LXColorado
LX -> LC
Slee was having a deal, so I decided it was time to buy a real air compressor. I've gone through four air compressors with two SUV's (the ones you get at Pep Boys). In the amount of time I've spent inflating tires, I could have had another trip under my belt! So, I purchased the ARB Twin Compressor, Manifold Kit, Pump-Up Kit, and Slee Dual Battery Tray (which doubles as the air compressor mount).
This was the most technical thing I've done in regards to electrical and wiring - it was a steep and frustrating learning curve for me. It took me a full day, and a lot of undoing and re-doing work. In the end, I learned a lot about the truck and improved my skills. Win-Win.
I wanted the compressor switch in a location that was accessible yet out of visual sight. I originally planned on putting the switch left of the steering wheel by the side mirror adjuster, but eventually I'd like an aux. tank and I'm reserving that spot for the fuel pump switch
. I thought about putting it by the gear lever as well, but couldn't bare the thought of cutting into the center console. In the long run, I think I chose I good location. I figure if I change my mind down the road, it's a lot cheaper to replace the side plastic piece, than the entire top console piece.
The part most frustrating was figuring out which factory wires to splice. I ended up splicing into the middle 12v outlet by the ash tray. I used both the positive wire for power and lighting from the same outlet (the middle 12v has two connections for power and the lit ring around it). The second-most challenging part was running the control switch harness from the compressor, through the firewall, and to the center console. Who knew you could break a sweat by running electrical wires?!
Eventually, I'll add an air tank so I can run power tools.
Parts/Items used that were not included in the kits:
- Tap splicers (for the power and lighting wire) and butt-end splicers (to extend wiring from the compressor to the main battery).
- 5ft. extra of 1 x 8 gauge, 2 x 10 gauge, and 1 x 14 gauge wire
- Heat shrinks for the butt-end splicers
- Thread goop for the compressor lines
EDIT: I had a minor leak this morning coming from the compressor manifold bolt (it's the bolt that attaches the SS line from the manifold kit to the compressor). I, like an idiot, cranked the bolt a few more times to really get a good fit. CRACK! I completely shattered the manifold in the compressor. I ran over to the awesome folks at Slee and got some good info, a new manifold, and a couple of electrical terminals to make the battery connection side pretty - seriously awesome people over at Slee, can't say enough about them. So, on to the info from Slee...The bolt and thread housing are, albeit slightly, off from one another. This is compounded by the effects of a tapered connection bolt (which ARB forgets to mention in their directions). Long story short, the fix is to use gasket maker and teflon gas (yellow) thread tape. DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN THE BOLT! If there's a leak, redo the seals. It's a good idea to use gasket maker and the yellow thread tape for all connections.
This was the most technical thing I've done in regards to electrical and wiring - it was a steep and frustrating learning curve for me. It took me a full day, and a lot of undoing and re-doing work. In the end, I learned a lot about the truck and improved my skills. Win-Win.
I wanted the compressor switch in a location that was accessible yet out of visual sight. I originally planned on putting the switch left of the steering wheel by the side mirror adjuster, but eventually I'd like an aux. tank and I'm reserving that spot for the fuel pump switch
. I thought about putting it by the gear lever as well, but couldn't bare the thought of cutting into the center console. In the long run, I think I chose I good location. I figure if I change my mind down the road, it's a lot cheaper to replace the side plastic piece, than the entire top console piece.The part most frustrating was figuring out which factory wires to splice. I ended up splicing into the middle 12v outlet by the ash tray. I used both the positive wire for power and lighting from the same outlet (the middle 12v has two connections for power and the lit ring around it). The second-most challenging part was running the control switch harness from the compressor, through the firewall, and to the center console. Who knew you could break a sweat by running electrical wires?!
Eventually, I'll add an air tank so I can run power tools.
Parts/Items used that were not included in the kits:
- Tap splicers (for the power and lighting wire) and butt-end splicers (to extend wiring from the compressor to the main battery).
- 5ft. extra of 1 x 8 gauge, 2 x 10 gauge, and 1 x 14 gauge wire
- Heat shrinks for the butt-end splicers
- Thread goop for the compressor lines
EDIT: I had a minor leak this morning coming from the compressor manifold bolt (it's the bolt that attaches the SS line from the manifold kit to the compressor). I, like an idiot, cranked the bolt a few more times to really get a good fit. CRACK! I completely shattered the manifold in the compressor. I ran over to the awesome folks at Slee and got some good info, a new manifold, and a couple of electrical terminals to make the battery connection side pretty - seriously awesome people over at Slee, can't say enough about them. So, on to the info from Slee...The bolt and thread housing are, albeit slightly, off from one another. This is compounded by the effects of a tapered connection bolt (which ARB forgets to mention in their directions). Long story short, the fix is to use gasket maker and teflon gas (yellow) thread tape. DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN THE BOLT! If there's a leak, redo the seals. It's a good idea to use gasket maker and the yellow thread tape for all connections.
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