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When my AC system leaked out its R12, I finally bit the bullet and put together the OBA system I've been wanting for ages. I may one day achieve my dream of dual compressors so I can run AC again, but for now, I have air for filling tires at the end of a trail run, and regulated 90psi air for the ARB Air-Locker when I'm on the trail.
I run a York compressor, with oil separator, check valve, adjustable pressure switch and relief valve to drain pressure off the compressor when it stops, 1 gallon 4WD Products Air Tank mounted to the crossmember above and behind the axle, quick disconnect up front in the engine bay, ARB compressor and locker switches inside and ARB compressor bypass switch under the hood.
The system is dual-pressure with the main system including the tank running at 120psi, while a regulator sets and holds the pressure for the ARB subsystem to a solid 90psi. The way the system is designed, if the main system stays above 90psi, the ARB will not see pressure fluctuations from the main system.
I did almost run out of gas once on the White Rim trail in Moab and it was only because my pal brought two jerry cans that we made it out. I also have this bad habit of ignoring the gas gauge. And I have been able to help out a couple people too, and that makes it all worthwhile. But mostly the swing-away is there because it was a cheap way to carry a spare tire and getting the spare out from under these trucks stinks. Too bad Valley doesn't make these anymore because they really are neat.
The Wilderness rack is extremely sturdy. I can easily climb up and walk on it with no ill effects. The company makes great accessories for mounting jerry cans, shovels, and high-lift jacks which was the major reason to get the rack. That and to mount the off-road lighting system. I also threw a spare tire up here. I'm a little concerned about clearance but hopefully it won't be a big deal.
It is very difficult to add tow points to an FSJ. The cheapest solution with all the features I needed was the Killer32 front and rear bumpers. The front would serve as a mounting platform for my winch, and had two spots to mount tow hooks. The rear bumper with integral 2" receive is a perfect place to put a Warn shackle. I picked up a Warn XD9000i with the new 4.6hp motor a couple years ago on sale. Unfortunately the company failed to ship all the items in my order then refused to make the situation right even accusing me of lying, so I will never recommend or shop at CarParts.com again.
I decided to wire up some lighting mostly because of one evening in Ouray when I was trying to find friends' campsite and found myself backing down a dark, narrow trail with only the lame backup lights to illuminate my path.
It took a couple years but I finally fixed that problem with a set of 5" Warn floods in back that can either be turned on manually, or can be configured to turn on with the reverse lights.
To see where I'm going, the forward pair of Warn 6" flood lights and 6" spot lights are independently controlled. These were invaluable on our infamous night run on Golden Spike. All the lighting except the front fog lamps is controlled from a custom made overhead console.
For a clean, orderly, waterproof installation I used electrical conduit. A 90* bend conduit fitting through the roof keeps water out of the interior and provides a safe path for the wiring. Conduit snakes to the weatherproof electrical box mounted to the roof rack, then out to the front and back lights. I'm still working out a clean way to run ground wires for the lights.
Some day I'll post an electrical diagram. The off-road lights are run off relays with three power wires up the passenger B pillar to a distribution terminal, from there to the appropriate relays stored in a convenient cavity above the passenger door.
The mini switches on the overhead console power the relay using their respective power wire. This was mostly motivated by wanting to limit the number of wires snaking up the B pillar. In a future revision I may replace the three wires with a single 8 ga wire to further simplify, at the cost of redundancy. I used trailer wiring plugs so the overhead console switch could be removed without pulling the headliner.
I chose Warn stainless steel lights for a few pretty good reasons. First, rusting will not be an issue. They're much cheaper than PIAA, IPF, even KC, and less foo-foo than Hella lights. Most important, only Warn seems to offer a FLOOD pattern, which illuminates a much wider area, closer in. I quickly found the 6" floods invaluable that night in Moab.
The first performance improvement I ever made was swapping in a set of GE High Output Halogen headlamps that feature a broader pattern and illuminate the road almost as well as the e-code integral headlamps on my SE-R.
I recently found the new version of the HO lights don't have as broad of a pattern. They're still good, just not quite as good. They're also cheap. You could spend hundreds on an HID system, drop a ben on e-code lights, or spend $40 on these. When I save up the coin, I'll do the e-codes but these have done me proud for 10 years.
