better one.

Links to my onboard install of the 400:
http://blog.nextstepdesigns.com/?p=34

Links to my testing between the 400 and 450:
http://blog.nextstepdesigns.com/?p=72