ARB CKMA12 single compressor install with factory aux switches

[coreymd]

I had trouble finding information relevant to the ARB single compressor (there's plenty of info on the ARB twin), so I'm sharing my installation experience. This was my first time installing an on-board air compressor in any vehicle.

First thing to note is that the wire looms are completely different between the single and twin, as are the connector housing(s) leading into the compressors. So none of the research I had done online was much help when it came to wiring. Also, the ARB manual is not super clear on which steps / parts can be skipped if you're not using their air lockers (I'm not), so I wasn't really sure how much of the supplied kit I needed to use. And of course, they don't publish any information on how to wire in your own upfitter switch.

Here are my key takeaways:

1. Mounting
   
   Find a good online video for the hardware installation (mounting bracket + ARB compressor). It's basically the same steps for the single or twin ARB.
   
   
2. Understand what's not provided in the box
   
   The CKMA12 is designed to be used with add-on components (ARB air lockers and/or the ARB Pump Up Kit), and so it intentionally does NOT include all of the parts you'll need.
   
   If you're only using this to air up tires (that's what I'm using it for), I recommend buying ARB's Pump Up Kit (P/N 171302) which includes the required 1/4" NPT T-fitting, plus a threaded hose coupling (and air hose). Without the T-fitting, the included pressure switch will block the only place a hose coupling can be connected to the compressor manifold. I guess this would be fine if you were only using the compressor for air lockers (those connect via an extra solenoid part - also not provided), but not if you plan to attach an air hose. This made me think the pressure switch was an optional component, but it is NOT.
   
   This important information can only be found in the installation guide that comes with the Pump Up Kit, so read both manuals before you start. After installation, you will end up with the NPT T-fitting screwed in to the output port of the manifold, the pressure switch screwed in to the side of the T-fitting, and the hose coupling screwed in to the end of the T-fitting.
   
   
3. Electrical
   
   If you're wiring the ARB to one of the Bronco's aux switches, you'll need only one of the two provided wire looms: the thicker one.
   
   You will eventually attach the wire loom to all of the provided components: relay, pressure switch, and the compressor's motor power. Refer to the ARB wiring diagram and instructions for this part. At this point, the wire loom will still have two empty connectors (for the air locker solenoids - not present) and a bundle of four loose wires (normally connects to the smaller wire loom for the ARB switches - not needed).
   
   I set the wire loom into its final position under the hood and zip tied it after checking that it reached the battery terminals. Then I went about cutting to length the end with the four loose wires (again, these would be the wires that normally connect to the smaller wire loom for ARB's switches). Peel back the black outer wrap to expose a couple inches of wires, then cut the black, yellow, and green wires flush, leaving only the red wire exposed. Find the Bronco aux switch wire that you want to use from the bundle near the driver's side of the firewall. I used the ever popular Aux 6, so the Yellow/Orange wire. Connect the aux switch wire to the exposed red wire from the ARB loom and tape the rest securely. Note that the ARB loom's yellow and green wires are dead (normally used for the air locker switches), but the black wire does run back to the Bronco's negative battery terminal.

That's it - time for testing! Follow the manuals for all of the other details.

These are the components I have:

• KR Off-Road ARB Compressor Mount from 4x4truckleds.com
• ARB High Output On-Board 12V Air Compressor (P/N CKMA12)
• ARB Pump Up Kit (accessory kit): 20' hose, coupling, and T-fitting (P/N 171302)
• JACO FlowPro Tire Inflator with Pressure Gauge - 100 PSI (P/N JSP-012)

Some of the tools I used:

• ratchet with extension
• 5/8" deep socket
• 10mm socket
• 8mm socket
• torque wrench
• 3/4" box wrench
• 1/2" box wrench (ratcheting)
• Teflon tape
• zip ties
• wire stripper/cutter
• electrical tape
• soldering iron and solder
• heat shrink tubing
• heat gun
• step stool (my Bronco isn't that tall, I'm just that short)

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[2020FordRaptor]

I had trouble finding information relevant to the ARB single compressor (there's plenty of info on the ARB twin), so I'm sharing my installation experience. This was my first time installing an on-board air compressor in any vehicle.

