Well, mostly anyway

Been saving up a bit to get my air project up and running and finally managed to get it (mostly) done.

I picked up a Viair 10007 system, some Ride Rites (from a board member that purchased but decided against installing), and a Shocker XL train horn set.

I watched and re-watched the air bag video
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ion-video.html(thanks much Epic!) and read the posts by Ruschejj
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ir-system.html and chose to put the compressor and tank on the passenger side just behind the cab. I couldn't accept the tank mounting on the side because I know my faults and I know that I'd never unbolt it just for draining, so I had to adapt a way mount it with a drain at the bottom. I picked up some thick L brackets, mounted them to the frame rail, then mounted the compressor to the brackets.

The install was a bit bumpy with some minor issues. The Viair pressure switch was bad but the company had a new one on my doorstep the next day (kudos for customer service). The Ride Ride kit had a lock washer that made install quite impossible due to the large split. Eventually I cranked down on it with a vise and heated it up with a torch to shrink down the split and got it to work.

I wanted as clean/stock look install as I could so I wired the compressor to Upfitter 1 and used a relay to wire Upfitter 3 for the horns. With the switch off it's just my regular horn, with the switch on it sounds both (at least I think it does, no way to actually hear the stock horn over the air horns). No seperate switches and I can turn it off as needed.

I'm not happy with the gauges yet as they are installed just like Ruschjj did, but I'm going to brainstorm something that will give a little cleaner look and maybe take a little less space. I need to get a bit more of the wire wrap and clean up my relay install wires, but otherwise I'm all set.

The compressor is relatively quiet, the airbags inflate in ~20 secs, and the horns sound amazing (and a bit scary even when I know I'm about to hit em).

Thanks sooo much to those that provided posts with advice, pictures, and videos. It helped a lot

 

Shocker XL air horns

Air Tank with drain

Compressor mounted

 

Looks great! When you get a minute, can you post the wiring you did for the horn override? I want to add air horns as well but know that I didn't want a separate switch to do it. Your solution is exactly what I am looking for!

 

Very nice job. Really, you spent more time on your than I did so I know how much work that all was. Thanks for posting the pics and advice.

Horns are great, right? It's cool to honk back at trains......

 

Great job! Now we just need a video of the first time you demonstrate the horns to your buddy...

 

My skills at creating a wiring diagram are a little weak, but I think this will make sense.

Instead of running a hot wire to the battery for the compressor and another wire to the Upfitter, I spliced the hot and switched lines at the tank pressure switch and ran them to Upfitter#1 (yellow). The compressor specs show a draw of 19 amps and Upfitter#1 is rated for 25A so I saw no need to run a seperate hot wire to the battery.

I bought a 30 amp relay at Radio Shack (~$6) and wired it to the #3 upfitter (Violet w/green 10A). I tapped the stock horn wire (yellow with red trace) under the hood. There are numbers stamped into the relay and I wired it as follows
30 - Upfitter#3
85 - Ground
86 - Ford Horn - Yellow
87 - Air Horn Solenoid

Hope this helps =)

 

I was tempted to go park by the tracks and wait for one.

I'm going to be very cautious about when/how I use the horns so I don't get complaints, but when towing the big trailer I really need something better than that stock horn.

I wish I had video of demo-ing them for my wife. I blasted the regular horn 3 or 4 times and then hit the air horns. She knew it was coming and still jumped about 3 inches out of the passenger seat.

 

Perfect! Just what the doctor ordered! Rep on the way!

 

Very nice! Can you use the air compressor with the quick connect for other purposes, saying airing up a tire if you want?

 

Yes! Airing up a tire, blowing water out of the mirrors when I wash it, airing up my float tube for fishing at the lake, etc. The compressor isn't the fastest one around (1.6 CFM), but I wanted one with 100% duty cycle and folks here have had good things to say about the Viair 10007 kit.

I'm in the process of creating a mounting bracket for the gauges that will clean up the install a bit (same location, just better fit). If it works out I'll probably be installing it tomorrow.

 

I used some fiber board, aluminum brackets, and some spray paint (that looked a lot closer in color than it turned out) and created a bracket that I'm a little happier with.

Before and after

 

great stuff! I'm interested in doing this, too... might I tempt you to post a laundry list of the things you bought, from where, and maybe for how much?

 

Nice job! Like where you mounted these.

 

Nice job on the dials. Even though we lose the use of that pocket, it's a great location for those things.

I was cutting grass at my son's school last night, tractor was leaning to the right, the right rear tire was way low on air so all I had to do was park by my rear bumper and fill 'er up.

Great stuff.

 

Alright.... I need alittle help...

I am trying to figure out how to run all my plumbing for my air lines to set mine up similar to the way this thread was done by KG6EPF

I have the Viair 10007 kit installed (without gauge plumbed in, yet) and a set of Ride Rite bags, which is currently plumbed to the rear bumper for manual adjustment. I want to reconfigure mine to use the Ride Rite in cab single gauge/ controler and the Viair guage as well.

I am trying to understand how this will work before I buy the air horns and the Ride Rite gauge....

I only see two air lines in the pics coming into the cab...
- How is the plumbing setup for the in-cab gauges ?
- Did you "T" off the incoming line and run to both gauges (Viair and Ride Rite) ?
--------

ALSO :

any problem with pulling the water drain and putting in a quick connect air hose fitting in.... I figure if I have any water in the tank it will run out the fitting when I connect an air line.
Any problems with this type of setup ??

Thank you for the help !

_