I was just out pumping up one of my F350 tires that run |removethispart|@ 80psi and the tire was down to 25 and it only took 53 seconds to fill it up to 80.

While I was watching this thing pump I had an idea. I think a spare tire on my roof rack would make a cool stealth air tank. If I bought a high pressure all terrain tire and get a cheap rim to put it on, tap the hole where the schrader valve goes for the inlet and drill another hole for the outlet and pressure switch and bam! A cool looking air tank!

Anyone think it would work?

I was just out pumping up one of my F350 tires that run |removethispart|@ 80psi and the tire was down to 25 and it only took 53 seconds to fill it up to 80.

While I was watching this thing pump I had an idea. I think a spare tire on my roof rack would make a cool stealth air tank. If I bought a high pressure all terrain tire and get a cheap rim to put it on, tap the hole where the schrader valve goes for the inlet and drill another hole for the outlet and pressure switch and bam! A cool looking air tank!

Anyone think it would work?

LOL  That is a really cool idea.  Only problem I can forsee is water condensation.

LOL  That is a really cool idea.  Only problem I can forsee is water condensation.

You're right but I could put a small water/oil separator on it with a petcock to drain it. You think the water would be worse than that of a steel or aluminum tank? And I was actually thinking of setting up a dual compressor. With the increased speed of the two pumps I think it could keep up with a reservoir tank. I would hard mount one out of the way and have the second with disconnects so I can remove it in case I need to carry it up to a friend with a jeep who really needs it.

It's a very trick idea. ;)It would be a trade off of looks for weight. I know an empty spare tire weighs a lot, fill it with air and it's more than an empty aluminum tank would be.

That's a lot of weight to out that high up. I like keeping a low CG.

Well I just got started on my external cage today and I was thinking about just making a spot in the back for a small aluminum tank.

The whole spare tire stealth tank was just a cool idea I thought about throwing out there. But watch, some big company will come out with stealth air tanks like that and make a fortune.

I also thought about making a section of my roll cage a tank. How's that for space and ingenuity! I think that would be the best route.

I know a guy who had a bumper that looked alot like the two tube sammy bumpers.  He made his own though and the top tube was a air tank.  It was really trick untill he got rear ended, but then he had worse problems.

Marlin Czajkowski (owner of marlin crawler) uses his roll bar in the back of his Toyota for an air tank.
Its a pretty awesome idea if your tight on space.

Amilla

My rear tube bumper is an air tank.  But its got a slow leak so I don't bother using it much anymore.  The hubby's Sami AC converted on board air works great!!

I also thought about making a section of my roll cage a tank. How's that for space and ingenuity! I think that would be the best route.

I was talking about doing this years back. A guy came on and said after a few years of use, his tube hit something, the tube "exploded" in a small area, and sent shrapnel RIGHT next to his friend. If I remember correctly, it was close enough to clip clothing. I remember for sure the metal piece went into a near-by tree, and looked like it went in DEEP. He was happy his friend was okay, and recommended against doing it.

I was talking about doing this years back. A guy came on and said after a few years of use, his tube hit something, the tube "exploded" in a small area, and sent shrapnel RIGHT next to his friend.

And that is why you only air it up to 100 pounds and you don't use pipe to build a roll cage.  I can't see DOM exploding from that little pressure in it.

I would build the tank in an area of the cage that is not in jeopardy of being crushed or dented.
I already thought of that issue, but if I used galvanized schedule 80 pipe with 115 psi max that would be more than sufficient. I would also wrap it with resin and pipe insulation  so if it did explode it would stick together like a windshield.

I would think with thick pipe it wouldn't explode but more so split like a frozen pipe.

I don't like building a cage out of pipe.  If I'm going to trust my life to it I think it should be tubing.

I don't like building a cage out of pipe.  If I'm going to trust my life to it I think it should be tubing.

Why would you want something that is thinner and easier to bend? Pipe is much thicker and stronger. Or am I confusing the two?

At the steel yard I buy my material from they offer two round materials (3 if you include solid stock)
 1) Tubing which is sold by gauge and measured by the outside diameter
 
 2) Pipe which is sold by schedule and is measured by the inside diameter

All the tubing both round and square I have seen is thinner and we use it for our decorative rail and ornamental stuff. But for anything structural such as large gates, deck supports, flitch plates and beam supports we use the thicker pipe.

Are you referring to the way the tubing and pipe are built? There is always alot of confusion in how the two differ and I still don't know the true difference between the two and I own a small steel company.

Why would you want something that is thinner and easier to bend? Pipe is much thicker and stronger. Or am I confusing the two?

At the steel yard I buy my material from they offer two round materials (3 if you include solid stock)
 1) Tubing which is sold by gauge and measured by the outside diameter
 
 2) Pipe which is sold by schedule and is measured by the inside diameter

Your right about the measurement.  When I say Tube I am referring to DOM (Drawn Over Mandrel) tubing.  There are a couple different type of tubing, but DOM is the most common I have seen for cages.  The main difference between DOM and Pipe is the Tensile Strength, or how much stress it can take before it fails.  1020 DOM Steel is rated around 70,000 psi vs 30,000 for pipe material.  So a cage made out of pipe is usually about half the strength of a DOM based cage.  Supposedly Pipe is more likely to tear where tube will bend.

You could probably get a really thick pipe to make up the difference, but you would need one heck of a welder to be able to penetrate.

On an old board I used to visit people would go nuts if anyone suggested building a cage out of pipe.  But they where a bunch of elitists.