I'm wanting to purchase a good compressor for my bag setup on my chevy but I'm wondering what would be a good compressor or compressors. I've been told that a viair 480 is a pretty good compressor but I'm a bit new to the compressor side of airbag setups. I want one or two compressors that will pump up fairly quickly and were If I want to play a little with my bag setup idon't have to worry that It will take for ever to get back up. I'm mainly going to want the setup to go up and down in the front and back not really worried about going side to side. I want to be able to drag the back and lift it back up then be able to let the whole car layout when I get somewhere. I'm probably going to use 1/2" valves so I will go up quick but I may use 3/8" dumps so it doesnt just slam on the ground Like some of the setups I've seen. I'm probably going to use a 5 gal or 7 gal tank that way I have a decent amount of capacity to go up and down a few times. So what are good compressors that will fill pretty fast and are reasonably priced I'm on a tight budget. I also don't care what the compressors look like they will probably be hidden in the trunk somewhere so they don't have to be pretty. I just need them to work well and fairly quickly. I also want them to be 100% duty cycle compressors also. I don't want an engine mounted compressor either I don't have space and I don't care for the looks either on this car. thanks for any help.
Look up a compressor called an "Oasis". They cost about a grand, but they'll beat the $h*+ outta every other electric comp......and they don't make that terrible sound. I've seen a few homemade belt-driven Oasis's made from winch motors & a York AC compressor that worked just the same. Add another battery & an isolator and you'll be the coolest kid on the block.
Id run nitrogen, just have a home tank and you can play with it all you want, and no annoying compresser to listen to, maybe have a comp for back up if you can..im not sure.
Thats the only problem I don't have the cash for an oasis compressor as much as I would like one. looking for something a little cheaper.
I don't know much about using nitrogen isn't there problems with stuff freezing when using nitrogen? do you have to run special valves to keep them from freezing?
I have a VIAIR 480 and I let Alex Gambino put my system together for my 52... so i know it would be the right system! As far as how it works, we are in the beginning stages of playing with it, but I am sure from playing so far that it will be groovy!
480s are good.. 450s will work and save you a few bucks if you only wanna run 150psi go EDC if you can cheaper than comps and WAY faster..
have you thought about an engine driven compressor? in my experience it's the best way to go. i've run electrics,, and keep one as a back up,,,but nothing beats an old AC compressor!
If it wasn't for the fact that I didn't want that much stuff on my engine I wouldn't mind running an engine mounted compressor. I don't mind the noise from the electric type compressors I just want one or two that will work good with minimal maintanence.
we use 450s on every setup we do, we take them up to 180-200 psi as well, the oldest 450 we have is on a shop truck its 1 450 on 9 gallons of air lol been running like the day it came out of the box for 8 years now on a 98 cre cab dually
i have two viair 450's and haven't had a problem since i got them. i would also use 3/8 fill and dump, 1/2 is just too fast.
I don't mind the fills to be fast cause when I want the car up I want it to get up pretty quickly but I don't want it to slam down so fast. So I'm going to run the smaller dumps. Plus the 3/8s valves might be cheaper to.
I had a York belt driven AC compressor on a 64 Riviera. 30 cfm compared to 10 for the best electric pump at the time. Once you have that you'll never go back.
I have a 480 and it works great, and I agree with the going with 3/8" valves over 1/2", I have 3/8' valve and my car damn near hops in the back.
3/8" valves are fine for most... the problem most people have is they run 3/8" airline.. its like any other tubing, the ID is different.. run 3/8" valves and 1/2" tubing and you have 3/8" everywhere, the air flows well... i always run all 3/8" valves, and silencers on the dumps which kill the nasty hisssing noise, and also allow me to adjust the drop.. i want the front to drop slower than it would normally to save xmember and all, and the rear a lil slower but probably about like it comes out normally
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