22 Black Bear šŸ» Build

That should work! (Assuming the purple wire adjacent to the yellow goes to the positive on the pressure control module) Iā€™m also curious, what is the gray wire connected to?
So I just finished installing my ARB set up with the pressure control and when I try to air down my tires to my target pressure the compressor kicks on and starts inflating. Did I wire something wrong? How do I get the compressor to stay off while deflating to my target pressure?
 
Back during the Banks diff cover Group Buy, I also got a Banks PedalMonster. I finally got it installed, tested, and video published!

 
Got the raptor style grill LEDs from Custom Auto Works (thanks, Randy!) installed on my truck yesterday. Video coming soon! I LOVE the look!

CEC45A82-2853-4117-9CD6-FD62CF14E9DE.jpeg
 
ARB Install

I decided to install my ARB twin CKMTA12 (https://www.apollo-optics.com/produ...rformance-12-volt-twin-air-compressor-ckmta12) compressor in the bed of my truck. I placed BuiltRight small panels (https://builtrightind.com/products/builtright-industries-bedside-rack-system-small-panel-2015-ford-f-150-raptor-2017-ford-f250 ) at the front of the bed. On the driver side panel, I installed a BlueSea SafetyHub 150 Fuse Block (https://www.westmarine.com/blue-sea-systems-safetyhub-150-fuse-block-11975794.html) that serves as a distribution point for power to anything I install on the back half of the truck.

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View attachment 57463

View attachment 57464

From there, I ran a 1/0 AWG power cable from the battery on the passenger side of the truck down the engine bay, across the top of the wheel well liner, against the frame, into the frame, inside the frame down the length of the truck, inside the frame through a cross member in the rear, out the frame on the driver side, up between the cab and the bed, into the bed through the oval cap on the lower front wall, and attached it to the power distribution block. I ran the ground cable to the underside of the bed and attached it to a factory ground on the driver side frame next to the spare tire. I did grind away the paint under the terminal to ensure a solid connection. I used dielectric grease on the connection and then sprayed it with a clear sealant after bolting it down to help prevent rust.

View attachment 57465

Hereā€™s the parts I used when putting together the power cablesā€¦

35 ft of Kolossus Fleks Kable 1/0 Red Power /Ground Wire
https://www.knukonceptz.com/mobile-...olossus-fleks-kable-10-red-power-ground-wire/

10 ft of Kolossus Fleks Kable 1/0 Black Power/Ground Wire
https://www.knukonceptz.com/search-results/sp/kolossus-fleks-kable-10-black-powerground-wire/

Gold Plated 1/0 Ring Terminal -Red
https://www.knukonceptz.com/sp/gold-plated-10-ring-terminal-red/

Gold Plated 1/0 Ring Terminal - Black
https://www.knukonceptz.com/sp/gold-plated-10-ring-terminal-black-/

KnuKonceptz Dual Wall 1 Inch (1/0 Gauge) Adhesive Lined 3:1 Heat Shrink Tubing - Red
https://www.knukonceptz.com/search-...-gauge-adhesive-lined-heat-shrink-tubing-red/

KnuKonceptz Dual Wall 1 Inch (1/0 Gauge) Adhesive Lined 3:1 Heat Shrink Tubing - Black
https://www.knukonceptz.com/search-...auge-adhesive-lined-heat-shrink-tubing-black/

Youā€™ll need a strong wire cutter as well as a beefy terminal crimped. Hereā€™s what I used:

Klein Tools J63050 Cable Cutter, Journeyman Cable Cutter Cuts Aluminum, Copper and Communications Cable with Shear-Type Jaws

(The cutter above is barely big enough, but it gets the job done if you cut/rotate a little at a time.)

AMZCNC Hand Operated Hydraulic Crimping Hydraulic Cable Lug Crimper 8 US TON 12 AWG to 00 (2/0) Electrical Terminal Cable Wire Tool Kit with 9 Die

(This crimper was awesome - it worked perfectly!!)

I wrapped the power cables in split wire loom and wrapped the ends with tape. I also wrapped a couple loops of tape every couple feet along the loom to ensure it held together well.

5 Rolls Tesa's Most Advanced High Heat Harness Tape 51036 Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW

3M Scotch Vinyl Electrical Tape Super 88, Premium Grade All-Weather, 3/4 in x 44 ft, 8.5-mil thick, Black, 1 roll

I like to use a little red electrical tape around the end of the positive power cables just to make it clear which cable is positive when doing any maintenance in the future.

Gardner Bender GTPC-550 Electrical Tape, Ā½ in x 20 ft., Durable, Easy-Wrap, Flame Retardant, 5 Pk, Red, White, Blue, Green, Yellow

A tip to installing the wire into the loom is to use a tool like thisā€¦

Electriduct Wire Loom Insertion Tool Set for 3/8" to 2" Conduit Sleeving Installation

Hereā€™s the loom I used for the 1/0 AWG power cables:

ZhiYo 20FT 5/8" Wire Loom Split Tubing Auto Wire Conduit Flexible Cover

Letā€™s talk fuses for a bit. Youā€™ll need an inline fuse on the power cable as well as fuses for the BlueSea block. Originally, I was going to use a KnuKonceptz ANL fuse inline on the power cable, but I found an easier fuse options that also helped with my batter clutter.

