What else do you run off your air system?

Main Your Horns & Installs
1

Just wondering what else people have come up with, I wanted to install a backup camera but did not want to do the cheezy plate frame camera or have it visible for a thief to take advantahe of so I came up with this idea and ran with it.

I got a 2 solenoids (1 normally open and 1 normally closed), 1 pressure regulator, 1 air cylinder and the required air line. Then I went to work! This is my finished product.

Ok, so pay no attention to the dirty white paint…

Plate in the normal mode, air cylinder under no pressure.

This is what it looks like dropped, air cylinder under 30psi.

The backup camera is in the center, to the left of it is the air cylinder, return spring and on the far left and right are the 100 watt floods.

What it looks like with the floods on.

The air tank and compressors pushing the 200psi to the train horn.

A look @ the pressure regulator (far right) dropping the pressure from 200psi to 30psi for the solenoids (next one to the left which is normally closed) then the normally open solenoid (far left), and on to the air cylinder.

Another look @ the setup from the ground and behind the plate.

Wow those salted roads in Utah over Christmas really made the underside of my truck nasty! Guess I should have cleaned it before taking pictures.
I now use the system for multiple things like inflating tires with the 50’ hose reel I have in the bed or running an impact. The dropping plate is useful for those pesky camera lights or that jack a** that is riding your butt when you feel like blinding him with your hidden back up lights. Lets just say I got really bored one weekend!

I just could not bring myself to buy one of those weak plate flippers with no room behind them for anythhing. When I get some help flicking switches I’ll take some video of how smooth and fast it works.

2

haha thats awesome

I have a coupler on mine I could use an impact or air socket for, but 5 gallons just isnt enough air so its mainly a blow gun if anything.

3

Pretty slick!
Are you using all manual switches?
It’d be cool to hook it up to your reverse lights so it would be automatic.
Then keep the switches for a master overide or ‘on demand’.

That’s very clean work though - can’t wait to see a video in action.

4

Thought about making it automatic but I figured it would be a bad thing if there was a cop or something around when I was backing up. At the least I’d end up with a fix it ticket for improperly mounted plate, then it keeps going, loud or modified exhaust, tinted front windows, no front plate, no mud flaps and so on.

I like the sound it makes when you flip the plate back up. It sounds like a mini air brake setting because of the 30psi escaping from the normally open solenoid and then there is the thud when the plate is fully retracted.

I used the Ford Upfitter switches, 1 is flood lights, 2 is plate drop, 3 is train horn transfer and compressor power, 4 is blackout (for being sneeky).:smiley:

5

That’s bad a$S… Great Job.

I have a coupler on my tank too but haven’t used it for anything yet.

6

blackout??? explain.

7

get an XD3000 and do all of things you like to do (except run a 3/4" impact, die grinder or etec…) with just that 5 gallon tank.

8

LOL everyone needs to sneek up on someone in the dark one time or another!
I have a relay inline with the brake lites, all marker/parking lites, my radio kill (it is very brite @ nite), all interior lites and my backup lites all hoked up to the #4 upfitter switch to use at my discression!

9

What are the Ford Upfitter switches?
never heard of that

Nevermind I looked it up on ebay.

10

That is freaking awesome…I have the same concept but no upfitters in a 150.

11

WOW thats a wild
set up man talk
about taking sum
thing and making
it cool smart

12

Thanks guys. But if you guys can plumb and mount horns and an air system you can build something similar for your truck or car also.

13

Hello Slippery750

I agree with you.
A little Mounting & Plumbing skills = Fun with Air

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnod-bRDJpA
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14

Ok I know when to admit defeat…Now we need the details and pictures of the build.

15

that is all kinds of awesome

16

Sorry Slippery750 no Pictures.

This setup was dismantled years ago.
Still have all the parts but do not have a good place to re-install them.

The setup is simpler than it may look.

I used a small floor jack with the following modifications.
The Hydraulic Ram was switched to an Air Cylinder.
The Cup was replaced by a flat plate to mount the Horn on.
The 2 bars that keep the Cup level were relocated so the cup starts out pointing the horn
slightly downward and as it lifts the horn changes angle to point up and over the back of the box.

A cable with a Spring brings the horn to a cushioned stop at the top.
You can see the horn being pulled back by the spring at the top of the stroke.

The valve that controls the unit has an exhaust port with a metering valve that allows the horn to drop slowly.

The center Horn has an inline skate wheel mounted on top of it that the lid rides on.

17

Are you en engineer by trade, because that is pretty well thought out and implemented.

18

Atomic,
I am a Process Engineer for a Printed Circuit Board Manufacturer and have no formal Mechanical Engineering training.
You don’t need to be a Mechanical Engineer if you are willing to beat the project into submission.
Plenty of Ah Crap - Modify - Ah Crap - Modify before I was happy with it.

“Learning doesn’t happen from failure itself but rather from analyzing the failure, making a change, and then trying again”

19

Very nice, your explanation did the job! Props again, nice job.