Under Hood Air Compressor Options

[Mattwings]

For those of you looking for an under hood option to mount an air compressor, I have detailed the setup I am currently putting together.


I have a JD Marz under hood compressor mount, but I have been moving my Viaair between my Bronco and F150. I don’t really like the bungie mounting method, so I decided to permanently mount something on the JD Marz mount https://broncoaccessoriesusa.com/ 1.
I have done some research and several different brands use the same basic compressor. I found the least expensive “reputable” reseller on Ebay and ordered one up. I will do a report once I have it mounted and operating. I figure I should use the least expensive option, as living under the hood seems like it will be a tough environment (John form JD Marz has done a lot of testing on these compressors and finds no negative effects from the under hood heat).








I think the whole set up, including an inline fuse holder and 12v quick disconnect would be under $300. Full disclosure, John gave me the mount for testing and promotion if I liked it. I do, it is super solid and easy to install. I can replace 3 more compressors before I equal the price of the ARB. I have used this same compressor on rides in the past. It is very similar in capacity to the ARB, although I expect is not up to the same quality and duty cycle of ARB or similar compressors. Since I am not running lockers or any other accessories, it seems like a reasonable solution.

You can find more details on our club forum here- https://forums.michiganbroncos.club/t/under-hood-air-cheap/557/8

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[Hockey13]

Any concerns about heat from the compressor to the electrical component that gets remounted vertically next to it?

 

[Mattwings]

Any concerns about heat from the compressor to the electrical component that gets remounted vertically next to it?

The guy who developed the mount has done a ton of testing. The control unit shows no change in temperature in his tests and the ambient temperature doesn’t seem to affect the compressor at all (other than being at the under hood temperature all the time). He did have his first compressor fail last week, but I think he had over 250 cycles of filling 4 tires and other testing regimens.

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

BE CAREFUL

These portable compressors are NOT designed to be ONBOARD systems. They are portable for a reason. Excess heat does NOT play well with them. ONBOARD air compressors are built different internally, to handle the extra heat/strain they can take. PORTABLE compressors are portable for a reason, as they are not designed to be mounted/heated up.

In fact, a LOT Of portable compressors are NOT 100% duty cycle. 100% duty cycle means it can stay on for an hour (or more) and work non-stop for that hour. A lot of portable compressors actually want you wan REST the compressor in between fill-ups.

The INEXPENSIVE compressors must be rested and are not 100% duty cycle.

You WILL melt things on the compressor if installed incorrectly. If it came in a portable carrying case then it is NOT designed to be mounted under the hood of your truck (or even in the back, it's portable for a reason).

ViAIR is a popular air compressor company that makes portable compressors AND onboard compressors. Example:

ViAIR 450P Portable Compressor

ViAIR 450C Compressor

They are similar but different. The 450P is a portable variant whereas the 450C is an on-board system.

The mount you are using is designed for the 450C (or similar compressors) which are ONBOARD compressors.

 

[Mattwings]

If you look at the write up you will note I don’t plan to use this compressor for anything other than filling tires. The operating temperature of the compressor shows little or no variation on the mount or used as a portable compressor. You can also mount the Viaair compressor to the mount, although the bolt pattern varies a bit. The mount can also accommodate a bungle cord tie down system. My biggest factor in trying the under hood was to open up space in my rear compartment and make sure I always had the compressor on board. So far, so good.

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

If you look at the write up you will note I don’t plan to use this compressor for anything other than filling tires. The operating temperature of the compressor shows little or no variation on the mount or used as a portable compressor. You can also mount the Viaair compressor to the mount, although the bolt pattern varies a bit. The mount can also accommodate a bungle cord tie down system. My biggest factor in trying the under hood was to open up space in my rear compartment and make sure I always had the compressor on board. So far, so good.

The compressor will fail prematurely if you mount a portable compressor under your hood. It's not designed to take all the heat in the engine bay. Think of this... after you're out driving on the trails/beach and you go to air up, that compressor has been soaking in all that hot air from the engine. Since it's not designed to be operated at such high temps it's going to star to fail sooner then later.

Onboard air compressors (non-portable) are built different. They are built to take the extra heat/elements that are thrown at them being installed onboard. Both ARB and ViAIR's onboard air compressors are sealed against the elements and heat and can perform in these conditions.

A portable air conditioner is not sealed like that nor are the internal components designed to heat up. It's why they also recommend you let a portable air compressor REST between uses, so that it can cool down.

