Today I decided to take my driver's side slider down to check conditions of the compressor, which had become progressively louder with every off-road trip I'd taken lately. The past couple of weeks the rat-tat-tat from the pump when it is running has become really loud, borderline annoying and noticeable even if you are standing at a fair distance outside the car, so I was wondering if perhaps the bolts of the "lift" bracket for the AMK compressor supplied by Tactical had loosened due to the rough ride and caused the bracket to drop and contact the sliders, with related vibrations and noise. The noise had become so unusually loud I was also worried that perhaps the compressor itself might be damaged. Anyway, after removing the slider I quickly figured out the problem:
Yep, that's a good 4-5 lbs of caked up, compacted mud / sand / dirt I must have collected inside the "tray" under the compressor over my various off-roading trips, which had basically filled the empty space between compressor and slider and turned into something similar to concrete, causing all that noise when the pump was running. Hosed off the mess and bolted the slider back on, compressor runs quieter than ever.
I am sending these photos to the guys at Tactical 4x4 and suggesting they drill one or two larger holes or slots on that tray, to allow any water and debris to drain through instead of piling up. There is a small drain hole on the tray of my slider, but it is obviously far too small to be effective. Don't know if they modified the design on later units.
Anyway, I thought I'd post this in case you notice a similar increase in noise and vibrations from your compressor and are using Tactical's sliders. You may just be able to hose off the accumulated dirt by directing pressurized water from a garden hose through the opening in front of the rear wheel well, which allows limited access to the rear of the compressor. The pressurized water should displace the bulk of debris laying in there eventually, and you wouldn't have to drop the slider which, as those of us who have done it a few times know, is
not the most fun thing you can do on a Saturday afternoon.