Air tools on the deuce

[chicklin]

I'm just getting together my list of recovery items and I'd like to take along a standard air tool hose with tire chuck, nozzle, maybe an air wrench, etc. just in case. I have a couple of questions:

1) Do all the trucks have the fitting under the dash for air tools?
2) If so, what size is the fitting and what do I need to get hooked in?
3) If not, what adapter do I need to hook up to the emergency glad-hand on the back?

I've never dealt with a truck with an air braking system so the parts and terminology are a little new.

Thanks!

 

[DanMartin]

Chicklin,

If your truck does not have the fitting (mine didn't) it will at least have the place to put a fitting on (standard NPT fitting).

I would recommend using a glad-hand adapter and run your tools off of the emergency glad-hand on the outside of the truck. It's less hassle to get to IMO.

Really a filler chuck and an impact wrench will get you most of what you need for roadside stuff. Maybe an air ratchet if you want to do more in-depth repairs. I also run a 20ton pneumatic jack, which makes getting the deuce up in the air a breeze. All of these I run off the glad-hand.

 

[CCATLETT1984]

I also got a air over hyd jack for my deuce. It rocks and I would recommend one to anyone buying a deuce that doesnt have a large enough bottle jack already.

 

[Recovry4x4]

A simple replacemnt gladhand is all you really need to get started. Bush the pipethreads down to 3/8 or 1/4 inck for a quick coupler. You could also use a 1/4 quick coupler in the cab but there is more cfm at the gladhand. The air bottkejack is also a nice piece to have.

 

[chicklin]

These are all great ideas which I will look into when I get it home, but what I really need to know is what I need to take on the recovery trip. Is there some sort of adapter I can put on the glad hand? If not, what size quick-connect is the under-dash unit? Thanks.

 

[Racky]

Ok I am not the brightest crayon in the box.I have yet to figure out how to get air out of the emergency glad hand any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Racky

 

[Offroadfabworks]

Racky. hook up the glad hand and turn the little shut off lever on the back of the glad hand and it will allow air to flow. or to check and see you can just walk to the back of the deuce and turn the lever and air will fly out of the gladhand. there is a shut off valve on the back side of it that stops the flow of air when you dont have a line connected

 

[DanMartin]

For those using glad-hands for tools, it's always a good idea to keep a few of the rubber gaskets in your tool-box. They do rot out, and can ruin your day when that happens. They are like a buck each at NAPA, and easy to replace in the field.

 

[m16ty]

Re: RE: Air tools on the deuce

These are all great ideas which I will look into when I get it home, but what I really need to know is what I need to take on the recovery trip. Is there some sort of adapter I can put on the glad hand? If not, what size quick-connect is the under-dash unit? Thanks.

Just go down to your local parts store that carries big truck parts ( NAPA usually does). You'll need a gladhand, quick connectors, hose, and any fittings you may need to reduce the pipe hole in the glad hand down to fit the quick connect.

 

[neilhendrix]

Missing seal/washer makes for a bad day.

 

[Racky]

Thanks for the info Ill give it a try tomorrow.

Thanks again
Racky

 

[chicklin]

Thanks for the info. Sorry to be dense, just new to these trucks. Thanks, again!

 

[m16ty]

Just insalled a quick connect under the dash tonight for a recovery mission myself tomorrow. It's 1/4" male pipe threads sticking out of the valve.

 

[houdel]

IMHO, the gladhand connection is NOT the best way to go. I have one of the original military gladhand setups and it does not flow a lot of air. The reason is that there is a lot of plumbing and fittings between the air tanks and the gladhand which restrict the air flow so you get pressure but not a lot of volume of air. I tried airing up some tires I had deflated for storage and it took forever and a day to get them up to pressure.

The gladhand is OK if all you want to do is air up a low tire but it does not flow enough air for anything requiring high volume, like an impact wrench. My gladhand connector will run my 1/2" impact, but at reduced power. A 3/4" impact (which is what you really need for a Deuce lug nut) - forget it. Mine will barely spin off the gladhand connector.

The in-cab connector should flow more air, but is still only 1/4" diameter. If you want to run an impact wrench with good results, you need a 3/8" air supply. The slickest setup was posted by one of our fellow SS members. He mounted a 3/8" QD inside the driver's side toolbox, and fed it with air lines from both the main and emergency air tanks. He added a Tee fitting to the drain valves in each tank to supply the air. If you go this route, you MUST include a check valve in the line from main tank so you still have emergency air if you develop a leak in the main air system.

This setup will provide plenty of air to run most any tool you need. I'm going to go this route, as soon as I get a round tuit!

 

[Racky]

Offroadfabworks I found that quarter turn valve right where yousaid it would be and it worked

Thanks Racky

 

[LanceRobson]

Those valves at the glad hands are opposite modern ball valves. On the deuce, they are "off" if the handle is parallel to the line and "on" if its perpendicular to the line.

Lance