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1. Disconnect the battery! Then follow the instructions to remove the passenger seat, which you tilt up against the rear seat.
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2. The ARB bracket and Quick Connect bracket mount into existing holes. Similarly a Quick Connect bracket is mounted on the drivers side.
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3. Place the compressor in the bracket with the fan facing forward and mount using the four bolts provided by ARB.
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4. Here’s where the finicky parts begins. Locate the 5-pin plug on the main wiring harness from ARB (not on the compressor). Label the wires to match the plug and follow the instructions to remove the plug.
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5. Remove the interior plastic cover over the rocker panel on the passenger side and then the dash panel next to the door. This will reveal a hole that runs through the firewall to the engine compartment. Well, there will be a hole when you’re done.
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6. Using a metal rod (wire coat hanger if you can find one), and a great deal of patience, draw the harness through the firewall. Then run your wiring harness along the area where you removed the dash and rocker panel.
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7. Re-install the metal connectors into the 5-pin plug and lay the smaller harness provided by ARB along the same path from the compressor up behind the glove box. Reinstall the panels.
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8. Attach the ring connectors provided to the red and black wires. They are designed to be crimped and heat shrunk.
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9. Remove the plastic dash panel beneath the steering wheel and the metal panel behind it. A second harness from ARB will connect to the harness you have tucked behind the glove box. This harness has a dizzying array of connectors but don’t panic, you only have to worry about two.
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10. Connect the red wire with the yellow stripe to the pink wire with a white stripe using the provided red Scotchlok. This is an ignition power source so your compressor only runs if the ignition is on (or naturally when the engine is running).
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11. We will light up the switch at night by connecting ARB’s blue wire with the white stripe to the JKU’s orange wire with the grey stripe using the red T-Tap. You have to be a patient contortionist to get this done. This orange/grey wire is in the drivers’ side footwell on top of the connector that goes to the harness to the drivers’ door.
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12. Follow the simple instructions to plumb the provided black plastic hose from the compressor to the quick connect brackets on the passenger and drivers doors. Then connect the blue air lines from the quick connect to all four tires. With the air up/air down tool, you can air up, or air down all four tires at the same time to the tire pressure you desire.
Story & photos by Perry Mack
Sure you can bum air from your trail buddies and not spend money for an on-board air (OBA) unit. You could also show up at their garage, borrow tools and drink their beer. And perhaps sleep with their significant other. Don’t be that guy or gal – especially the second one.
You can stop at Canadian Tire and get a $24 compressor; it will fill your tires in less than an hour… Or you can step up to the plate and invest in a quality OBA that will not only reliably fill your tires quickly, but operate an air locker and some power tools down the road.
In virtually every endeavor worth enjoying, it is better when you have the right equipment, especially the crucial gear, and for off-roading that is OBA.
The advantage of the ARB Twin compressor is that it’s a compact package that kicks out 85LPM (3CFM) @ 6Bar (90PSI), which in real world terms means it will inflate a 35-in tire in under a minute and run some low volume air tools. This unit is also designed to operate the ARB air lockers, so when you decide to graduate to lockers, you have the system already in place. And if consistently running air tools becomes more important you can install an optional air tank.
Having decided we needed the ARB Twin the question arose, where do we mount it? There are a few options including under the body in the rear, or under the hood forward of the power brake booster. We chose option three – under the passenger seat because it’s the cleanest, coolest, driest place. Yes, it makes some noise when it’s on, but we’re usually not in the cab when it’s running.
Innovative JK Products had an under seat mounting bracket along with a kit that would allow us to air up all four tires at once to the desired pressure using an inline tool.
The disadvantage the system has is that by using the supplied plumbing instead of the ARB inflator kit, means you have a non-standard fitting for air tools and tank connections. However, if and when that becomes important, you can certainly make the change.
We installed the kit on our 2015 Wrangler JKU, however the kit will fit 2007+. The complete install took roughly three hours and the Innovative JK Products instructions were easy to follow with colour photos and clear directions. We’ll summarize the install here noting any changes or details left out, so you know what you’re in for.
ARB Twin compressor - Part Number: CKMTA12 - Price: $545.00 US - www.arbusa.com
Innovative JK Products: www.innovativejkproducts.com
- Mounting Bracket Kit $59.95 US
- Or JKU Airline System & Mounting Bracket $149.95 US
- Air up/down Tool with Gauge $74.95