Building a 4 wheel inflation hose ?

[Gary F]

Now that @Benjamin and I have gone through a number of compressors blowing and or just failing, both low and Mid end, we have gone to ARB and it got me the thinking.

I know a number of people in the club had 2 or 4 wheel inflation hoses, looking online they seem to be expensive for parts that should be easy to pickup in a building supply or AC parts store.

I came across this site with instructions for building one, and its quite simple if you have ever done any plumbing in the past.

https://tozalazz.com/4-tire-inflation-system-tutorial-how-to-make-4-tire-inflator-deflator/

I thought it would be fun project to build two sets, has anyone here built their own hose set? Got any tips on where to go for parts ?

 

[Frederic]

17 minutes ago, Gary F said:

Now that @Benjamin and I have gone through a number of compressors blowing and or just failing, both low and Mid end, we have gone to ARB and it got me the thinking.

I know a number of people in the club had 2 or 4 wheel inflation hoses, looking online they seem to be expensive for parts that should be easy to pickup in a building supply or AC parts store.

I came across this site with instructions for building one, and its quite simple if you have ever done any plumbing in the past.

https://tozalazz.com/4-tire-inflation-system-tutorial-how-to-make-4-tire-inflator-deflator/

I thought it would be fun project to build two sets, has anyone here built their own hose set? Got any tips on where to go for parts ?

 

Fun DIY project, I’ve done it before but after having a couple of hoses and connectors failing on me, and finding it difficult to source a decent digital gauge and couplers online, I’ve done some math on it and came to a similar price as to what this off-road hose guy is selling them for (the slight difference would be his markup). 
 

[Looper]

I bought a 4-way hose, but I don't use it. All things being equal it takes more time to set up the 4-way hose and to pack it back than a single hose. Plus, I have a bluetooth module and when a tire is full, I switch off the compressor (just a soft switch off) and change the hose from tire to tire - this gives the compressor a few mins to cool down.

Having said that - I would encourage you to go ahead with the project, as it is worth doing for the experience irrespective of all other factors and wishing you all the best.

[Simon D]

You can find most of the parts in dragon mart  i think (AB section)or building materials mall in warsan .

 

[Mario Cornejo]

Hi Gary - I've done this before, all parts were ordered through Amazon (.ae or .com depending on availability).  Here is a rough list of parts:

- Flexzilla hose 1/4" Inches, 25 foot long - 3 of them, of which you use 2 as main lines and the 3rd hose you will use to built two short whips of about 5 foot long.
- 4 Closed air chucks
- 1/4" Brass ball valve
- Air splitter 1/4" NPT 3-Way air manifold
- Barbed T-couplers (you can get these in Speedex)
- Loctite 542 Thread sealant 50ml
- Metal brass pipe fittings and couplers 1/4" or Color Connex coupler & Plug Kit 

I reused an analog gauge from a unused inflator, I prefer analog as I don't have to deal with batteries, my recommendation on this is to choose a 1/4 NPT lower mount gauge with a range of 0 to 60 psi, and 2.5' to 4' face. If you go for a digital one, then it is best to go to amazon .com and choose one, I like the one that Measureman sells for $12.97.

For my system I used an ARB dual piston compressor and a 4 liter ARB air tank with an air outlet located outside of the car and covered with a dust cap.

But perhaps one of the most important parts is, when installing the compressor, ask the guys in the garage to explain how will they run the electrical lines and air pipes (if any) and show you images of previous works they've done.  I've had bad experiences of garages doing extremely bad and unsafe electric installations, but there is one where I just had my recent air system installed and they did, in my opinion, a very neat job.

 

[munkybizness]

I built a 4-way hose myself a few weeks ago. Sourcing parts was the biggest challenge and took me a while to get going. But once I had all the parts, it was extremely straightforward, and I loved the build journey.

Largest parts:

• 1 x  Analog Pressure Gauge 1/4" NPT --> took the longest to secure. I bought it online after scouring through Deira markets and not finding anything less than industrial grade
• 1 x FlexZilla 3/8" 50ft Air Hose with 1/4" Male NPT (2 of the connections can directly connect to chucks. so you only need additional ones for the remaining tyres) --> available on Amazon & Ace

Industrial parts: bought all of these at a hardware store. Dragon Mart also stocks them.

• 5 x Brass Hose Fittings - 3/8" adapter + 1/4" NPT Male
• 2 x 1/4" Female NPT Plug - this connected using a quick-coupler to my compressor main-line
• 3 x  3/8" Heavy Duty 3-way barb fitting : was used to connect the two cut-away single lines to 2 x tyres + one to bring the two sides of the car together
• 5 x Heavy Duty Brass Air Chuck 1/4 Female NPT (1 spare)
• 1 x 1/4" Brass Ball Valve Shut-off switch - 1/4" male + female NPT
• 30 x Hose Clamps with flathead-screwdowns

Tools:

• Teflon tape
• Hose cutter (I used a sharp knife)
• Some soapy warm water

Like a tailor, measure twice, cut once. I put the hose next to my car and gave it enough slack before cutting.

Good luck with your project  

[Mark B]

Yeah mate ARB Is definitely the way to go 

Edited May 2, 2023 by Mark B

[Patrick]

I also bought the 4 way hose that is sold here but stopped using it after 3-4 times. Don't get me wrong, quality and built is great and it's high quality in my opinion. I just find it too cumbersome to set everything up and then roll it up neatly again. It's a nice idea but I ended up not really saving time and found it to be more hassle than benefit.

[Mark B]

Yeah I have 4 way and I did think that At first but you do get a lot more spare time while it’s inflating, apposed to moving from wheel to wheel but opinions are split on these 😬

[Patrick]

I love the standard 2 wheel hose the FJ comes with, together with the built-in compressor.

If I were to upgrade to an on-board or even the suitcase ARB compressor, I would probably get a hose that can inflate 2 wheels at the same time. But not 4.

I find for 4 wheels there is "too much hose" and have to spend time dis-entangling it and getting knots out. I also like to wipe the sand/dust off the hose after inflating with a cloth, that would take me too long for the 4 tyre setup.

I think the guy selling the hose also sells the 2 wheel setup. But in any case this build-it-yourself projects sounds like fun and I might give it a try for a 2 hose setup. Thanks for sharing that!