My cousin last week got a set of semi horn and put them on his truck. they are pretty loud but i want a good set of train horns and air supply. I think everyone has made my mind up for me on the shocker set up. everyone says it sounds really good. My biggest problem is the air setup. I dont know which one would be best for me. More than likely i will only be doing short burst and maybe airing up a tire? and suggestions?
i was lookin at the Shocker 232 XL Train Horn Kit. I think this would be close to what i want but could it also air up a tire or a tube.
I would say if you are going to be airing up a tire, go with the Conductor Special 540 kit, 5 gallon air tank, 150psi compressor and everything you need to hook up those shockers… (shockers included)
it will drain your battery if your car is off. your headlights may dim at night when you turn the compressor on but that all depends on how strong your charging system is. in my explorer if im stopped with the headlights and a/c on, the compressor will change sound meaning its not recieving enough power but when i start moving its fine.
What type of car are you running? What is your alternator output? obviously from my sig I’m running an F350 with a 200+ amp alternator, so I don’t dim anytime.
I have the Shocker 228VX kit with the 2 gallon tank and 280c air compressor. I fill my tires all the time and never had any problems with it. You don’t exactly need 5 gals to get the job done on a 35 psi tire on an escort lol it works for me.
ok, 35psi and a… 25-27" tire maybe!!! might work for you, but different people need different things, my truck tires are 37x12.5x20 and require 65psi cold, so a 2 gallon tank would run out before my tire hit 15-20psi
Not that I’m filling it up from 0psi all the time, I’m saying that if it is an off road vehicle, and he takes it in the sand, drops the pressure to 15psi he’s going to be there a while filling up the tires again…
Im running a 09 toyota tacoma. I think i am just going to scatch the idea of using it for airing tires. is that 228vx a pretty good package. how long can i hold down on that till it is empty?
It has a constant duty compressor (designed to run for up to an hour straight) which would be perfect for airing tires. That compressor can fill 35x12.5in tires from 15-30 in about 2 and a half minutes. Plus you’d have the tank as a reserve to shorten the time.
The compressor is extremely durable and will last you a long, long time. The pump is designed to fill 200 PSI tanks reliably, so running it at 150 PSI makes it last much longer than any 150 PSI capable compressor would with the same setup.
It’s $85 more than the first kit, but you’ll get more than that in reliability and added speed. Plus its more than capable of doing what you need.
I wouldn’t recommend the VX kit over the regular series. The 232 is much better than the 228VX anyday. It has a faster compressor, separate components, and a relay to offload current from the pressure switch. The 200 series kits are perfect to install under any truck.
The way the VX are designed its all one Viair unit, which you can’t modify. This does make it all a little easier to wire and plumb; however, you have to install the tank standing up right. This will be harder to put on your truck unless you want to waste bed/toolbox space.
I am still stuck on which one i need want / need. The conductors specials are the ones i am lookin at the 240 is 2 gal with tha 400 c and the 540 is a 5 gal and and a 400c motor. the 248 has a 2 gal and a 480c motor that ais constant duty. what i am wanting to know id that is says on the write up that the 240 can fill the 2 gal tank in 40 sec. how fast can the 248 with its motor and how fast can the 540 be filled with its motor. im kinds leaning toward the 540 b/c of more air i am just wonderin how long it will take to fill up. sorry for all the questions but i am new to this and it seams like yall know alot about it. thanks for all the help.
alright i think i have decided the 248 is what i am going to get bigger motor and i can always change out the tank to a bigger one. do yall think this is a good one to start off with?
Another important factor to understand is what is known as the “duty cycle”. The duty cycle is how much time the compressor can safely run within a given period of time, expressed as a ratio. For example, a common duty cycle for compressors is 50/50, meaning that the compressor motor can run about half the time it is supplying air to your tools… 50 minutes on and 50 minutes off. During the “on” time, the motor is pressurizing the tank. During the “off” time, your tools are running on the air stored under pressure in the tank. If your tools are draining the pressure off too fast, the compressor engine must run at more than a 50/50 rate which can lead to overheating and significantly shorten compressor life.
Tiernan gave you a pretty good recommendation… He is pretty knowlegable when it comes to this stuff. I would, however, recommend a larger tank than a 2 gallon If you are going to be airing your tires all the time otherwise, a 2 gallon tank will be fine. Also, the 200psi is “holding more air” than the 150psi setup. There is just more air packed in the tank.
I know theres a link above to Viair’s website, which is a great resource for performance data on all their compressors, but it seems it would be more appropriate to have it all in the thread:
These times are based on real world application (test bench isn’t running perfect voltage of 13.8 like in other performance tests)
240: 40 seconds (0-150: 2m 37s)
248: 57 seconds (0-150: 2m 13s)
540: 2 mins 4 secs (0-150: 5m 24s)
548: 2 mins 22 secs (0-150: 6m 44s)
The 480C is a much stronger compressor. Not only is it capable of 200 PSI, but its constant duty, as n2o as described above.
I’d like to reiterate though that all Viair duty cycles are rated out of 1 hour. The 50/50 is a good compressor example, but shouldn’t be misunderstood.
The Viair 400C can run safely for 20 minutes before needing a 40 minute rest. The 480C can run for an hour constant before requiring a break (Lance, how long would you recommend?). Both of these ratings are for the compressor running in a 72 F environment at 100 PSI.
At lower pressures (like tire filling) the compressors should be able to run for longer.
Thanks. I’d just like the point out that the 248 and 548 kits are both rated at 150 PSI despite the 480C being able to fill up to 200. We found that the horns sound better at 150 PSI. On top of this the constant duty 200 PSI compressors last even longer at 150 PSI since its less hard on them. These are already amazing compressors, but they are unbelievable at this more manageable pressure.
You can either change the pressure switch, or call and request 200 PSI before ordering if you do want the higher pressure.