First thing to note is that the wire looms are completely different between the single and twin, as are the connector housing(s) leading into the compressors. So none of the research I had done online was much help when it came to wiring. Also, the ARB manual is not super clear on which steps / parts can be skipped if you're not using their air lockers (I'm not), so I wasn't really sure how much of the supplied kit I needed to use. And of course, they don't publish any information on how to wire in your own upfitter switch.

Here are my key takeaways:

1. Mounting
   
   Find a good online video for the hardware installation (mounting bracket + ARB compressor). It's basically the same steps for the single or twin ARB.
   
   
2. Understand what's not provided in the box
   
   The CKMA12 is designed to be used with add-on components (ARB air lockers and/or the ARB Pump Up Kit), and so it intentionally does NOT include all of the parts you'll need.
   
   If you're only using this to air up tires (that's what I'm using it for), I recommend buying ARB's Pump Up Kit (P/N 171302) which includes the required 1/4" NPT T-fitting, plus a threaded hose coupling (and air hose). Without the T-fitting, the included pressure switch will block the only place a hose coupling can be connected to the compressor manifold. I guess this would be fine if you were only using the compressor for air lockers (those connect via an extra solenoid part - also not provided), but not if you plan to attach an air hose. This made me think the pressure switch was an optional component, but it is NOT.
   
   This important information can only be found in the installation guide that comes with the Pump Up Kit, so read both manuals before you start. After installation, you will end up with the NPT T-fitting screwed in to the output port of the manifold, the pressure switch screwed in to the side of the T-fitting, and the hose coupling screwed in to the end of the T-fitting.
   
   
3. Electrical
   
   If you're wiring the ARB to one of the Bronco's aux switches, you'll need only one of the two provided wire looms: the thicker one.
   
   You will eventually attach the wire loom to all of the provided components: relay, pressure switch, and the compressor's motor power. Refer to the ARB wiring diagram and instructions for this part. At this point, the wire loom will still have two empty connectors (for the air locker solenoids - not present) and a bundle of four loose wires (normally connects to the smaller wire loom for the ARB switches - not needed).
   
   I set the wire loom into its final position under the hood and zip tied it after checking that it reached the battery terminals. Then I went about cutting to length the end with the four loose wires (again, these would be the wires that normally connect to the smaller wire loom for ARB's switches). Peel back the black outer wrap to expose a couple inches of wires, then cut the black, yellow, and green wires flush, leaving only the red wire exposed. Find the Bronco aux switch wire that you want to use from the bundle near the driver's side of the firewall. I used the ever popular Aux 6, so the Yellow/Orange wire. Connect the aux switch wire to the exposed red wire from the ARB loom and tape the rest securely. Note that the ARB loom's yellow and green wires are dead (normally used for the air locker switches), but the black wire does run back to the Bronco's negative battery terminal.

That's it - time for testing! Follow the manuals for all of the other details.

These are the components I have:

• KR Off-Road ARB Compressor Mount from 4x4leds.com
• ARB High Output On-Board 12V Air Compressor (P/N CKMA12)
• ARB Pump Up Kit (accessory kit): 20' hose, coupling, and T-fitting (P/N 171302)
• JACO FlowPro Tire Inflator with Pressure Gauge - 100 PSI (P/N JSP-012)

Some of the tools I used:

• ratchet with extension
• 5/8" deep socket
• 10mm socket
• 8mm socket
• torque wrench
• 3/4" box wrench
• 1/2" box wrench (ratcheting)
• Teflon tape
• zip ties
• wire stripper/cutter
• electrical tape
• soldering iron and solder
• heat shrink tubing
• heat gun
• step stool (my Bronco isn't that tall, I'm just that short)

Nice writeup!

 

[Blaylock1988]

Nice job pretty similar to how I did my single. I ended up mostly redoing the wiring harness and stripped all the unused wires and connectors. I also used an adapter to run the pressure switch straight off one of the solenoid ports on the manifold.

 

[coreymd]

Nice job pretty similar to how I did my single. I ended up mostly redoing the wiring harness and stripped all the unused wires and connectors. I also used an adapter to run the pressure switch straight off one of the solenoid ports on the manifold.

