I put an air ride suspension under the back of my Superduty and I have air bags inside the front springs. The rear bags ride at about 18 PSI when empty, about 40 PSI when loaded. The front bags run at 30 PSI.

The bags keep the same ride height for months at a time when manually filled. With summer coming I need to adjust things up and down when I hook on our 5er.

Which 12V air compressor should I buy ? Viar 300 ? Something else ?

How should I set up the tank ?

What should I do to prevent moisture in the air ?

Thanks

you should get a york. if there is space under the hood.

moisture around here is unavoidable. but a few filters and frequent (daily) tank drain helps.

as far as plumbing.. how do you have it plumbed now?

I'd just get a regular Viar 450 if it were me.

You can use a air tank for the pump and keep it at 100 psi all the time and add a valve that will open and close for airing up and down. Works well.

Why the Viar 450 ? Would a Viar 300 suffice ?

My suspension doesn't need much air and I don't use it for much else. Thus I am not interested in a York.

I just want something simple and reliable.

I have a Viar 450C the nice part is the 100% duty cycle, but you could get a smaller one. What exactly are you trying to run? I have a tank with 160psi off and I think 120psi on. I just have it wired hot all the time. When it needs air it automatically turns on. Sometimes it scares me. I feel the vibration in my feet. I have mine mounted to the frame under the truck.

If you are just running airbags you only need a small compressor. I ran a QD to the rear of the truck and I carry a 60ft air hose for airing up tires and running air tools.

I'm just running the bags, front and rear and an exhaust brake.

I'm thinking I'll put a 5 gallon tank on the frame and a QD on the rear bumper as well. I might want to bump up the pressure in a tire or inflate an air toy from time to time.

What about other compressor brands ? Zenith ? Is Viar the best ?

I've only had viair so I'd get them again. The 450 is nice as you will use it more then you think once you have the QD set up. Once nice thing if you have 120 on 160 off is that you could rig up two 5 gallon tanks on each side of the frame and run yourself a smaller impact for changing tires on the side of the road.

I put an air ride suspension under the back of my Superduty and I have air bags inside the front springs. The rear bags ride at about 18 PSI when empty, about 40 PSI when loaded. The front bags run at 30 PSI.

The bags keep the same ride height for months at a time when manually filled. With summer coming I need to adjust things up and down when I hook on our 5er.

Which 12V air compressor should I buy ? Viar 300 ? Something else ?

How should I set up the tank ?

What should I do to prevent moisture in the air ?

Thanks


Hey Me2,
If you're looking for a compressor for air bags only, you can use something small like the 325C or the 350C.

A single VIAIR air compressor is suitable for up to 5 gallons of air. Though most sport air suspension vehicles (lowriders, minitrucks) use a dual compressor system shown in the link below:
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/booroomc/topframe.jpg

As far as tank set up you want to make sure you have enough ports for the following:
1) Air in - Compressor inlet
2) Air out - Leads to your valves that control your bags.
3) Pressure release valve - Safety mechanism to release excess pressure
4) Pressure Switch - Control the compressor on and off pressure
5) Drain Cock - This is the only item that should be located at the bottom where moisture collects, the other items listed above should never be at the bottom of an air tank where moisture/rust can build.
6) If you also want to fill tires, run air horns etc, you can use a T-Fitting to create an extra port.

Condensation/moisture is a by product is compressed air. The moisture tends to collect inside the air tank where the pressurized air is being stored. So be sure to use your drain cock after you're done using the air system. You can take an extra precaution by adding a water separator at the Air Out to capture excess moisture. This is recommended when using valves for air bags and air horns, and air tools.

Thanks.

What do you mean by "up to 5 gallons of air" ? It works well with a 5 gallon tank ? Why not 2 5 gallon tanks ? Does it overheat filling them ?

I don't need much air. My bags don't leak. I am about to add electric filling valves in combo with height control valves. Provided nothing leaks, I'll probably adjust the ride height 1-2x per week.

