Compressed air tanks in rock rails?

xriide · Dec 23, 2014

I've been reading a lot of threads to pick how to build my rock rails, and will be making it with 2x6 steel. In my searches I came across someone that made the rails into a compressed air tank.

I can't seem to find that build anymore, but I was more wondering if it is worth doing. Seems like a good idea, and I feel like I could air up after a day on the trails from it at least.
Has anyone done this before and think it is worthwhile?

scoobyxj · Dec 23, 2014

It would work, but not to well without a compressor. You just don't have the volume there without one. That being said I'd think you'll have a hard time not ripping the fittings off them being they're so low to the ground.

iluv83vettes · Dec 23, 2014

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/time-beef-things-up-build-thread-sorts-540357/index9.html

sunburned · Dec 23, 2014

www.ericsxj.com

Spend $200 and grab a CO2 tank. Then you can be the first to the beer when it takes you 1/4 the time of your friends to air-up your tires after a day of wheeling.

MikeT4 · Dec 24, 2014

I built mine to be my tanks for my OBA and they work great. About 1/2 mile before I air up I switch the compressor on and the volume in the tanks fill up my tires in no time.

yossarian19 · Dec 24, 2014

Down side: you gotta weld air tight, which isn't as easy as you might think.
Or maybe it's a lot easier.
I don't know what you think.

MikeT4 · Dec 25, 2014

yossarian19 said:
Down side: you gotta weld air tight, which isn't as easy as you might think.
Or maybe it's a lot easier.
I don't know what you think.

It's not that hard just get good penetration on the welds. I pressure tested mine at 250 PSI and held the pressure for over an hour. My pressure switch is set to come on at 80 PSI and off at 120 PSI so I am well with in the 250 PSI testing. I have had them on now for about 2 years with no problems.

ocean_jet · Dec 25, 2014

yossarian19 said:
Down side: you gotta weld air tight, which isn't as easy as you might think.

I swear I read that somewhere recently...

techno1154 · Dec 25, 2014

MikeT4 said:
It's not that hard just get good penetration on the welds. I pressure tested mine at 250 PSI and held the pressure for over an hour. My pressure switch is set to come on at 80 PSI and off at 120 PSI so I am well with in the 250 PSI testing. I have had them on now for about 2 years with no problems.

Where did you place the fittings for the air hose? I am thinking easy to get to but would not broken too easily on the trail.

MikeT4 · Dec 25, 2014

techno1154 said:
Where did you place the fittings for the air hose? I am thinking easy to get to but would not broken too easily on the trail.

The fitting is on the inside just ahead of the front extension that goes to the frame.
You can see it in the first attached picture take during the build.
The second and third picture shows the metal strips that attaches to the body seam by 4 bolts.

xriide · Dec 25, 2014

yossarian19 said:
Down side: you gotta weld air tight, which isn't as easy as you might think.
Or maybe it's a lot easier.
I don't know what you think.

It might take me a while, lol. But there isn't that much weld to make it airtight.

MikeT4 said:
It's not that hard just get good penetration on the welds. I pressure tested mine at 250 PSI and held the pressure for over an hour. My pressure switch is set to come on at 80 PSI and off at 120 PSI so I am well with in the 250 PSI testing. I have had them on now for about 2 years with no problems.

I was kinda hoping there would be enough volume in the tanks to fill them up at home and then be able to top off my tires as I leave the trail.

But maybe a CO2 system might work better, seems like the small compressors are expensive, damn.

MikeT4 · Dec 26, 2014

xriide said:
It might take me a while, lol. But there isn't that much weld to make it airtight.

I was kinda hoping there would be enough volume in the tanks to fill them up at home and then be able to top off my tires as I leave the trail.

But maybe a CO2 system might work better, seems like the small compressors are expensive, damn.

I converted my air conditioning pump to an air compressor (OBA) with that and the tanks and I can fill up all 4 of my 31X10.5 15 from 10 PSi to 30 PSI in less than 5 minutes. The good thing is I don't have to haul around a pressurized bottle and have to pay to get it refilled.

xriide · Dec 27, 2014

MikeT4 said:
I converted my air conditioning pump to an air compressor (OBA) with that and the tanks and I can fill up all 4 of my 31X10.5 15 from 10 PSi to 30 PSI in less than 5 minutes. The good thing is I don't have to haul around a pressurized bottle and have to pay to get it refilled.

I'm just not willing to give up AC though, lol.

FloydXJ · Dec 28, 2014

xriide said:
I'm just not willing to give up AC though, lol.

Haha...been there, man. You can get a second compressor (AC pump) under the hood to accomplish this, but it gets involved. The couple of guys I have known that have done this love it though. I want to do it eventually, cuz even without a tank, they put out enough air to pump up tires in no time. Similar to CO2 tank time, I would say, but endless. :greensmok

IF you have the sliders already and it will not cost you more than a couple of fittings, just do it anyway. Pressurize them at home and see whether it is enough for a top off like you want. The worst that could happen is it won't work. MikeT4 says there is enough volume in his to fill his tires. Scooby says there is not enough volume. So who knows - it is experiment time. I never considered it because I tend to slam into my sliders hard, and I do not feel OK with trying to maintain pressurized air in a container that I slam into stuff intentionally.

dktool · Dec 28, 2014

When I built my sliders I also plumbed them to use as a air tank.
I calculated the volume to be close to 2.5 gals. I have 2 MV50 compressors ganged together with a pressure switch set at 110 lbs.

It really only acts as an accumulator, there is no way that small of a tank at that pressure will do much good on its own when I am aired down to 15 lbs. and need to blow up to 35 lbs on a 33 x 10.5 tire.
It helps for the initial surge but beyond that it is all dependent on the compressor(s) output.

MikeT4 · Dec 29, 2014

FloydXJ said:
Haha...been there, man. You can get a second compressor (AC pump) under the hood to accomplish this, but it gets involved. The couple of guys I have known that have done this love it though. I want to do it eventually, cuz even without a tank, they put out enough air to pump up tires in no time. Similar to CO2 tank time, I would say, but endless. :greensmok

IF you have the sliders already and it will not cost you more than a couple of fittings, just do it anyway. Pressurize them at home and see whether it is enough for a top off like you want. The worst that could happen is it won't work. MikeT4 says there is enough volume in his to fill his tires. Scooby says there is not enough volume. So who knows - it is experiment time. I never considered it because I tend to slam into my sliders hard, and I do not feel OK with trying to maintain pressurized air in a container that I slam into stuff intentionally.

I didn't mean to imply that that volume in the tanks alone would fill up my tires. I meant, that with the volume in the tanks and with the pump running it dosen’t take any time at all to fill the tires. In between airing of each tire the pump replaces the volume that was used on the previous tire and that gives an initial boost which decreases the time airing up.

Compressed air tanks in rock rails?

xriide

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