87 4 Runner Build

[SV_Dude]

I spent a couple hours taking my time and making some brackets to mount the compressor. I got the compressor mounted firmly on the passenger fender, it looks right at home there

I have everything I need to mount the parts and wire everything, I just need to get some air lines and fittings. The plumbing for the air will be done tomorrow.

It's time for the fat guy to eat some lunch so I'll post more later.

 

[SV_Dude]

I was lazy after lunch and I need to get the air lines tomorrow so I wasn't very motivated to get a lot done this afternoon. Having a tv in the garage is a pretty good distraction too.

Anyways, I made two very complex brackets to hold the air tank to the bottom of the body directly above the rear axle. I also picked up some 90* 1/4"NPT fittings for the tank. Since the side of the tank is going to be close to the exhaust, I wanted to keep all the lines as close to the tank as possible. I may wrap a small section of the exhaust in some heat wrap to keep some of the heat away from the tank.

 

[SV_Dude]

DONE!!!

Kinda...

I got all the electrical and air lines routed with the exception of the air pressure gauge. I need to get some more fittings for the gauge so the air line for the gauge is capped at the air tank for now. I still need to get some clamps and secure the wires and air lines but they're out of the way of everything for now. It started raining just as I was finishing the electrical.

Pics!

The air tank is a little close to the exhaust so I may need to get some exhaust tape and keep the heat away. The air lines are rated for 200* and have excellent ratings for atmospheric conditions. I think they will be fine... we'll see.

The quick release port fits like a glove in the gas tank cap

The gauge and power switch I ran mine to the constant 12v power wire in the driver side kick panel. I wanted to be able to use the compressor w/o having to turn on the 4runner.

I haven't checked for leaks yet but so far the compressor took a whole 2 minutes to fill the 2.5 gallon air tank to 150psi.

I'm loving it!! Now I can air down at the trail head and air back up within a matter of minutes

 

[SV_Dude]

Oh yeah!! :boink:

Staun deflators in action:

And airing back up... all within a couple of minutes.

I think airing down all 4 tires with the 4 deflators takes about 4-5 minutes total, maybe less. Then airing back up will probably take a total of about 8 minutes if not less. I tested it a few minutes ago and I went from 10psi to 25psi within a minute or two.

 

[Hyde802]

Nice job on the OBA! I really like where you put the air line!

 

[ToyoTech]

oba looks good but i wouldnt run the compressor without the truck running.

 

[SV_Dude]

oba looks good but i wouldnt run the compressor without the truck running.

Why not? The compressor won't run for anymore than 5 minutes without the engine running. If I fill up more than just my tires then I'll run the motor. The way I see it, it's no different than a high powered car stereo blasting without the car being turned on. As long as the battery can handle it, there shouldn't be any issues.

 

[BucknutBob]

oba looks good but i wouldnt run the compressor without the truck running.

I agree--those compressors use a ton of amps, and can run a battery down very quickly. A stereo load is up and down, but a compressor load is continuously at full-draw--I'd keep the engine running if I were you. Nice installation!

 

[SV_Dude]

I agree--those compressors use a ton of amps, and can run a battery down very quickly. A stereo load is up and down, but a compressor load is continuously at full-draw--I'd keep the engine running if I were you. Nice installation!

True. I think most stereo amps use a 15 amp load, my compressor is a 23 amp max. I'll tinker around with it and keep an eye on the battery. I do need to install a volt gauge that shows the battery voltage while the vehicle is off. I like to run things off of the battery when I can (compressor, CB, radio, etc).

Thanks for the props on the install. I still have more to do though. I need to run some split loom tubing on the wires and clamp the wires and air hoses to the frame so they're secure. I've been busy at work and my fat arse feels very lazy when I get home.

 

[4runnertank]

SV, that is SO sweet. I love watching your build. I'd love to do that eventually. I'm just always worried about airing down and loosing my weights for my tires. I have anywhere from 6-20 Oz of weights on mine because they sat for so long in the previous owner's shed, and they were a B*tch to balance. How often do you air down and how much?

 

[SAC]

Just found this thread. Nice job. Did you ever close up the rear interior side panels? I'm wanting to line mine but would like to replace the plastic crap with something else and line the entire tub. Or replace with diamond plate. Curious what, if anything, you did.

