Tire inflation options

[Foxmannc]

This is probably a very dumb question. As I’ve researched buying my first Jeep it’s become clear that airing down is a must for many Offroad adventures. But once I leave the trail, what is an economical solution to air them back up?

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[kah.mun.rah]

Portable air compressor, on-board air compressor, or CO2 tank. Each has it's benefits. My lesson learned is to buy once, cry once. If you plan to air down a lot, invest in a good solution. Cheap ones will just break, overheat, and/or or take forever to inflate a tire.

I have tried about everything and finally landed on an ARB twin, mounted under the passenger seat with a 4 tire inflate hose system.

To answer the question about the most economical solution, find a friend to offroad with that has a quality compressor that he/she is willing to let your use.

 

[yokramer]

Bicycle Pump
Gas Station
Stop by a dealer after wheeling
Drive back home and air up there
Portable USB Air Compressor
Portable 12v Air Compressor
Under Hood Mounted Compressor
Under Seat Mounted Compressor
CO2 bottle

 

[yokramer]

I personally went under seat with this kit

 

[Reinen]

With portable air compressors, if you buy cheap you get cheap and many of them are truly garbage. A waste of money. Also know that cheap compressors for commuter cars won't work for you. They will overheat and possibly seize by the time it inflates larger Jeep tires.

Spend more for a good compressor. For portable, I'd recommend Viair 400P. It just works, very reliable, comes in a nice neat bag. ARB is the go-to for permanently installed compressors. Both portable and permanent install have their pros & cons, figure out what will work best for you.

 

[Foxmannc]

@yokramer You must Offroad a fair amount. I do understand the value of quality and appreciate the feedback

 

[yokramer]

With portable air compressors, if you buy cheap you get cheap and many of them are truly garbage. A waste of money. Also know that cheap compressors for commuter cars won't work for you. They will overheat and possibly seize by the time it inflates larger Jeep tires.

Spend more for a good compressor. For portable, I'd recommend Viair 400P. It just works, very reliable, comes in a nice neat bag. ARB is the go-to for permanently installed compressors. Both portable and permanent install have their pros & cons, figure out what will work best for you.

Man I remember when these were like $130

 

[Foxmannc]

With portable air compressors, if you buy cheap you get cheap and many of them are truly garbage. A waste of money. Also know that cheap compressors for commuter cars won't work for you. They will overheat and possibly seize by the time it inflates larger Jeep tires.

Spend more for a good compressor. For portable, I'd recommend Viair 400P. It just works, very reliable, comes in a nice neat bag. ARB is the go-to for permanently installed compressors. Both portable and permanent install have their pros & cons, figure out what will work best for you.

that Viair seems like a really nice option.

 

[Reinen]

Man I remember when these were like $130

Maybe that was a different model, Viair does make cheaper ones. I got mine 5 years ago for $199. (and it still functions like new)

 

[yokramer]

Maybe that was a different model, Viair does make cheaper ones. I got mine 5 years ago for $199. (and it still functions like new)

LIke 15-18 they had a good dip in price for a long time then climbed back up.

 

[Reinen]

that Viair seems like a really nice option.

I'd say the only downside with the Viair is that it runs off of clips to the battery. Not a problem in itself but I can't tell you how many times people asked me if I'm okay while airing back up because my hood was open at the trailhead. It's like nobody sees the air hose.

 

[Zeddy]

I had the VIair 450, it worked ok but it still took more than ten minutes to air up my 40'" from 12 to 28 psi. I used a four way inflator so I didn't have to check air pressure ten times each.
Then I installed an ARB twin brushless with the grim offroad mount. I put it inside the front driver fender/under the master cyl. I didn't want the compressor inside as I didn't want to listen to it or they have a gear oil smell. I also mounted a two gallon tank on the inside of the frame and installed a hose reel on the rear roll cage. Now I have the option of quickly pulling out the hose and airing up or attaching the four way fill. The new set up with the two gallon reserve takes me about four minutes to air up.
As others have said buy once cry once. The Viair option should work well for most users. I just liked not having to pack around a compressor.

 

[yokramer]

Anderson plugs are a decent way to go if you want to setup a plug in with your portable pump as well

 

[link3721]

I wired up a connector that fits inside the driver side door plug shroud. It's connected to the Aux1 switch that I run my portable compressor from. Also have a four tire air hose setup. Has been working great.

 

[Upnover]

I had the VIair 450, it worked ok but it still took more than ten minutes to air up my 40'" from 12 to 28 psi. I used a four way inflator so I didn't have to check air pressure ten times each.
Then I installed an ARB twin brushless with the grim offroad mount. I put it inside the front driver fender/under the master cyl. I didn't want the compressor inside as I didn't want to listen to it or they have a gear oil smell. I also mounted a two gallon tank on the inside of the frame and installed a hose reel on the rear roll cage. Now I have the option of quickly pulling out the hose and airing up or attaching the four way fill. The new set up with the two gallon reserve takes me about four minutes to air up.
As others have said buy once cry once. The Viair option should work well for most users. I just liked not having to pack around a compressor.

Whose reel is that?

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