What I found was a 3-way fused bus bar from Mouser.
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Littelfuse/0FHZ00853-BX?qs=qpJ%2B%2B%2Bdg6p1tph0MWK00pQ==

Then I got this 150A fuse from Mouser to use with the bus bar.
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Littelfuse/3298150.Z?qs=aGgfWYEhH7lN37SvSGko3g==&countrycode=US&currencycode=USD

To connect the bus bar to the battery post, I had to first add a product from Rugged Rocks to my batteryā€™s positive post.
https://ruggedrocksoffroad.com/power-distribution-terminal-blocks-by-rugged-rocks.html?search=Battery block

Then I screwed 2 threaded, positive battery posts into the block from Rugged. The posts I used were super fancy and purchased from Walmart. :p The set comes with a positive and a negative post, so be sure to buy 2 sets if you also want 2 positive posts to use like I did. (Pos/neg posts are different sizes!)
https://www.walmart.com/ip/2-Pcs-Ba...lts-Positive-Negative-For-Car-Boats/418255379

The Mouser post requires these nuts for you to attach ring terminals to them.
Prime-Line 9094921 Flange Nuts, Class 8 Metric, M8-1.25, Zinc Plated Steel, (10-pack)

Hereā€™s the main fuse you need to use on the BlueSea block for the 2 red power cables that attach from the ARB harness to the power block. These 40A fuses match the rating of the inline fuses that ARB uses.

Blue Sea Systems MIDI or AMI Marine Fuse, 40A, (2) 5251

Youā€™ll also need some standard fuses for anything smaller you connect to the power block (though this ARB install does not need them).

Petutu Blade Car Fuses Assortment Kit 220Pcs ā€“Standard & Mini (2A/3A/5A/7.5A/10A/15A/20A/25A/30A/35A),Car Boat Truck SUV Automotive Replacement Fuses


Another nifty change I made was to not use the ARB-supplied harness for the switch (I only used their power harness). For the switch, I created my own cable/plug that connects directly to the ARB plug on the compressor. One thing to note is that this ā€œswitchā€ wire does 2 thingsā€¦ 1) it signals the relay in the compressor to turn on and 2) it powers the small cooling fan inside the compressor. Since the wire is technically doing more than just signaling the relay, I decided to use a 14 AWG wire for peace of mind when I built my custom wire harness for the switch.

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Hereā€™s the 14 AWG wire I used for my signal wire connected to the upfitter switch:

InstallGear 14 Gauge OFC Primary Remote Wire, 100-feet - Yellow

Wire loom for the signal wire:
ZhiYo 50 FT 1/4ā€ Wire Loom Split Tubing Auto Wire Conduit Flexible Cover | High Temperature Heat Resistant -40F to 257F | Plastic Cover for Electrical Wires & Cables

Insertion tool for the small, 1/4ā€ loom:
Yellow Loom Tool - Cable Insertion for Small Bundles from 1/4" to 3/8"

Here are the parts you need to terminate the 14 AWG wire into a plug that is compatible with the ARB plug.

The plug is a Delphi style plug.

Crimper:
IWISS Weather Pack Crimper Tools for Delphi APTIV Packard Weather Pack Terminals Metri-Pack Connectors for Sealed Terminals

Plug: (Youā€™ll use the male side of this plug that has the purple rubber on it.)
Delphi Metri-Pack 150 Series 3-Way Connector w/16-18 AWG Sealed Waterproof Set

The plug has space for 3 wires, but the only wire we care about is the center pin wire. This is the ā€œsignalā€ wire that is used by the ARB compressor. (Itā€™s equivalent to the purple wire on the ARB switch harness). Since we will not be using the 2 outside pins, seal off your connector by getting 2 rubber plugs to insert:

https://www.customconnectorkits.com/12059168/


Thatā€™s all you need to build your own, clean switch harness that is compatible with the factory ARB plug. Then, when you run the yellow switch wire to the upfitter switch, I like to connect it using JRready DTHD connectors. These allow you to easily remove or swap accessories with each of the upfitter switches.


I used heat shrink butt connectors with solder inside them to easily connect the yellow wire to my upfitter wire.

Limited-time deal: TICONN 250 Pcs Solder Seal Wire Connectors, Heat Shrink Butt Connectors, Waterproof and Insulated Electrical Wire Terminals, Butt Splice (250PCS)

To get a good heat shrink, I used a heat gun from Harbor Freight with a metal adapter on the end to concentrate the heat around all sides of the connector.

Then I shrank heat shrink tubing on top of the connection.
Wirefy Heat Shrink Tubing Kit - 3:1 Ratio Adhesive Lined, Marine Grade Shrink Wrap - Industrial Heat-Shrink Tubing - Black 180 PCS

Then I wrapped it in tape and wire loom.

