To wire or not to wire (Page 1/1)
shemdogg MAR 21, 04:45 PM
Trying to wire my air ride compressors correctly. They came w 5 wire relays with pretty small wire for all 5 wires. 8ga is recommended for the compressor, but im worried about the relays small wires ability to hold the power if its not 8ga also. Thinking of using ford starter solenoids. I have 60amp breakers for the hot line. Whuduyawlsthink?

Thanks in advanceness

shem
IMSA GT MAR 21, 05:50 PM
I would say 8 gauge just for compressor power portion of the relay and compressor ground. The trigger portion of the relay can be a very small gauge wire since it draws milliamps.
Easy8 MAR 21, 07:01 PM
You need to know the amps the compressor will draw. Then you can ensure the relay contacts are rated high enough and this will also tell you what wire size you will need. As stated the wiring to activate the relay can be small as there is not much current there.
As a side note if the current draw is high as I guess it is going to be expect to have to replace the power relay as the contacts will arc and eventually fail. So do not put them where you have to tear apart to much to get to them.
IMSA GT MAR 21, 07:39 PM
In the perfect world, here's what I would do:

Remove spare tire
Relocate battery to front compartment
Install power distribution block right next to the battery
Install compressors and relays as close together as possible in front compartment

This way you have the shortest possible wire runs for less current loss.

[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 03-21-2019).]

shemdogg MAR 21, 11:45 PM
I put the valve manifold in the front to have short runs for the gauges, compressors and tank behind the trunk area so it wont be a long power run to the compressors. Ill run 8 gauge to the relay and to the compressor and see how hot they get. They wont run too long, I have a small tank. The website says they pull 15 amps each but they can spike so they recommend the breaker versus a fuse.

Where do I pull power from? I hate side post batteries

shem