What's the deal with hard-mounting your air compressor?

[DrBob]

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[SJSRubicon]

So I got to talking to a guy the other day -- in person -- about air compressors, and he was passionate about the compressor being hard-mounted so that "you have it whenever you need it."

I tried to point out that my portable compressor (Viair 440P) has served me well for many years, and that my old Viair served me well for a decade before that.

"You don't want one of those ones that plug into the 12V socket," he replied.

I felt sort of dumbfounded at this point. Did this guy really think that your only options are hard-mount or 12V? Has he just been drinking too much ExPo Kool Aid?

I'm certainly not opposed to hard-mount. I know plenty of guys who run it that way. However, their compressors are often really dirty from dust and road grime, and it never seems like they air up any faster than I do. TBH, it seems like a lot of hassle and expense for no appreciable benefit.

So I guess I'll just ask: What's the deal with hard-mounting your air compressor? Why do some people act like it's the only, or obviously best, way to do it?

So I have a MasterFlow Tsunami which connects temporarily to the battery terminals. It takes me 30 mins to air back from 28 to 38. My family member has an on board inside mounted compressor with a fire shield under the front passenger seat. It has much better capacity and he is done in less than 15 mins. The MasterFlow gets very hot almost burn your fingers to disconnect the connectors from the compressor and pick it up afterwards.

 

[Playbak54]

Hardwire your Viair with a long wire and short hose instead of a long tangle-hose, then find this guy again and tell him he was right, it's great. Report back on how much smoke comes out of his ears.

If he insists your compressor is probably slightly slower and still not difficult enough to remove for use in different situations, show up next time with the compressor in the middle of the hood like an old turbo air scoop. Say that it pumps much faster now, but only at highway speeds.


A mounted compressor is a great option for some, and almost definitely "cooler". (Unless it's under the hood!) But everybody has different space/cost/usage factors.

For me, I've already used all the interior mounting locations/I'm cheap/don't air down often, or drastically when I do, but do lend the pump to family and friend's RVs, trailers,autos.

Saw people on the forum splicing tow plugs to their compressors, so I added removable plugs and clamps to an automatic Viair. A relatively inexpensive, easy to use, user-friendly, fast(enough), shareable compressor is perfect for me right now.

Can you point me to the articles that show how to connect the tow plugs to the compressor? Do u have a picture of ur setup?

 

[jscherb]

I have 3 Jeeps so a portable compressor makes more sense for me. But mine is also "hard-mounted"... in a compressor bag. The design of the bag allows for mounting the compressor in the bag and since the bag opens diagonally it allows enough airflow to keep the compressor cool without removing the compressor from the bag. The wiring has small jumper cable style clips to connect it directly to the battery. The bag is also large enough to hold the Flexzilla air hose in the second photo.

Works very well for me.

 

[SJSRubicon]

Maybe it's just a mentality thing.

Whenever I decide to get on the trails I don't like to prepare anything, I jump in and go.

I hard mounted two compressors, one driver and one passenger side. Faster air up and they have served like back ups to each other.

For me keeping the jeep trail ready and equipped is like enhancing the experience.

Yes I keep all my recovery gear in the jeep except when we are 100+ when the prolonged heat can make recovery boards brittle if they are inside the jeep. Air compressor is always in the jeep and my other vehicles as well.

 

[Sublime]

So I have a MasterFlow Tsunami which connects temporarily to the battery terminals. It takes me 30 mins to air back from 28 to 38. My family member has an on board inside mounted compressor with a fire shield under the front passenger seat. It has much better capacity and he is done in less than 15 mins. The MasterFlow gets very hot almost burn your fingers to disconnect the connectors from the compressor and pick it up afterwards.

I'll take the cost of my Innovative Products/ARB setup over this. ^^^

 

[pangmaster]

I'll take the cost of my Innovative Products/ARB setup over this. ^^^

Yes, but even my $200 portable Shittybilt airs up a 35 from ~10 to 34 in 3 min. I would love the ability to do all four at once and not have yet another thing to keep in the back of the Jeep. There are some nice systems out there that make airing up more convenient for sure, though it comes at a price.

