Well I’ve just finished my install on a 2010 model Suzuki Grand Vitara and I thought I’d post some pics of what was done.
The kit is a Conductors Special 232 from the folks at Hornblasters and I have to say I’m very impressed with all the bits that were supplied.
The install followed the standard configuration as follows:
Tank and compressor were mounted to the bottom of the chassis on a piece of aluminium rail. I don’t have any photos of the underside just yet but will update when I get the chance. Here’s one of the basic configuration with the bits just lying loosely on the ground.
The rail assembly holding tank and compressor was mounted to the chassis using the bolt positions normally reserved for the vehicle side steps so there was no need to drill for new mounting holes.
The extension to the compressor intake was a godsend. I was able to run the air intake all the way into the engine bay to ensure it stays high and dry.
I put a couple of holes into the underside (near front driver seat) to run cables to the dash but that was it. Everything else follows the chassis rail.
On such a small car I first though I would need to move the horns to underneath as well but after pulling the front of the nudge bar and bumper off I found that I had enough room up front to mount them near the radiator. Horns sit as two opposing groups mounted on 3mm thickness aluminium strip. The solenoid found a spot nice and close to the horns on the front of the chassis rail.
The only concern I had here was the straight out path of the air lines from the horns. Clearance is a bit of an issue so it would have been better to put some elbows on the horns and run the hoses in a horizontal straight line rather than having to bend them. The location is such that you can’t see the hose ends once the front bumper is on, so I hope they are not getting kinked. Quite a job pulling the front of the car off so I hope I won’t have to revisit that.
Only other mod that I made was to run a 5/16 line from the spare 3/8 port on the tank and mount a female Nitto connector. I wanted a spare access point so I could use a tire inflator when going off-road. Unfortunately the only spare port is facing towards the ground so ground clearance is also a slight issue. I’m going to get an extra elbow so the line runs horizontal instead of looping vertically into the tank.
The whole install took just on two days, but that was taking my time with it. Main challenge is finding space on a car this small and routing the main pressure lines. Avoiding kinks in the line is the largest worry and a couple of extra push-to-fit elbows would’ve helped a lot. Also, the compressor would be less noisy if it could be mounted further up front or in the engine bay but due to the length of hose this wasn’t possible. These are small niggles however and overall the kit is fantastic and there’s little to fault with what is supplied.
My next worry is leaks. I don’t have a gauge handy to test pressure overnight but I think there may be some slow leakage somewhere. I sprayed all fittings with some detergent after fitting but couldn’t see any. Overnight however the compressor ran a long timer after startup. On a 40minute test drive however it never restarted after it reached full pressure so if there is a leak its slow.
These things are just crazy loud. It’s like driving around with an atomic weapon strapped to the steering wheel. Nothing will prepare you for the sheer tooth rattling onslought of four high pressure horns going off so close to your ears.
I’m sure I’m not the first one here who has felt the adrenaline cursing through the system … just hoping that someone was going to cut me off.
Its probably just a matter of time until I get in trouble with these bad boys :rolleyes:
