Airing up with ARB compressor?

Westtown Willy

Westtown Willy

TJ dummy
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I know my ARB compressor is set up to air up tires & the company says it can handle up to 35 inch tires but does anyone here have experience regularly using one of these for that purpose? I always use the air station as it's very fast & convenient but sometimes the line can be horrendous, the other day I used my own air line & it worked well, took maybe twice as long but got the job done (33x12.5 from 12lbs to 26lbs).

I ask because the main reason i have this is for the lockers & I don't want to burn this thing up airing up out of convenience... Here's the one I have, they call it the hi-output compressor:

ARB.jpg
 
A compressor doesn't need to put out any CFM at all to engage lockers but they have to put out a lot of CFM, at least 1.5 to 2 CFM, to fill up big Jeep size tires within a reasonable amount of time. What model ARB compressor are you using? The smallest/slowest compressors are fine for ARB lockers but not for refilling big tires.

Not to mention I wouldn't want a small compressor performing double-duty on lockers and filling tires... filling tires is hard on a small compressor and it may not stay reliable for use with lockers where it needs to work every time.
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
A compressor doesn't need to put out any CFM at all to engage lockers but they have to put out a lot of CFM, at least 1.5 to 2 CFM, to fill up big Jeep size tires within a reasonable amount of time. What model ARB compressor are you using? The smallest/slowest compressors are fine for ARB lockers but not for refilling big tires.

Not to mention I wouldn't want a small compressor performing double-duty on lockers and filling tires... filling tires is hard on a small compressor and it may not stay reliable for use with lockers where it needs to work every time.
Click to expand...

that is my biggest concern, it looks really small & I was never comfortable with the idea of airing up with it; its primary purpose is to assure my lockers work when i need them which is far more important than saving time not waiting in an air-station line... just trying to confirm that this is a valid concern on my part.

The model is the ARB High Output Onboard Air Compressor, according to their video it's the middle model, this one:

https://www.quadratec.com/products/...ObAD7cG9mwVdpcD3EWV6XOMSEN0s5TaxoCdX0QAvD_BwE
 
Years ago I had front and rear ARB's, and I bought the extra kit for airing up tires, but it was so slow and the compressor would get so damn hot that I ended up buying a portable V-air as suggested before. It works so much faster and better. I also bought a Longacre racing aluminum tank. It fills the tank super fast and the tank is super light and has a gauge on it.

I am in the market for an onboard v-air kit soon because i don't want to carry around a compressor and a tank. I want it all on board.
 
I have the CKMA12 and use it to air up my tires after wheeling. I don't get to wheel often as work and life gets in the way plus my TJ is built for rocks and I don't have them down here in South FL. I also use it around the house to top of our other vehicles from time to time.
 
thanks all, I think I'll just keep doing what I've been doing which is to use the on-site air up station for the tires & keep the air hose in the tool box for trail emergencies only. The long line situation is the exception & there's also the gas station a couple miles from the park...

ac_ said:
Years ago I had front and rear ARB's, and I bought the extra kit for airing up tires, but it was so slow and the compressor would get so damn hot that I ended up buying a portable V-air as suggested before.
Click to expand...

that's actually what made me think of this, when I went to disconnect the hose from the compressor it felt like a frying pan blackening some fish, shocked the hell out of me how hot that thing got; thinking that can't really be a good thing
 
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Hi @Westtown Willy ,
I do purchase the ARB CKMA 12 and paired with a 2.5 Gal tank, the plumbing is 12MM ID with one quick connect on the front bumper and other on the rear. I do use a check valve between Pump and Tank to isolate both process. I will never been airing up when lockers are in use or vice versa so I do feel comfortable with the set up.
My ARB CKMA air up two sets of 33 x 12.5 (11 psi to 28 Psi in less than 10 minutes. It's get hot, not going to say is not but part of that is that I do mounted on the tray below the master cylinder and there receive a lot of heat from the exhaust manifold.

What model number is your ARB compressor
 
Jorge Bolivar said:
Hi @Westtown Willy ,
I do purchase the ARB CKMA 12 and paired with a 2.5 Gal tank, the plumbing is 12MM ID with one quick connect on the front bumper and other on the rear. I do use a check valve between Pump and Tank to isolate both process. I will never been airing up when lockers are in use or vice versa so I do feel comfortable with the set up.
My ARB CKMA air up two sets of 33 x 12.5 (11 psi to 28 Psi in less than 10 minutes. It's get hot, not going to say is not but part of that is that I do mounted on the tray below the master cylinder and there receive a lot of heat from the exhaust manifold.

What model number is your ARB compressor
Click to expand...

Jorge I've got the same one, the CKMA 12; that sounds like a pretty elaborate setup you have there. I go from 12 to 26lbs on the same size (33x12.5), the one time I did it this past weekend it took about 2 minutes per tire, the air station takes about 45 seconds so I thought that was pretty good for such a small compressor but like I said, HOT, probably could've fried an egg on that thing :D
 
ac_ said:
Years ago I had front and rear ARB's, and I bought the extra kit for airing up tires, but it was so slow and the compressor would get so damn hot that I ended up buying a portable V-air as suggested before. It works so much faster and better. I also bought a Longacre racing aluminum tank. It fills the tank super fast and the tank is super light and has a gauge on it.

I am in the market for an onboard v-air kit soon because i don't want to carry around a compressor and a tank. I want it all on board.
Click to expand...
This is the set up I went with. Have had it about 5 years and its been working great.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YC42RG/?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
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I run a CKMTA12 with a 1gal tank. I used to use it for my front locker, swat bar disconnect and airing up tires. I had it mounted under the hood on the back of the driver side fender (above the tray) I had 2 failures in 2 years and it killed my ability to use my locker for the day. After the second warranty repair I moved it inside the cab to help keep it cool and used a CKSA12 to run the lockers and Sway bar. This gives me the best of both worlds, reliable air for my accessories and available air for my tires.

I have friends who use the same compressor as you however for both regularly and have no issues. I opted for the greater redundancy. If my small compressor dropped dead I could top up its manifold from the big one every few activations and keep going for the weekend.

—
There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
 
I have the same one that you have on my CJ and have used the heck out of it for several years now without a problem. It also works the lockers in my front and rear diffs.
Just recently, in order to speed things up, I made my own CO2 tank inflator. I bought a tank off Craig’s list for $40 and a regulator and guard off eBay for $60. For a tad bit over $100 I have tire shop inflation speed which I can move between my CJ and my TJ. It can also run air tools and the tank can be refilled at a grow shop for around $7.
Hard to beat.
 
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I also have a CKMA12. It takes roughly 2 min to inflate my 35x12.5x15 inch tires from 12 to 25 psi each.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
A compressor doesn't need to put out any CFM at all to engage lockers but they have to put out a lot of CFM, at least 1.5 to 2 CFM, to fill up big Jeep size tires within a reasonable amount of time. What model ARB compressor are you using? The smallest/slowest compressors are fine for ARB lockers but not for refilling big tires.

Not to mention I wouldn't want a small compressor performing double-duty on lockers and filling tires... filling tires is hard on a small compressor and it may not stay reliable for use with lockers where it needs to work every time.
Click to expand...


I would like to put a compressor on my jeep for airing up low/flat tires while out on the trail/road. I don't know what is best and what all will be needed. Any ideas?
 
For those that have quick access to a jack, taking the load off a wheel whilst airing up dramatically reduces the load off tank less compressors.

I carry a cheap compressor with me in case of a puncture, but tend to air down and not bother airing back up on the trails. Takes too long and the compressor gets super hot. And driving hope aired down is a super plush ride after a long day of hard wheeling :D
 
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