 

[SV_Dude]

SV, that is SO sweet. I love watching your build. I'd love to do that eventually. I'm just always worried about airing down and loosing my weights for my tires. I have anywhere from 6-20 Oz of weights on mine because they sat for so long in the previous owner's shed, and they were a B*tch to balance. How often do you air down and how much?

Thanks! I air down pretty much every time I go offroad. Being in Colorado I go offroading quite often. There are always these random calls from Footofgod or a couple jeep guys in the area where we just get the urge to go play in the dirt locally or go somewhere more adventurous.

Just found this thread. Nice job. Did you ever close up the rear interior side panels? I'm wanting to line mine but would like to replace the plastic crap with something else and line the entire tub. Or replace with diamond plate. Curious what, if anything, you did.

Thanks! I haven't done anything with the interior yet. I am holding that off till last. I want to get my rig capable of wheeling first (lockers, armor, solid axle, etc.) before I make the inside pretty.

 

[ToyoTech]

even 5mins, its hard on the battery and nothing worst than having a dead battery at the end of your trail run. unless you have jumper cables and friends that go with you. either way its not good for the battery. even if you have a deep cycle battery, those compressors draw tons of amps. i guess the compressor i use draws alot more since my compressor is 2-3 times the size of yours. my compressor seem to run better when the truck is running than off and im sure yours will too

 

[ToyoTech]

SV, that is SO sweet. I love watching your build. I'd love to do that eventually. I'm just always worried about airing down and loosing my weights for my tires. I have anywhere from 6-20 Oz of weights on mine because they sat for so long in the previous owner's shed, and they were a B*tch to balance. How often do you air down and how much?

should go get them rebalanced with tape weights on the inside of the rim. i did that and i also threw in a few ounces of plastic BB inside the rim and tire. acts like an auto balancer

 

[BucknutBob]

SVD, as much as you like running things off the battery, maybe a dual battery set-up should be on your short-to-medium term list--that way you can run the accessories straight to the back-up, and keep the vehicle on the first one. Obviously space is a concern, as I haven't figured out where to put one when I get around to doing my own, but it's a desirable addition if you can (especially with winching and compressors in the mix).

 

[SV_Dude]

should go get them rebalanced with tape weights on the inside of the rim. i did that and i also threw in a few ounces of plastic BB inside the rim and tire. acts like an auto balancer

I have tape weights on the inside and regular weights on the inside lip. I tried the BB's once before and I didn't like them. Every time I hit a bump the bb's would go everywhere and all the tires would become un-balanced. That was a bit scary at 60-70 mph in a lightweight 4runner on 35's. I used airsoft bb's and used the proper ammount of bb's as per a scale posted on yotatech and I still didn't get good results.

SVD, as much as you like running things off the battery, maybe a dual battery set-up should be on your short-to-medium term list--that way you can run the accessories straight to the back-up, and keep the vehicle on the first one. Obviously space is a concern, as I haven't figured out where to put one when I get around to doing my own, but it's a desirable addition if you can (especially with winching and compressors in the mix).

I do have ideas for adding two more batteries but I was thinking of smaller size batteries that are about the size of a motorcycle battery but still has the amperage of a normal car battery. I can wire those in series with eachother and tie them into the grid and have more battery power. But, that means I'll need to upgrade my alternator too... It's all just $$$$$$$, and the $$$$$$ adds up. I spent almost $1300 this month already between the tires and the air compressor. This stuff is pricey! My wife really appreciates the fact that I have a cheap hobby

 

[ToyoTech]

i just static balanced my wheels with tape weights on the inside of the rim. threw in some bb and never had an issue, even with bumps. maybe its because im on 32s.

 

[SV_Dude]

This isn't a huge update but I do believe it's worth posting. I'm going to have a couple passengers for the wheeling trip next weekend so I needed to throw the back seats back in. I took them out because the covers were nasty. I grabbed some covers and put them on the front seats and back seats. I'm not overly thrilled with the fitment but they do look better than the original seat covers.

 

[ToyoTech]

where you get the rear seat covers?

 

[SV_Dude]

I picked up the set on post at the px. The px is like a walmart on military bases.

I'm pretty sure you can get a set with the front and rear covers just about anyplace.