A huge aspect of mini-truckin' is the desire to be noticed wherever you go. No matter how bad-ass your ride is, though, sometimes you need a little something extra to make the showgoers and Joes on the street look in your direction. Enter www.hornblasters.com, a company that believes everyone should get the attention they deserve. With a set of train horns on your truck, you're guaranteed to unnerve anyone within 1/4 mile of your truck by simply pressing a button. We thought these horns were so cool that they deserved their own how-to article. Follow along as we make a truck sing so obnoxiously loud that you can't help but grab your ears and cringe. For more information, contact the companies listed in the source box of this article.
Editor's note:
Please refrain from sounding your horn in the presence of the infirm, or old folks. We don't want to hear about any heart attacks you may cause.
1.The HornBlasters are available...
1.The HornBlasters are available as a kit with all the materials needed to install an unbelievably deafening set of horns on your ride.
2.The power behind the horn...
2.The power behind the horn kit is a Viair 350C 100 percent duty cycle compressor. We used the 350C in conjunction with a 3-gallon hot dog tank, but the air supply of your air ride will work just as well - if not better.
3.Next, Shawn marked the fitting...
3.Next, Shawn marked the fitting holes at the rear of the horns, mounting them in a straight line on the rear.
4.
5.To begin the install, Shawn...
5.To begin the install, Shawn at Suspension Dimension cut a few pieces of 1/8-inch steel strap, used to build a mount for the horns.
6.At the drill press, the...
6.At the drill press, the marks became 3/8-inch holes, allowing the horns to be mounted. The rear mount is also the fitting for each horn's air supply.
7.The horn mount was temporarily...
7.The horn mount was temporarily fit with all the horns to continue building the horn mount.
8.The rear sections of all...
8.The rear sections of all the horns would now stay in place, but we still needed something to tie them together.
9.Another strap was marked...
9.Another strap was marked and subsequently drilled to keep the horns aligned. The front of the mount was angled to accommodate the different horn lengths.
10.Then, a third piece of...
10.Then, a third piece of steel strap was used to tie on the front and rear mounting points.
11.Shawn tack-welded the assembly...
11.Shawn tack-welded the assembly to test-fit the setup before welding the whole mount together.
12.The assembly was then fully...
12.The assembly was then fully welded and painted to inhibit rust. Painting the part is a must since the assembly will be mounted under the bed of the truck.
13.Next, the horns were assembled...
13.Next, the horns were assembled onto the bracket and each fitting wrapped in Teflon tape to ensure against air leaks.
14.
15.The HornBlasters kit comes...
15.The HornBlasters kit comes with a trick five-way junction that allows equal amounts of air to be fed directly to each horn from an electric solenoid valve, and keeps the horns from deafening everyone when you choose. Notice the ear protection? We're not kidding - these things are loud.
16.Here's the electric valve...
16.Here's the electric valve that was supplied by HornBlasters. It's rated at 175 psi; our 150-psi compressor can't even begin to hurt it.
17.Once the horn mount assembly...
17.Once the horn mount assembly was bolted into place, we installed the electric valve and plumbed the air line to the horn from the air supply tank.
18.The air tank was mounted...
18.The air tank was mounted cleanly inside the framerail along the passenger side of the truck. Later, we'll plumb the tank with a quick disconnect to easily add air to the truck's tires whenever the need arises.
19.Just behind the air tank...
19.Just behind the air tank sits our workhorse - a Viair 350C compressor. We're going to make this little 1.48-cfm 100 percent duty cycle compressor work for a living.