Despite air being everywhere, it wasn't until World War II that air suspension was first used. The main purpose of the first air suspension system was to save weight and space. While these two factors are still the reason why air systems are used, still air suspension has moved from military vehicles to civilian ones. Today air can be used to provide the smoothest and most comfortable ride on any vehicle.
Be it big or small, long or short you can have air suspension which is usually adjustable. With this type of suspension, you get a compressor that lets you increase or decrease ground clearance. This is why pickup trucks and utes are often equipped with part of a suspension system known as an on board air kit.
Uses of Onboard Air Kits
Inflation
Other than making up a suspension system, an OBA or on board air kit is able to provide air to inflate your tyres. The benefit of onboard air kits in this case is that they are able to fill your tyres with air a lot quicker than a portable compressor. Especially when the kit comes with a proper tank.
Load Levellers & Air Horns
An OBA system can also be used for load levelling. For this, you need to know the correct kPa levels for this to work. The same goes for air horns as they too can be powered by your OBA system just make sure you have them set up at the right pressure level.
Air Tools
If you're a tradesman and work with a lot of different power tools that rely on pressurised air, an on board air kit is going to be a must-have. Wherever you go you'll be able to use your tools without buying a separate compressor. Just use the one fitted to your ute and you're good.
Convenience
You can use an OBA system for whatever else you might need compressed air for. Be it cleaning the engine bay or dusting off the wheels from layered grime, you can use it for anything that you see fit.
What to Look for in Onboard Air Kits
Components
Before you take a look into the details, first you need to ensure that the onboard air compressor kit you want has all the needed components. Typically onboard air kits include an air manifold, air tank, compressor fittings, compressor clutch, and the compressor itself. Other items that may or may not be included are safety valves, intake filters, air couplers and so on.
Duty Cycle
The main component of an OBA kit, the compressor, needs some time to rest between uses. This is referred to as the duty cycle, the runtime the system has as well as the cool-off period. For example, a compressor with a 50% duty cycle will take the exact same time to cool off it was used. Say if you used it for 10 minutes, it would take 10 minutes before you can use it again.
Air Flow
Airflow says a lot about a compressor's ability to provide air under a certain time limit. This is measured in m3 /h. The best onboard air compressor kit will have a compressor that can output at least 2.5 m3 /h and even higher.
Capacity
The capacity of the tank that comes with the kit will determine the amount of time the compressor needs a break before the tank is refilled. The bigger the tank the longer the run time of the compressor but remember the more weight your vehicle will need to bear.
Pressure Gauge
An air system should also include a pressure gauge to help you inflate your tires at the right kPa. This gauge can be analog or digital but the latter is preferred as it's considered to be more precise.
Size & Weight
The size and weight of an OBA kit are mainly determined by the power of the compressor coupled with the size of the tank. The more power you need the bigger the area you'll need to free up in order to house the OBA system.
Installation
Although OBA systems are quite complex to install if you've never installed one before, with a kit this can be made a lot easier. If you go with a kit that has all the hardware and not just the components of the system you will have a lot of your work cut out.
Noise
As with every system that operates on air, noise can be quite a big issue. While there's no way around it you can look for a kit that has a quieter compressor. Other than that there's nothing else you can do to reduce noise levels, except if you turn up the volume of your stereo.
Air Pressure
Different from airflow, air pressure determines how fast air will move from the tank through the compressor and to your tyre or tool. Air pressure is also expressed in kPa and it usually sits between 200 and 1000 kPa. Of course, 1000 kPa is too much for inflating tyres or cleaning up, but when it comes to heavy-duty power tools it can be quite useful.
