These look interesting - 74weld Portal Axles

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxqMb80rQX_/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzW5omky1ni/

 

$20k for a very comprehensive system that covers just about all that’s needed for a proper install.

i can’t imagine buying into this myself but it’s nonetheless interesting and cool.

 

Pretty cool. These are solely for dedicated trail rigs, right?

 

Excuse my ignorance since I am new to off-roading... but what are these portal axles for???

 

Without going into too much details, it’s essentially a lift but it gives considerably higher ground clearance at the axle (which is often the lowest point of a rig).
In comparison, a regular lift at the suspension will not increase the height of the axle, only bigger tires do and nowhere near as much as a portal axle. Also a side bonus of the design of portal axles allows same amount of power at lower torque (think regear)

 

Besides the initial cost, they usually require considerably costlier and more frequent service. I would only consider this modification for a dedicated off-road vehicle.

 

Good write up on the subject here;

https://trail4runner.com/2023/10/23/portal-axles-toyota-4runner-tacoma-buyers-guide/

 

This looks like it would be good to have if you live in the remote forests of Alaska or Canada. For regular off-roading and overlanding in the lower 48 seems way excessive imo.

 

^Plenty of level 7 or 8 trails in California, Utah, Colorado...

The increased scrub radius will require cab mount relocation. You'll also need to swap in a Tundra or LC200 steering rack yourself. Expensive way to gain ground clearance.

 

These are cool and all, but imo theres better things to spend your money on. All this stuff just makes it almost to easy to "offroad".

 

Probably one of the better articles I’ve seen at that website. Pretty thorough, and effective as a little cold water on anybody that dreams about them lol.

They are expensive on their own, much less all the other stuff you need to run them. Each one costs more than a brand new Toyota transfer case. Imagine having 4x the additional risk of one of them sucking water. Any one fails, you have a expense on the order of a transmission replacement.

3000 mile oil changes, means you’ll constantly be doing maintainance on one thing or another, unless it’s a garage queen that comes out occasionally. Sure, the oil changes are easy, but you’re doing 4 oil changes every 3000. Every 6000, five oil changes (if you do 6k engine oil intervals. Imagine doing 9 oil changes when engine, diffs, transfer case, and the portals come due at the same time lol.

These are extremely badass, but it would turn a 4runner into a toy.

 

Looks cool, looking forward to seeing the YouTubers try them out. Personally, for 20k I'd much rather SAS it.

 

Hope they don't have speed limit both 2wd and 4wd.

 

I don’t think it changes the scrub radius, we’re not talking about a spacer. I doubt it changes the geometry of the UCA / LCA and hub of the wheel (all else being equal that is).

I’d rather spend the money on lockers, tires, wheels and diff gears. Then recovery gear with the leftover balance!

 

I would go with the modified Tundra steering rack if anyone is thinking about these portals.
The LC rack is difficult to get the proper geometry and they are not as strong as the Tundra rack. The Ultra 4 team that runs the portals, has blown 2 LC racks this season.

 

At first I didn’t think they do either, but that article and pics showed those gearboxes and output shafts move everything out quite a ways, and they have their own minimum offset wheels that are required to go along with them (they aren’t the -15 of the off road by a long shot.).