Just because it CAN fit doesn't mean you SHOULD install it.

I mean it's your money at the end of the day, but if I were you and you wanted to use that style mount i'd make sure to install an onboard air compressor. As I said, ViAIR does make onboard air compressors designed to fit on that bracket. Make sure you go with an onboard version over a portable one.

I get you're trying to save money but at the end of the day a $100 portable air compressor isn't going to survive under the hood for very long. You really get what you pay for when it comes to air compressors. I've had my own ViAIR portable for 18 years now and she's still rocking because I don't let it overheat. Granted now adays I've been using the ARB Twin but those cost a pretty penny. I think I paid a few hundred for my VIAIR 18 years ago. I would never install it inside an engine bay though. At the very least If I wanted to keep it "on board" i'd keep it in the back inside the cab on a platform of some kind but FAR away from heat.

 

[Mattwings]

I’m not buying or selling. I can tell you the guy that developed the mount has tested and measured several different compressors and configurations (he does not sell compressors, just the mount). The “resting” temperature of the compressor, when not running is nowhere near the operating temperature and the operating temperature is almost unchanged by ambient air temperature under the hood. I was in his shop last year and he walked me through his testing and results. I still waited another year until I decided the risk was worth not carrying a portable compressor, fully aware the compressor itself would likely have a reduced service life. The same guy that did the testing just had his first failure. The compressor still worked, but was noticeably slower. About two years of abuse and testing and 250 4 tire fill ups was where he did the teardown. It was a torn seal on a cylinder. If I was running air lockers, air tools, wheeled way outside of civilization or was using the compressor commercially, I would make a different choice. I would guess 90% of Bronco owners will use their compressor a few dozen times a year. If I get noticeably less durability, I still have the mount and can make another compressor choice.

 

[Oldhippie]

Got the Marz bracket and TD compressor mounted…nice solution in my mind…way cheaper than ARB with about the same performance…guess I‘ll see…

 

[Mattwings]

I like that compressor and air fitting. I will probably do a similar mod on mine, once I test my 4 tire set up. I'm sure the less expensive compressors will not have the same service life as the ARB, but since I am not using air lockers, suspension or air tools (20V impact works great) I am confident it will be a lower cost solution.

 

[Gotchaa]

4x4 Truck LED sells onboard compressors and custom mounts, even the one I bought from them melted and their initial bracket didn’t work with after market air intakes. I would make sure to buy reputable brands designed for engine mounting, this is good advice, and work with a vendor that backs up the products they sell. My experience was not great and the manufacturer pulled the unit off the market for what they called a patent issue which in reality was a crappy ARB copy design that had flaking paint and connectors that would melt mounted under the hood. Sometimes it is worth paying more to avoid hassles, it’s not worth the time to deal with issues and multiple installs for a product you are going to rely on regularly.

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

4x4 Truck LED sells onboard compressors and custom mounts, even the one I bought from them melted and their initial bracket didn’t work with after market air intakes. I would make sure to buy reputable brands designed for engine mounting, this is good advice, and work with a vendor that backs up the products they sell. My experience was not great and the manufacturer pulled the unit off the market for what they called a patent issue which in reality was a crappy ARB copy design that had flaking paint and connectors that would melt mounted under the hood. Sometimes it is worth paying more to avoid hassles, it’s not worth the time to deal with issues and multiple installs for a product you are going to rely on regularly.

I'm guessing you were one of the folks who ordered the UDA compressor? Yeah Up Down Air (which is the brand owned by Overland Vehicle Systems) flat out lied to us. We ordered a compressor to test it out and thought "wow this is great, works great, has a switch built in BUT we have concerns over the design, looks like ARB's air compressor" they assured us it did not violate any patents as UDA had a different design/etc...

So we started to sell them and had issues with the stickers coming off. We've never had anybody report one MELTING, but perhaps thats what you meant? The sticker they use, well the glue didn't hold up from the heat and the sticker would come loose.

They sent us new stickers but that wasn't going to solve the issue where the sticker doesn't stay. Probably why ARB doesn't put stickers all over their air compressors.

Anyway, fast forward about 6 months or so and ARB's attorneys reached out to us to let us know they were filing suit against UDA, Rough Country and some other knock-offs on the market. Being an ARB dealer we didn't want to risk selling something that was in violation of a patent infringement so we stopped selling them. A few months later it looks like everybody settled and everybody pulled their knock-offs.