That's very clean. I like the orientation too. Is there a name for the adapter you used?

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

Ya know what is even weirder with the ARB Single... the fuse location. It's in the middle of the harness, not at the battery which is ODD.

Whenever we do local installs we end up wrapping the ARB single harness with fabric tape for added security.

And yes as you said, with the Twin you get everything you need (minus ring terminals, but we might start providing those with our kits). When you get the single, you DO get the ring terminals and they include the pressure switch in the box... but you need a splitter to use it (which comes in the pump up kit or can be purchased separate).

Very weird indeed how they packaged things.

The twin is bascially good out of the box almost. Where the single requires you to "assembly" the pressure switch. Not difficult but something to note.

 

[Blaylock1988]

That's very clean. I like the orientation too. Is there a name for the adapter you used?

1/8" MBSPT X 1/4" FNPT adapter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0989WFJGD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[Sapper5]

@coreymd - thanks for the write up. Just confirming, when connecting to AUX6, the fuse provided in the box (5A) is just redundant because you're still using the inline fuse provided by the ARB harness? So by connecting to AUX6 you're just using that as your on and off switch?

Have you given any thought to running remote quick connect fittings at front and rear bumper so you don't need to open the hood? I think this would be slick but wonder if there's any hose kits out there to accomplish this, and where you would run air lines throughout body.

 

[coreymd]

@coreymd - thanks for the write up. Just confirming, when connecting to AUX6, the fuse provided in the box (5A) is just redundant because you're still using the inline fuse provided by the ARB harness? So by connecting to AUX6 you're just using that as your on and off switch?

Have you given any thought to running remote quick connect fittings at front and rear bumper so you don't need to open the hood? I think this would be slick but wonder if there's any hose kits out there to accomplish this, and where you would run air lines throughout body.

Aux6 directly toggles the ARB power on/off and the fuse is the one provided iinline with the wiring harness.

There's a YouTube video of someone who ran a line to his rear bumper. It's a very cool idea. Maybe you can get details from him. I'll see if I can find the link.

 

[coreymd]

@coreymd - thanks for the write up. Just confirming, when connecting to AUX6, the fuse provided in the box (5A) is just redundant because you're still using the inline fuse provided by the ARB harness? So by connecting to AUX6 you're just using that as your on and off switch?

Have you given any thought to running remote quick connect fittings at front and rear bumper so you don't need to open the hood? I think this would be slick but wonder if there's any hose kits out there to accomplish this, and where you would run air lines throughout body.

This is the guy:

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

@coreymd - thanks for the write up. Just confirming, when connecting to AUX6, the fuse provided in the box (5A) is just redundant because you're still using the inline fuse provided by the ARB harness? So by connecting to AUX6 you're just using that as your on and off switch?

Have you given any thought to running remote quick connect fittings at front and rear bumper so you don't need to open the hood? I think this would be slick but wonder if there's any hose kits out there to accomplish this, and where you would run air lines throughout body.

You can use ANY switch as you are NOT powering the compressor from the upfitter. It has it's own power directly from the battery. All the upfitter does is triggers the relay, so amps don't matter. 1/4 of an amp would suffice in fact.

 

[Minimalistik]

I had trouble finding information relevant to the ARB single compressor (there's plenty of info on the ARB twin), so I'm sharing my installation experience. This was my first time installing an on-board air compressor in any vehicle.

First thing to note is that the wire looms are completely different between the single and twin, as are the connector housing(s) leading into the compressors. So none of the research I had done online was much help when it came to wiring. Also, the ARB manual is not super clear on which steps / parts can be skipped if you're not using their air lockers (I'm not), so I wasn't really sure how much of the supplied kit I needed to use. And of course, they don't publish any information on how to wire in your own upfitter switch.

Here are my key takeaways:

1. Mounting
   
   Find a good online video for the hardware installation (mounting bracket + ARB compressor). It's basically the same steps for the single or twin ARB.
   
   
2. Understand what's not provided in the box
   
   The CKMA12 is designed to be used with add-on components (ARB air lockers and/or the ARB Pump Up Kit), and so it intentionally does NOT include all of the parts you'll need.
   
