It's amazing what a little custom paint and a body drop can hide. This awesome-looking mini has a temporarily installed air system that needs some serious help. |
This truck's air system is a leaky mess of zip ties and a plastic air line. The valves were temporarily installed so the truck could be rolled around the shop. Now it's time to really clean everything up and install the valves permanently. |
The valves and all of the old air line are removed from the truck. Look at all of those fittings. Each one has the potential to leak. |
The underside of a mini-truck is a harsh environment for an air system to exist. Because a mini-truck sits so close to the ground, and because most mini-trucks spend a ton of time cruising slowly at shows for extended periods of time, the underside of the truck can get extremely hot. With limited space and an exhaust system that most likely exits near the rear axle tubes, regular plastic air line has a good chance of melting under the extreme temperatures. Not only that, but an overworked air compressor can easily melt the air supply line leading to the storage tank. Maybe that's why we see so many minis blowing air lines at shows.
What are our options, then, if plastic isn't the way to go when plumbing an air suspension? Copper and stainless steel hard lines are very durable, but are also a pain in the butt and time consuming to bend, flare, and maneuver under a truck. The best alternative we've found to plastic and hard lines came from the guys at The Parker Store and Autowerks, both of Columbus, Georgia. The Paker Store is a wonderful place to purchase valves, fittings, and air lines. It turned us onto the many benefits of using stainless steel braided air lines when Autowerks re-plumbed an awesome Nissan Hardbody.
The entire process took just a few hours, and when it was finished, the air system underneath this mini was not only clean, but it was completely leak-free and durable. If you like the idea of having a zero-leak air system, give these guys a call.
Next, the old lines are laid out on the floor as a point of reference for the new steel-braided lines. Each plastic air line will be measured and duplicated with the new hose. | 
A quick trip to The Parker Store in Columbus, Georgia, yielded new valves, fittings, and air line. The Parker Store has everything you need to plumb your air system. |
The hose we'll be using is Parker's 919 stainless braided hose and crimp fittings. The hose has a Teflon inner core, which gives it a burst pressure of 2500 psi and allows it to withstand temperatures as high as 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This hose will transfer anything you can force into it, including fuel, air, hydraulic fluid, oil, and nitrous oxide. | 
After measuring the first hose, Mike cuts a corresponding length of 919 hose using a cut-off wheel. If you look closely, you'll notice Mike has wrapped the area just behind where he will make the cut with fiber tape. The tape not only tells Mike where he needs to cut the hose, but it also keeps the stainless braiding from unraveling after he makes the cut. |
This is the part of our story that makes it necessary for you to visit your nearest Parker outlet store or supplier to have your new hoses built. Jimmy now takes the hose that Mike just cut and crimps on the fittings using this unique fitting installation machine. It will crimp fittings onto all sorts of lines, including hydraulic and air lines. | 
Here is one of the new lines, complete with a leak-free fitting. |
Here are all of the new lines. The steel braiding will protect the lines from being cut or rubbed through by anything on the chassis. | 
Once the air system is re-plumbed with the new lines, you can see how much cleaner everything looks and how much safer it is. Jimmy no longer has to worry about blowing lines and laying his truck on the ground at the wrong time. |