Our bracket is stop notch. It may not work with all aftermarket air compressors but over the years we've re-designed it to make it work with some more on the market.

We back up the products we sell. But UDA basically doesn't sell that compressor anymore and there's not much we can do on stickers. We have more stickers here if you still have the compressor and need a sticker.

There is a reason folks go with the ARB. It costs more yeah but man that thing is designed to take some abuse. I've been running one for years and I have friends who have been running them 2-3x longer then me. They may not look the prettiest (kinda dirty from all the dirt over the years) but they still work.

Before we brought on UDA as a brand we did ask questions.

Question: "How does your EGOI dual motor compressor compare to the ARB? I’m guessing it’s very similar. So how is yours honestly? Same quality as the ARB?"

UDA Answer: "The specs and quality are identical to the ARB. The only issue we’ve had with our first large run has been with the some of the stainless-steel hardware collecting surface rust, an issue common with 409 stainless steel, which we have corrected in future runs with black powder coated hardware. These are just the bolts used to mount the compressor and are easily accessible"

Then when we first started seeing the stickers peeling off we were told

UDA: "Thanks for the info Adam. I have sent this to QC as I haver not seen this before. Will get back to you shortly."

Then we emailed them (again) with more sticker complaints and were told

UDA: "We haven’t seen this issue come up yet but to get you taken care of we will get replacement decals out ASAP"

Then even MORE complaints about stickers, and once again:

UDA: "Did you receive the batch of stickers we sent out? We have spoken to manufacturing and the next batch will have a high temp adhesive so thank you for the feedback. As for the green anodizing, this is not an issue we have come across."

So we apologize if you had issues with UDA, we were fed lies to get a purchase order in and learned quickly that the quality of the product was not what we were led to believe.

 

[Gotchaa]

I'm guessing you were one of the folks who ordered the UDA compressor? Yeah Up Down Air (which is the brand owned by Overland Vehicle Systems) flat out lied to us. We ordered a compressor to test it out and thought "wow this is great, works great, has a switch built in BUT we have concerns over the design, looks like ARB's air compressor" they assured us it did not violate any patents as UDA had a different design/etc...

So we started to sell them and had issues with the stickers coming off. We've never had anybody report one MELTING, but perhaps thats what you meant? The sticker they use, well the glue didn't hold up from the heat and the sticker would come loose.

They sent us new stickers but that wasn't going to solve the issue where the sticker doesn't stay. Probably why ARB doesn't put stickers all over their air compressors.

Anyway, fast forward about 6 months or so and ARB's attorneys reached out to us to let us know they were filing suit against UDA, Rough Country and some other knock-offs on the market. Being an ARB dealer we didn't want to risk selling something that was in violation of a patent infringement so we stopped selling them. A few months later it looks like everybody settled and everybody pulled their knock-offs.

Our bracket is stop notch. It may not work with all aftermarket air compressors but over the years we've re-designed it to make it work with some more on the market.

We back up the products we sell. But UDA basically doesn't sell that compressor anymore and there's not much we can do on stickers. We have more stickers here if you still have the compressor and need a sticker.

There is a reason folks go with the ARB. It costs more yeah but man that thing is designed to take some abuse. I've been running one for years and I have friends who have been running them 2-3x longer then me. They may not look the prettiest (kinda dirty from all the dirt over the years) but they still work.

Before we brought on UDA as a brand we did ask questions.

Question: "How does your EGOI dual motor compressor compare to the ARB? I’m guessing it’s very similar. So how is yours honestly? Same quality as the ARB?"

UDA Answer: "The specs and quality are identical to the ARB. The only issue we’ve had with our first large run has been with the some of the stainless-steel hardware collecting surface rust, an issue common with 409 stainless steel, which we have corrected in future runs with black powder coated hardware. These are just the bolts used to mount the compressor and are easily accessible"

Then when we first started seeing the stickers peeling off we were told

UDA: "Thanks for the info Adam. I have sent this to QC as I haver not seen this before. Will get back to you shortly."

Then we emailed them (again) with more sticker complaints and were told

UDA: "We haven’t seen this issue come up yet but to get you taken care of we will get replacement decals out ASAP"

Then even MORE complaints about stickers, and once again:

UDA: "Did you receive the batch of stickers we sent out? We have spoken to manufacturing and the next batch will have a high temp adhesive so thank you for the feedback. As for the green anodizing, this is not an issue we have come across."