My exhaust valve doesn't take much air, but it will cycle on-off every time I shift when its on and I'm going down hills.

Hey Me2,
If you're looking for a compressor for air bags only, you can use something small like the 325C or the 350C.

A single VIAIR air compressor is suitable for up to 5 gallons of air. Though most sport air suspension vehicles (lowriders, minitrucks) use a dual compressor system shown in the link below:
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/booroomc/topframe.jpg

As far as tank set up you want to make sure you have enough ports for the following:
1) Air in - Compressor inlet
2) Air out - Leads to your valves that control your bags.
3) Pressure release valve - Safety mechanism to release excess pressure
4) Pressure Switch - Control the compressor on and off pressure
5) Drain Cock - This is the only item that should be located at the bottom where moisture collects, the other items listed above should never be at the bottom of an air tank where moisture/rust can build.
6) If you also want to fill tires, run air horns etc, you can use a T-Fitting to create an extra port.

Condensation/moisture is a by product is compressed air. The moisture tends to collect inside the air tank where the pressurized air is being stored. So be sure to use your drain cock after you're done using the air system. You can take an extra precaution by adding a water separator at the Air Out to capture excess moisture. This is recommended when using valves for air bags and air horns, and air tools.


You could also use an air manifold to install some of that stuff. I setup mine manifold with the pressure gauge, pressure switch, blow off valve, and quick coupler.

My tank is only 3 ports (all 1/2") which I use for air in, out and drain.

Thanks.

What do you mean by "up to 5 gallons of air" ? It works well with a 5 gallon tank ? Why not 2 5 gallon tanks ? Does it overheat filling them ?

I don't need much air. My bags don't leak. I am about to add electric filling valves in combo with height control valves. Provided nothing leaks, I'll probably adjust the ride height 1-2x per week.

My exhaust valve doesn't take much air, but it will cycle on-off every time I shift when its on and I'm going down hills.

Five gallons is the most suitable size reservoir to achieve an acceptable recovery rate. We bench test our air compressors for performance, life cycle testing, and Critical failure testing, using a five gallon air tank. In order to achieve the optimum lifespan for your compressor, you should use a minimum of one compressor for every five gallons of reservoir.

Yes, you can get away with a 6, 7 or even a 10 gallon air tank for a while, but the compressor won't last up to it's potential.

A comparable analogy would be if a car owner decided to change his oil every 10,000miles instead of every 5,000miles.

Sure you can do it, but it's not going to last as long.

---
Here's a more technical analysis on the limitations of a Brush DC motor, copy/pasted from my response to an e-mail inquiry.

VIAIR compressors fall under the Brush DC motor category. This design is effective at delivering High Pressure at Low Volumes and best of all it's affordable. Hence the reason why customers use VIAIR for air bags/cylinders/springs (105-200psi), air horns (105-200psi), air lockers (90-105psi), Eclass or RV tires (80-120PSI) and air tools (90-120psi).

The Brush DC motor is NOT designed to deliver High Volumes at Low Pressure.
It can deliver around 0 to 3 CFM which is not enough to run an air tool or air horn continuously. That is why we prescribe the use of an air tank when our customers require air tool use. The compressor builds pressure within the air tank and the air tank stores the energy that can supply air tools with the required CFM.

On the other hand, a shop compressor, an EDC, or a Series Wound Motor (aka Universal Motor) found inside a winch; are all capable of delivering both high pressures and high volumes. Most are also capable of running air tools continuously but they are much more expensive, they require maintenance and they pull a greater amp draw.

Lots of interesting reading if you Google Viair + Zenith.

I think I am going to go with a Viair 450 or 480 and a 5 gallon tank with the shut off set to about 100 PSI. I want something that lasts FOREVER, so I want it to be under worked. I don't need an air wrench to change my tires.

Am I on the right track ? Where should I buy it ? I hate going to ebay and seeing Vendors that list Viair 450 and don't even tell you the ratings, etc. Who should I support with my purchase ?