Overview
- On-Board Air with converted York, 4WD Products air tank, and ARB solenoid / locker
- Valley Industries swing-away spare tire carrier / jerry can holder
- Wilderness safari rack, dual gas can carriers, hi-lift, and shovel mounts
- Killer32 front and rear dual-tube steel bumpers
- Warn 2" receiver shackle, rear; tow hooks, front
- Warn XD9000i 4.6hp winch and winch kit
- Napa Legend Premium 84 month 1000 cranking amp battery
- Delco Remy 94A HD alternator
- General Electric "High Output" halogen headlamps
- Warn 610 spot lights and 620 flood lights, front; Warn 520 flood lights, rear
- Hi-lift jack and ancient, free junkyard shovel
On-Board Air
When my AC system leaked out its R12, I finally bit the bullet and put together the OBA system I've been wanting for ages. I may one day achieve my dream of dual compressors so I can run AC again, but for now, I have air for filling tires at the end of a trail run, and regulated 90psi air for the ARB Air-Locker when I'm on the trail.
I run a York compressor, with oil separator, check valve, adjustable pressure switch and relief valve to drain pressure off the compressor when it stops, 1 gallon 4WD Products Air Tank mounted to the crossmember above and behind the axle, quick disconnect up front in the engine bay, ARB compressor and locker switches inside and ARB compressor bypass switch under the hood.
The system is dual-pressure with the main system including the tank running at 120psi, while a regulator sets and holds the pressure for the ARB subsystem to a solid 90psi. The way the system is designed, if the main system stays above 90psi, the ARB will not see pressure fluctuations from the main system.
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| Logical | Physical | Electrical |
Spare Tire Carrier
I did almost run out of gas once on the White Rim trail in Moab and it was only because my pal brought two jerry cans that we made it out. I also have this bad habit of ignoring the gas gauge. And I have been able to help out a couple people too, and that makes it all worthwhile. But mostly the swing-away is there because it was a cheap way to carry a spare tire and getting the spare out from under these trucks stinks. Too bad Valley doesn't make these anymore because they really are neat.
Safari Roof Rack
The Wilderness rack is extremely sturdy. I can easily climb up and walk on it with no ill effects. The company makes great accessories for mounting jerry cans, shovels, and high-lift jacks which was the major reason to get the rack. That and to mount the off-road lighting system. I also threw a spare tire up here. I'm a little concerned about clearance but hopefully it won't be a big deal.
Winch and Bumpers
It is very difficult to add tow points to an FSJ. The cheapest solution with all the features I needed was the Killer32 front and rear bumpers. The front would serve as a mounting platform for my winch, and had two spots to mount tow hooks. The rear bumper with integral 2" receive is a perfect place to put a Warn shackle. I picked up a Warn XD9000i with the new 4.6hp motor a couple years ago on sale. Unfortunately the company failed to ship all the items in my order then refused to make the situation right even accusing me of lying, so I will never recommend or shop at CarParts.com again.
Off-Highway Lighting
I decided to wire up some lighting mostly because of one evening in Ouray when I was trying to find friends' campsite and found myself backing down a dark, narrow trail with only the lame backup lights to illuminate my path.
It took a couple years but I finally fixed that problem with a set of 5" Warn floods in back that can either be turned on manually, or can be configured to turn on with the reverse lights.
To see where I'm going, the forward pair of Warn 6" flood lights and 6" spot lights are independently controlled. These were invaluable on our infamous night run on Golden Spike. All the lighting except the front fog lamps is controlled from a custom made overhead console.
For a clean, orderly, waterproof installation I used electrical conduit. A 90* bend conduit fitting through the roof keeps water out of the interior and provides a safe path for the wiring. Conduit snakes to the weatherproof electrical box mounted to the roof rack, then out to the front and back lights. I'm still working out a clean way to run ground wires for the lights.
Some day I'll post an electrical diagram. The off-road lights are run off relays with three power wires up the passenger B pillar to a distribution terminal, from there to the appropriate relays stored in a convenient cavity above the passenger door.
The mini switches on the overhead console power the relay using their respective power wire. This was mostly motivated by wanting to limit the number of wires snaking up the B pillar. In a future revision I may replace the three wires with a single 8 ga wire to further simplify, at the cost of redundancy. I used trailer wiring plugs so the overhead console switch could be removed without pulling the headliner.
I chose Warn stainless steel lights for a few pretty good reasons. First, rusting will not be an issue. They're much cheaper than PIAA, IPF, even KC, and less foo-foo than Hella lights. Most important, only Warn seems to offer a FLOOD pattern, which illuminates a much wider area, closer in. I quickly found the 6" floods invaluable that night in Moab.
Headlamps
The first performance improvement I ever made was swapping in a set of GE High Output Halogen headlamps that feature a broader pattern and illuminate the road almost as well as the e-code integral headlamps on my SE-R.
I recently found the new version of the HO lights don't have as broad of a pattern. They're still good, just not quite as good. They're also cheap. You could spend hundreds on an HID system, drop a ben on e-code lights, or spend $40 on these. When I save up the coin, I'll do the e-codes but these have done me proud for 10 years.
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