So we apologize if you had issues with UDA, we were fed lies to get a purchase order in and learned quickly that the quality of the product was not what we were led to believe.

Yes since you brought it up, I had issues with UDA and your bracket, I believe you redesigned it 7 months after and asked me to wait and pay for the new bracket. I ended up just modifying it myself after all the back and forth with your company and UDA. It was not fun dealing with the bracket or compressor issues. And yes while the paint deteriorated/flaked, the sticker burned up, more alarming is my harness connectors themselves burned up. It’s a flat our fire hazard with their harness. I did not by it from OVS directly, I bought it from your company and dealt with a lot of BS. Never complained on these forums about it. I just took my $15k of additional aftermarket parts business to another vendor that stands behind what they sell. It was a good lesson for me and has helped me make better choices of what I buy and from which vendors. To the point of this thread, don’t use a product not designed for the heat in the engine bay, and make sure its a reputable brand and vendor you are buying from. With the amount of times I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled this device I would have had 2 ARBs by now.

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

What issues did you have with our bracket? Our bracket was not designed for aftermarket intakes. If you have an aftermarket intake you would have fitment issues. Our specs listed that the original bracket was only compatible with factory intakes. We re-designed the bracket later to fit some additional intakes by request of many custmoers but it's not compatible with ALL intakes. Im not sure I'd call that a flaw or problem... it's just not compatible. I believe I vaguely remember where you wanted me to send you a free bracket months and months later, after you had modified your bracket? You have a K&N intake and (based on what someone on this forum told you) the intake would work with our bracket, but your specific intake did not. The back/forth with us you mentioned was you sending us photos showing your intake and the issue with the fitment. We asked you to wait if you wanted a new one because it takes months to develop new products. We have existing stock and had existing production orders being manufactured. It took a few months for us to bring the new design to market and by that time you had decided to modify our existing bracket to make it work for your application. At that time we can't just take back a used/modified product. If it was new and not cut/modified we could have but you took the liberty to just start cutting our bracket apart to make it fit for your needs.

New products get developed all the time and improved, features added, features removed.

Im sorry you had issues with UDA. We don't manufacture the product or carry it anymore, but if you reach out to them for warranty support they should take care of you (and if not, let us know). All they ever sent us were replacement stickers but nobody has ever reported to us (until now) about any harness issues with their compressor. We'd need to see exactly how you ran your harness to troubleshoot that issue. But as I said, they lied to us about their product which is why we stopped selling the product. They also got in trouble with ARB for patent infringement sooo not a very reputable brand it turns out, but none of us knew that. They were being sold in a lot of distribution networks so based on their conversations with us and the fact the distributors were buying the brand we assumed they were telling us the truth.

 

[RustysBronco]

 

[Gotchaa]

What issues did you have with our bracket? Our bracket was not designed for aftermarket intakes. If you have an aftermarket intake you would have fitment issues. Our specs listed that the original bracket was only compatible with factory intakes. We re-designed the bracket later to fit some additional intakes by request of many custmoers but it's not compatible with ALL intakes. Im not sure I'd call that a flaw or problem... it's just not compatible. I believe I vaguely remember where you wanted me to send you a free bracket months and months later, after you had modified your bracket? You have a K&N intake and (based on what someone on this forum told you) the intake would work with our bracket, but your specific intake did not. The back/forth with us you mentioned was you sending us photos showing your intake and the issue with the fitment. We asked you to wait if you wanted a new one because it takes months to develop new products. We have existing stock and had existing production orders being manufactured. It took a few months for us to bring the new design to market and by that time you had decided to modify our existing bracket to make it work for your application. At that time we can't just take back a used/modified product. If it was new and not cut/modified we could have but you took the liberty to just start cutting our bracket apart to make it fit for your needs.

New products get developed all the time and improved, features added, features removed.

Im sorry you had issues with UDA. We don't manufacture the product or carry it anymore, but if you reach out to them for warranty support they should take care of you (and if not, let us know). All they ever sent us were replacement stickers but nobody has ever reported to us (until now) about any harness issues with their compressor. We'd need to see exactly how you ran your harness to troubleshoot that issue. But as I said, they lied to us about their product which is why we stopped selling the product. They also got in trouble with ARB for patent infringement sooo not a very reputable brand it turns out, but none of us knew that. They were being sold in a lot of distribution networks so based on their conversations with us and the fact the distributors were buying the brand we assumed they were telling us the truth.

lol yeah not at all how it went down. I am done.

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