This is mostly for Ted, unless anybody else has installed an ARB compressor and then feel free to chime in...

Which compressor do I need? The 12v and 24v are virtually the same price and I'm trying to figure out which to get. Product codes are RDCKA and RDCKA24. I'm guessing the 12v, but any input would be appreciated before I make my purchase.

You would need the 12V - 14V would be for a vehicle with a 14V power system.

Ever considered powering your ARB's with a powertank? That's how I plan on doing it. About the same price if you buy the CO2 tank elsewhere and you can use it for a lot of other things.

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2008 Unlimited Rubicon - 3.5" AEV/Nth lift - 35" MT/R with Kevlar - AEV Wheels - York OBA
2008 Patriot - Fuel Saver

I've never heard of a powertank - got a link to an example? This is completely unchartered water for me.

heres a link :

www.4wheelparts.com/4wp/products/manufa ... ccessories

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2016 JKU RUBICON

other mods coming soon...

Couple of initial thoughts/questions...

1) Where do you get them filled? This is basically a large CO2 tank right?

2) Anybody that's ever tried to play paintball with CO2 vs. compressed air knows that CO2 is a very unstable gas/liquid. Depending on the temperature outside you could be sucking straight liquid into your diff if you plan to run an ARB with this. Plus as CO2 expands it freezes. I'd bet anything this stuff is hard on your tires if you use it to fill them often. Not good. Hopefully they have excellent regulators on the tanks though...

Feel free to educate me. I'm sure I'm way off base, but my experiences with CO2 are not good. At $430 I think I'll just get the $200 compressor. Or am I missing some huge advantages to going with the Powertank? I realize they fill tires quickly, but I'd probably spend more time going to get the tank filled...

Well, I just picked up a used CO2 tank for $40 and the regulator/handle/coiled hose from powertank for $200. Same setup as the link for $250 or so.

This is definitely not as unstable as a paintball gun. Much bigger and not subject to the tilting of your wrist when you fire the gun.

You get them filled at a fire extinguisher shop, welding supply or beverage supply.

Powertank makes a specific ARB manifold that regulates the pressure properly for the lockers.

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2008 Unlimited Rubicon - 3.5" AEV/Nth lift - 35" MT/R with Kevlar - AEV Wheels - York OBA
2008 Patriot - Fuel Saver

If you get a pump, get the 12 v as that is what your Jeeps electrical is wired for, 24 will not work.

ARB has redone their pumps so they are a lot smaller, but they are not real good for filling tires, real slow...
Good for locker, not for tires.

As for the CO2 tank, you would need one hack of a regulator, and I would PM ARB Seth and ask him or call an authorized ARB installer to ask. As you mentioned, CO2 has different behavioral properties that could harm the system.

You could also get a VIAR compressor and a regulator if you want to have something capable of filling tires fairly quickly as well, others here have.

Regardless, you can save money by having the shop install the lockers only, and then I could help you install the pump, the airlines, and the electrical.

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If you can read this you don't need glasses, go Wheel your Jeep!

You don't need a "hack" of a regulator at all.

You just go with Powertank's Superflow HPX Regulator

http://www.powertank.com/products/sfID1/10/productID/8

and thier ARB manifold kit

http://www.powertank.com/products/sfID1 ... ductID/135

This is an approved way of running your lockers, as far as I know. I have seen quite a few rigs set up this way (2 of them were XTerras).

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2008 Unlimited Rubicon - 3.5" AEV/Nth lift - 35" MT/R with Kevlar - AEV Wheels - York OBA
2008 Patriot - Fuel Saver

Thanks, that's definitely my plan after I found out what they were charging in labor. Predator 4x4 was the best, but it is still going to cost me $1500 total for one locker after I do the compressor install...

$219 - Compressor
$699 - Locker
$425 - Labor for locker only
$50 - Misc parts
TAX

They wanted to charge me another $300 for the compressor labor.

Ted, since the ARB apparently sucks at inflating tires should I just go with the smaller/cheaper one not meant for inflating tires?

Either pump will work great for the lockers, neither is truely designed to air up tires, it is just an option (If I had done more research, I would have passed on the fillup kit) for an emergency fill up.

Don, sorry and thanks for the correction, I was talking about the manifold, you would need a very good one with preasure control, but with the cost of the ARB and the warranty, I would deffinetly ask first. If you want a tire fill up and locker operator, I would use a VIAIR pump with manifold or the powertank option, for just lockers, you could go with either pump by ARB, and then get one of the little red compressors from pepboys or any 4x4 parts store for cheaper than the power tank, unless you can get the pieces for a homemade power tank for cheaper as DynoMike has done, but he does not run lockers off of his set up.

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If you can read this you don't need glasses, go Wheel your Jeep!

I can't remember where I saw it(I think on the powertank web site)but they make a small powertank set up for the sole purpose of running arb airlockers.The air tank is pretty small and it was way cheaper than the bigger tanks.I've got the 10 lbs bottle verson of the powertank and love it,the regulator has psi ranges marked on it and one of them is for airlockers at 80 psi.

How difficult would this be? Are the parts easy to get and I assume the ARB switches are compatible.?.?

Joel, do a search for compressors, I know someone did a write upon the use of other types of compressors.

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I'm baaaaccckkk...
LOST Member 10
If you can read this you don't need glasses, go Wheel your Jeep!