How are air compressors used in off-roading?
Off-roading is anything but predictable. When your favorite hobby consists of driving a souped-up Jeep Wrangler over piles of jagged rock and up 60-degree inclines, the only certainty is that tires will blow out, rims will bend and vehicles will roll. Since there are few service shops in the middle of the Australian outback or Utah desert, off-roaders travel with their own extensive tool kits. Air compressors are an essential tool in the 4×4 lover’s arsenal. Compressors are small electric motors that pump out large quantities of pressurized air. The power that drives an air compressor — the pressure it produces — is measured in pounds per square inch (psi). A typical air compressor generates between 100 and 200 psi (690 and 1,379 kilopascals). Another useful measurement for air compressors is cubic feet per minute (cfm) or how much air the compressor can displace in a minute. Air compressors usually run off of the vehicle’s 12-volt power supply. The compressor can be permanently moun
