Here is the solution to all your
airing up problems! Grimm
OffRoad have worked hard in
cooperation with Northridge 4x4 to
create the ultimate ARB Twin Compressor
Mounting Kit. ARB’s Twin
Compressor is a fast and easy way to
air up all your tires, but the compressor
is large, and packaging can be an
issue. The Grimm OffRoad mounting
kit solves this issue and with feedback
from Northridge 4x4 they made sure
all off-road requirements were met.
Before we begin, what is the Grimm
OffRoad ARB Twin Compressor
Mounting Kit? The kit starts with
ARB’s Twin Compressor which is one
of the most popular vehicle-mounted
air systems due to its high air output,
reliability, and durability. Now mounting
one of these into a Jeep can be a
chore, because it is rather large and
takes up a decent amount of room.
On top of that, it gets hot while
running and makes quite a bit of
noise. What Grimm OffRoad did is
design a mounting solution that
places ARB’s Twin Compressor under
the hood of the JL, but still tucked up
and out of the way. The custom
designed and built brackets locate
the air compressor inside a space
just above the driver’s side wheel,
inside the inner fender. This keeps it
safe from the elements with enough
room to breathe and the included
heat shield protects the compressor
from heat generated from the engine.
With the compressor tucked away
and out of sight, it is a clean install,
but isn’t ideal for hooking up an airline
or flipping on the compressor. The
second part of the Grimm OffRoad
mounting kit is a Controls Bracket
that relocates the airline chuck and
on/off switch to the top of the driver’s
side inner fender just under the hood.
This location makes connecting an
airline and powering the compressor
extremely convenient and easy to do.
No one likes fumbling around after
getting off the trail to get their tires
aired back up and it doesn’t get easier
than this. As a bonus, the Controls
Bracket also relocates the compressor’s
intake filters to a higher location
in the engine bay to prevent mud or
water from possibly entering the
compressor.
The kit contents provide you with
custom mounting brackets for the
compressor and controls, a heat
shield, a new switch harness, and all
the fittings, hardware, and hoses
required to install. Along with the
included components, there are a few
additional items needed to complete
the install besides your basic hand
tools. The air fittings require thread
sealant, so Teflon tape or something
similar needs to be used to make
sure they seal up. To tidy up the
wiring you will need some zip ties,
and to connect the compressor’s
power harness to the battery you will
need some ring terminals along with
the tools to connect them. And last
but not least, the driver’s side fender
and inner fender need to be removed
to install the compressor bracket and
the fender clips have the potential to
break when removing them. Replacements
can be purchased from your
local Jeep dealership.
E3 Association followed along on
an install of the ARB Twin Compressor
at the Northridge 4x4 facility in
Salt Lake City, Utah, where Andrew
Markus, Northridge 4x4’s Lead Technician,
installed the compressor in a
Jeep Wrangler JL using Grimm
OffRoad’s mounting kit. Andrew
answered all our questions and took
us through the installation from start
to finish.
Andrew started off with a few
pointers. The number one most
important thing to remember is that
you tighten your brake booster bolts
when you’re done installing to make
sure that your brake booster doesn’t
come loose from the master cylinder.
It’s also important to double check
torque on all your fasteners and make
sure you route all your wires away
from heat sources and away from
potential abrasion. If you’re running
Falcon Shocks, it helps a lot to remove
the top bolt of the shock. You
don’t have to remove the entire shock,
but if you remove that upper bolt and
roll the shock forward a little bit, it’ll
give you enough room to get the
compressor in there. It’s very helpful
to remove the driver’s side front tire
and wheel assembly. You can get in
there without removing the wheel and
tire, but it is in the way. If you do need
to leave the wheel and tire on, you can
gain a little extra room by turning
either all the way to the passenger’s
side or the driver’s side.