I READ SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE IN YOUR ILLUSTRIOUS MAGAZINE, ABOUT CONVERTING AN AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR TO USE AS AN ON-BOARD AIR COMPRESSOR, BY INSTALLING A STORAGE TANK. DOES THIS WORK? HAS ANYONE OUT THERE DONE IT? IF SO HOW?   THANKS IN ADVANCE.  

You can convert some AC compressors into air compressors.  The old York compressors that ran on Fords and IH's for years are among the best and most common.  The reason they work so well is because they are oil bath compressors (lubed with oil) whereas most others use the freon to lubricate the compressor.  What you do is put a breather filter on the input side and run some sort of relief pressure valve off the output side that would then connect to a pressure hose connecting to your tank.  Some have used their tube bumpers, rollcages, and others have used small fire extinguisher bottles or scuba tanks.  Anything that can hold pressurized air will work.  Hope this helps!  Have fun!

Scoutnut

If you have back issues laying around from 1996 check the October 96 issue of 4 Wheel Off Road mag.  Page 134. You can probably scrounge what you need at a junkyard and a hardware store.  You can even use your stock A/C compressor.  Don't forget a check valve between the compressor and air tank, and a filter/seperator on the output.

Here's a few sites that might help you:

http://www.onboardair.com/

http://www.huv.com/jon/jeep/Air/

http://www.visi.com/~bsimon/jeep/my_air.html