 

[JimLee]

I've read this whole thread and there are valid points to consider hard mount or portable air. But you're all wrong. Takes up almost no space.

Hey, I remember back when "on board air" was this thing and my leg.

 

[hoag4147]

Hey, I remember back when "on board air" was this thing and my leg.

Problem was your one leg was gigantic compared to the other

 

[3TV]

Hey, I remember back when "on board air" was this thing and my leg.

I remember those. I had one.

 

[JimLee]

I remember those. I had one.

Yea, nobody took air out of tires on purpose in those days.

 

[omnitonic]

I really like my air setup from a user perspective. When I hit the air-up spot, I take a couple things out of the back, flip up the cubby lid, and bungee it to one of the car seat anchor points. Then I just pull out the hose and chuck, and go air up. It stays out of the way, and it's slick.

It was a pain in the ass to set up that way. The compressor is mounted under the Jeep, in a fairly vulnerable location. The setup I have uses a Viar 450C with a 2.5 gallon tank. The tank isn't really big enough to be that useful, and I mostly end up airing up straight off the compressor. This setup is rated 'for up to 37" tires!" but that seems like kind of a joke to me. I mean sure, if you want to spend 30 minutes airing up, maybe. Maybe longer.

I guess if I had it to do over again, I would have just got the ARB dual, and mounted it in the same cubby I use now. I don't really think it's possible to carry enough of an air tank to actually be useful on the trail, and I kind of feel like this whole Viair setup was, well, less than I was hoping it would be.

There's a good chance I might just say to hell with all of this and just get a portable, if I were doing this again. But I'm committed to OBA now, come what may.

 

[Headbarcode]

I really like my air setup from a user perspective. When I hit the air-up spot, I take a couple things out of the back, flip up the cubby lid, and bungee it to one of the car seat anchor points. Then I just pull out the hose and chuck, and go air up. It stays out of the way, and it's slick.

It was a pain in the ass to set up that way. The compressor is mounted under the Jeep, in a fairly vulnerable location. The setup I have uses a Viar 450C with a 2.5 gallon tank. The tank isn't really big enough to be that useful, and I mostly end up airing up straight off the compressor. This setup is rated 'for up to 37" tires!" but that seems like kind of a joke to me. I mean sure, if you want to spend 30 minutes airing up, maybe. Maybe longer.

I guess if I had it to do over again, I would have just got the ARB dual, and mounted it in the same cubby I use now. I don't really think it's possible to carry enough of an air tank to actually be useful on the trail, and I kind of feel like this whole Viair setup was, well, less than I was hoping it would be.

There's a good chance I might just say to hell with all of this and just get a portable, if I were doing this again. But I'm committed to OBA now, come what may.

The tanks only shine when wanting to run pneumatic tools. Depending on the size of the tank(s), an impact gun can get a couple to a few good hits between rebuilding tank pressure.

 

[omnitonic]

The tanks only shine when wanting to run pneumatic tools. Depending on the size of the tank(s), an impact gun can get a couple to a few good hits between rebuilding tank pressure.

Yeah, I guess I can see that. The tank runs at ~150 psi, which might get a good belt out of an air impact. My shop compressor runs at ~100ish, and sometimes I can't even get the lug nuts off the Jeep, even though it's a huge ass V-twin compressor with a huge ass tank. Relatively speaking, anyway.

 

[Headbarcode]

Yeah, I guess I can see that. The tank runs at ~150 psi, which might get a good belt out of an air impact. My shop compressor runs at ~100ish, and sometimes I can't even get the lug nuts off the Jeep, even though it's a huge ass V-twin compressor with a huge ass tank. Relatively speaking, anyway.

100psi is on the light side for a shop sized compressor and tank. Higher pressure and 1/2" plumbing would really liven things up. That's what we have at the shop, and it provides a pretty good wallop with a 3/4" drive impact gun. Over the years, I've noticed that most shops typically dont go beyond 3/8".

Try adjusting your regulator a bit higher. It may provide what you need, and it's free. If not, larger fittings and hose are the next step. The fittings and chuck are always the restriction points of the supply.

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