Hereā€™s the connectors I chose to use for this purpose. I really like them!
View attachment 57468
JRready ST6286 1 Pin DTHD Connector 4 Sets,IP67 Waterproof Single Terminal Connectors for Heavy-duty Applications,Contact Size 12 Crimp Wire Gauge 12-14AWG,25A

4-way crimper for the above plugs:
IWISS Closed Barrel Crimper 4 Way Indent,8 Impression Type for Deutsch Solid Contacts gage 12 (IWD-12)

Bonus itemā€¦ my favorite zip ties for automotive and outdoor projects:
TR Industrial Multi-Purpose UV Resistant Black Cable Ties, 8 inches, 100 Pack


For the airline hoses, I got a bunch from Northridge 4x4 as well as Trail Recon.

https://www.northridge4x4.com/search?q=arb+hose
https://trailrecon.com/search?query=Arb-hose


At a minimum, youā€™ll need some of the following:

ARB Adapter 1/4 NPT(M) JIC-04(M) - 2PK
(These attach the stainless hoses to the compressor air outlet)
https://trailrecon.com/arb-adapter-14-nptm-jic-04m--2pk-740101.html

ARB Remote Hose Coupling Kit
(The right angle couplers in here are useful to connect the hose to the compressor.)
https://trailrecon.com/arb-remote-hose-coupling-kit-171314.html

ARB Hose Coupling Dust Cap
https://trailrecon.com/arb-hose-coupling-dust-cap-740113.html


Iā€™m still in the process of building a bracket to hang the air tank. Right now I just have my stainless air hose routed to the rear of the bed, but ultimately I plan to route it out the front of the bed and connect it to the air tank by the spare tire. Then the air tank will be plumbed to the remote house coupling probably near the bumper. Iā€™ll make another post once I finish up the air tank with additional details.

If I missed anything in the list above, please let me know. Iā€™m also curious if anything has any ideas on ways to improve the design. Hope everyone is having a great week!
Fantastic Info and parts list.
 
Ty over at BAM sent me his new and improved 360Āŗ Swivel Light Mounts. I was excited to get them swapped out on my truck since he also sent me the double to single hole adapter to make the overall look cleaner on my SDHQ A-Pillar brackets.
 
Got the truck back from Mike at Linex of Round Rock. I love the work he and Dan do at that shop. Great, honest guys.

Linex sprays come in standard, premium, and platinum. Premium is standard with a UV protective top coat. Platinum is a different chemical called XS-350 and is 300% stronger than the standard chemical! At $940 itā€™s not cheap, but I think itā€™s worth it on these trucks.

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Mind if I ask what shop sprayed for you? Here in vegas premium runs $800 and platinum $1,500. I went with the premium.
 
Wow! Thatā€™s steep!

Hereā€™s the place I got mine done atā€¦ Mike seems to run a good business here.

LINE-X of Round Rock
(512) 642-5406
Agreed. I was shocked when they told me the price. I asked about the platinum and decided against it due to cost. Sadly, they are the only suppliers anywhere close. Same bedliner was $500 3 years ago. Appreciate the contact info.
 
Agreed. I was shocked when they told me the price. I asked about the platinum and decided against it due to cost. Sadly, they are the only suppliers anywhere close. Same bedliner was $500 3 years ago. Appreciate the contact info.
Curious what they charge for "Standard" vs. the factory option.
 
Pretty excited about this one! You guys know I had previously mounted lights under my rear bumper using some aluminum pieces from Home Depot. Well, now that I finished the design and launch of my first real product for Legmar LLC, I had to create a video showing these custom brackets on my truck. I'm super happy about how they turned out! šŸ˜ƒ

 
Pretty excited about this one! You guys know I had previously mounted lights under my rear bumper using some aluminum pieces from Home Depot. Well, now that I finished the design and launch of my first real product for Legmar LLC, I had to create a video showing these custom brackets on my truck. I'm super happy about how they turned out! šŸ˜ƒ

Awesome @legmar! Those turned out amazing my friend, congrats and keep up the good work!
 
Pretty excited about this one! You guys know I had previously mounted lights under my rear bumper using some aluminum pieces from Home Depot. Well, now that I finished the design and launch of my first real product for Legmar LLC, I had to create a video showing these custom brackets on my truck. I'm super happy about how they turned out! šŸ˜ƒ

Congrats man on bringing this awesome idea to market! Looks great and couldn't be any easier to install. Love all the details you put into the design. ā­ļøā­ļøā­ļøā­ļøā­ļø
 
Very cool, much better solution. šŸ»
 
Do yā€™all think this amount of squat justifies airbags? It currently goes down the highway at 70 very nicely even with semis next to me. The trailer is pushing 8k lbs.

Other than getting my headlights pointed back down at night, would airbags provide any other value for this setup?
IMG_5280.jpeg
 
100% along with a drop hitch suitable to maintain a level trailer. The Full Travel bags allow you to remove a spacer that clips into place when needed. When you pull the spacer out you still have full travel of the rear springs. If you leave the spacer installed it behaves exactly like the Daystar cradles.
 
Suspension/steering geometry returns to normal with the airbags. I would recommend them. They're about 500$ on eBay for these trucks.

This is about 10K:
IMG_2293.jpg
 
I'm a fan of Air Bags.
 
I should have added, I'm using a 4 position Gen-Y hitch to keep the trailer level.
 

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