   If you're only using this to air up tires (that's what I'm using it for), I recommend buying ARB's Pump Up Kit (P/N 171302) which includes the required 1/4" NPT T-fitting, plus a threaded hose coupling (and air hose). Without the T-fitting, the included pressure switch will block the only place a hose coupling can be connected to the compressor manifold. I guess this would be fine if you were only using the compressor for air lockers (those connect via an extra solenoid part - also not provided), but not if you plan to attach an air hose. This made me think the pressure switch was an optional component, but it is NOT.
   
   This important information can only be found in the installation guide that comes with the Pump Up Kit, so read both manuals before you start. After installation, you will end up with the NPT T-fitting screwed in to the output port of the manifold, the pressure switch screwed in to the side of the T-fitting, and the hose coupling screwed in to the end of the T-fitting.
   
   
3. Electrical
   
   If you're wiring the ARB to one of the Bronco's aux switches, you'll need only one of the two provided wire looms: the thicker one.
   
   You will eventually attach the wire loom to all of the provided components: relay, pressure switch, and the compressor's motor power. Refer to the ARB wiring diagram and instructions for this part. At this point, the wire loom will still have two empty connectors (for the air locker solenoids - not present) and a bundle of four loose wires (normally connects to the smaller wire loom for the ARB switches - not needed).
   
   I set the wire loom into its final position under the hood and zip tied it after checking that it reached the battery terminals. Then I went about cutting to length the end with the four loose wires (again, these would be the wires that normally connect to the smaller wire loom for ARB's switches). Peel back the black outer wrap to expose a couple inches of wires, then cut the black, yellow, and green wires flush, leaving only the red wire exposed. Find the Bronco aux switch wire that you want to use from the bundle near the driver's side of the firewall. I used the ever popular Aux 6, so the Yellow/Orange wire. Connect the aux switch wire to the exposed red wire from the ARB loom and tape the rest securely. Note that the ARB loom's yellow and green wires are dead (normally used for the air locker switches), but the black wire does run back to the Bronco's negative battery terminal.

That's it - time for testing! Follow the manuals for all of the other details.

These are the components I have:

• KR Off-Road ARB Compressor Mount from 4x4truckleds.com
• ARB High Output On-Board 12V Air Compressor (P/N CKMA12)
• ARB Pump Up Kit (accessory kit): 20' hose, coupling, and T-fitting (P/N 171302)
• JACO FlowPro Tire Inflator with Pressure Gauge - 100 PSI (P/N JSP-012)

Some of the tools I used:

• ratchet with extension
• 5/8" deep socket
• 10mm socket
• 8mm socket
• torque wrench
• 3/4" box wrench
• 1/2" box wrench (ratcheting)
• Teflon tape
• zip ties
• wire stripper/cutter
• electrical tape
• soldering iron and solder
• heat shrink tubing
• heat gun
• step stool (my Bronco isn't that tall, I'm just that short)

Nice! I had same issue and finding info about single was hard. The wire harness they sent was a bit much so finding out what i needed was perfect.

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

Nice! I same issue and finding info about single was hard. The wire harness they sent was a bit much so finding out what i needed was perfect.

Single is always harder to install because you have to install the pressure switch yourself. It's not DIFFICUILT but an extra step. You also need the extra fittings (which come with the PUMP UP KIT) which a lot of people don't realize.

So we always tell people... if you are getting a single ADD ON the pump up kit. If you are getting a twin at LEAST add on a coupler (although the pump up kit is nice now as it comes with everything, even the dust cap)

 

[Minimalistik]

Single is always harder to install because you have to install the pressure switch yourself. It's not DIFFICUILT but an extra step. You also need the extra fittings (which come with the PUMP UP KIT) which a lot of people don't realize.

So we always tell people... if you are getting a single ADD ON the pump up kit. If you are getting a twin at LEAST add on a coupler (although the pump up kit is nice now as it comes with everything, even the dust cap)

I got the package with pump up kit but you also need to get a decent inflator with gauge or your'e flying blind with the pressure

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

I got the package with pump up kit but you also need to get a decent inflator with gauge or your'e flying blind with the pressure

Well yeah, that's with any compressor. It's why we offer them at checkout to our customers so they can get everything at once

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