Thanks

What is the difference between a 450C, 460C and 450H ?

I DO NOT care about the compressor speed. I want something with a 100% duty cycle that lasts. My suspension doesn't need much air at all. I am not going to be bouncing anything up and down. I doubt I will even dump the air out of the rear suspension when hooking up the 5er.

Why doesn't the website list a 480C ?

Is the 450C IG worth the price premium ? What exactly does a 450C IG come with ?

http://www.viaircorp.com/OffRoad/400series.html

Man, this is confusing !

Thanks

What kind of suspension did you build/buy for your truck? I'd love to see it, I need air ride on my '90 D350.

Its a full on 4 link (5 with the panhard link) air ride suspension for 3/4-1 ton trucks. It works great.

You can read about it here. Pictures start on page 3. You'll need to register to see them.

http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43770

I think I am going to go with a Viair 450 or 480 and a 5 gallon tank with the shut off set to about 100 PSI. I want something that lasts FOREVER, so I want it to be under worked. I don't need an air wrench to change my tires.

Am I on the right track ? Where should I buy it ? I hate going to ebay and seeing Vendors that list Viair 450 and don't even tell you the ratings, etc. Who should I support with my purchase ?

Thanks

You and Montecarlo are on the right track, go with the 450C. Except make sure you run a 110 to 145 PSI pressure switch. The compressor is rated to 150PSI. If you PM your city and state i'll PM you a recommended dealer, but otherwise you can find them all over the internet. I don't recommend buying from e-bay b/c some of those dealers are fly by nights.

What is the difference between a 450C, 460C and 450H ?

I DO NOT care about the compressor speed. I want something with a 100% duty cycle that lasts. My suspension doesn't need much air at all. I am not going to be bouncing anything up and down. I doubt I will even dump the air out of the rear suspension when hooking up the 5er.

Why doesn't the website list a 480C ?

Is the 450C IG worth the price premium ? What exactly does a 450C IG come with ?

http://www.viaircorp.com/OffRoad/400series.html

Man, this is confusing !

Thanks

I'd prefer to point you in the right direction instead of explaining why our other compressor models aren't suitable for your purpose, <sigh> but since you asked...

1. The 450C is our standard 100% duty cycle air compressor recommended for most applications that require an air tank, pressure switch, and relay.
2. The 450H is the same compressor with an On/Off switch and a quick connect stud at the tip of the leader hose, making this compressor ideal for direct tire inflation, without the use of an air tank.
3. The 450C IG is an industrial grade compressor that was developed after 7 years of R&D for a reputable military supplier. We signed a Non Disclosure Agreement so I'm not allowed to say who they are, but we implemented the improvements that were feasible to our IG series for our Industrial/Medical clientele.
4. The 460C is the same compressor as the 450C except it has 3/8" NPT instead of the standard 1/4" NPT. This is preferred by Air Horn and Sport Air Suspension customers.
5. The 480C is a 200 PSI compressor also used by the Air Horn and Sport Air Suspension market segment.

The reason that the 480C is not shown in the Off-Road product catagory is because it is marketed to the Sport Air Suspension market segment, thus is can be found in the Air Suspension section.

The link below is helpful for compressor wiring.
http://www.viaircorp.com/OffRoad/Schematics/singlec_wd.pdf
The link below can help you choose the correct size wire for your system.
http://www.viaircorp.com/OffRoad/VIAIR_wiregauge_chart.pdf

I hope this helps!

Thanks for the reply.

I am going to order a 450C IG. I am going to set the pressure switch to turn on at 80 PSI and off at 100 PSI. It should last nearly forever set up like that.

I can't wait to have on board air on my truck.

Pepsi kegs are Stainless Steel and rated for 120 PSI. Anyone see a problem using one of them as a tank ? They are 5 gallons in size and easy to fit under the truck.

Pepsi tank should work just fine. Just one caveat...you need a drain plug on the bottom. If you can do that and still have port(s) for the other items then go for it.