74Weld Portal Axles
- Thread starter ScottofKSU
- Start date
JT@623
Hooked
$25k in portals a $100 worth of tires pricelessLOL - found this pic on the internet and it really speaks volumes about the kind of people who've been influenced to buy something like this for their Jeep!
View attachment 394968
Disciple Off Road
Hooked
I have been ask about them and the simple answer is for 24K, we can absolutely spend that money more wisely and in places where it actuallyu counts. It's an insane price tag and are people really that worried about there axle touching a rock? Even on 37's I have never found that to be an issue as to where I thought I should get something like this. Of course here will always be the people with deep pockets that will get these just because they can or think they look cool.
@WhiteBronze392
Member
I saw these about a year ago before my 392 was delivered on instagram and did an inquiry on the site (looked nothing like it does now) and the owner called me to answer questions and we had a lengthy conversation. He had a 392 (non XR with factory 3:73) and knew the vibration issues due to front drive shaft angles experienced with the 392 and 4auto once you get above a certain lift height. He said he wanted to avoid all of that and keep the ride the same but run 40’s. He builds these for racing (baja KOH) but developed a set for his 392 to run 40’s without swapping to one tons and the lift necessary to accommodate with the inherent possible vibration issues and decided to market them.
In comparison to an axle swap and all that goes with it as well as a lift the pricing is pretty comparable. The cost of the portals then was $16K so they have definitely gone up and he said he was working on a 5 lug version so wheel swap not necessary. The reduction ratio was to give what he felt was needed for 40s on a 392 (with 3:73) without an axel swap or regear as well as lift height needed. He did recommend trussing the axle housing but said the stress would be on the portals not on the OEM gears and axles.
The price point has definitely increased since i spoke to him but is in line with the cost of a quality axle swap and needed lift for 40’s and I assume that was not by accident. I am in no way saying which is best just passing along my research.
In comparison to an axle swap and all that goes with it as well as a lift the pricing is pretty comparable. The cost of the portals then was $16K so they have definitely gone up and he said he was working on a 5 lug version so wheel swap not necessary. The reduction ratio was to give what he felt was needed for 40s on a 392 (with 3:73) without an axel swap or regear as well as lift height needed. He did recommend trussing the axle housing but said the stress would be on the portals not on the OEM gears and axles.
The price point has definitely increased since i spoke to him but is in line with the cost of a quality axle swap and needed lift for 40’s and I assume that was not by accident. I am in no way saying which is best just passing along my research.
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Lperdue
Active Member
I think you’re missing that the factory suspension is pretty limited in travel and over all quality (but if keeping the ride exactly the same I guess it doesn’t matter). Plus with an FF they are often designed with built in caster/pinion angle to account for the lift.
Not to mention the type of stress you will be putting on things like ball joints and sacrificing scrub radius. With how far the portals push the wheels out plus what ever off set your running I can see long term issues with ball joints.
@WhiteBronze392
Member
I’m not missing any of that just passing along what the owner of the company told me. These have nothing to do with suspension mods for travel or quality and only an option for axle swap and height. He wanted his suspension to be exactly OEM with all of its limitations but run 40’s. Many after installing a 3.5” lift on a 392 experience the vibration from the front drive shaft and many even after high end suspension and axle swaps. You can only reduce pinion angle so much before caster (6deg optimal) and drivability suffer or a do full custom lift axle combo which is $$$
Again not advocating anything just passing along information.
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Lperdue
Active Member
I understand and thanks for the information at least you did research into it which is more than most can say. Just curious as to it not having any impacts on housing’s strength. They added a lot of leverage to it by basically increasing the axles length. Not to mention moving the center point of the wheel below the center of the axle tube.
@WhiteBronze392
Member
Appreciate that. I have been researching for a long time and the cost to move up to non mall crawler 40s lol, The strength of the housing is why he recommended welded gusseting (Artec specifically) The jump from 37/38 to 40 on a 392 specifically is a big one if you want to do it right and i have been weighing all options.
A quality one ton swap will cost me $25k (Fusion etc) without anymore suspension work than i have already
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Lperdue
Active Member
@WhiteBronze392 All things considered personally I wouldn’t do the portals. It’s a lot of money to be putting in stock axles especially since the FAD will always be a factor. And honestly would you ever fully trust them when it’s all said and done? It would suck to do all that and still break it on the FAD side.
@WhiteBronze392
Member
Oh it’s definitely not my plan it was just something looked into and was passing along the information I received from the owner. I am on a teeter totter right now of my next steps on my build. I want to take my little ones to Moab for EJS next year and not bypass anything or break anything lol. Heck I may do it on stock axles and 38’s and cross my fingers lol.
edit lol not me hopefully
OverlanderJK
Resident Smartass
this tells me everything I need to know to want to avoid this company.
bobfriesenhahn
Hooked
Given the specific mention of the 392, how do portal axel extensions remedy the deficiencies of the 392's full-time transfer case? Wouldn't it be better to focus on solving that problem first?
WJCO
Meme King
Modifying vehicles always gets expensive. Especially when fucking around with something new or custom. I can't imagine spending 25k on a 100k Jeep as a Guinea Pig. I also can't help but think how many people that do attempt this will actually use the the Jeeps off-road beyond what their stock Jeep (or slightly modified Jeep) can already handle. Probably makes some killer social media pics though.
LOL at "vibration issues". I gotta say, that is just stupid. Maybe with factory axles but a good set of 1-tons will have a higher caster built into them and that helps to address caster/pinion issues. This is something we've been doing for almost 20 years now and well before the 392 came out.
Front and rear Dana UD60s cost $15k. That's $10k you can use to make significant improvements to the POS stock suspension system but hey, what would I know.
As I always say, ride quality is 100% subjective and for me personally, the OEM suspension with all its limitations, especially on a 392 SUCKS. For anyone to want to keep that shit is just crazy.
Yeah, no. For that to even be mentioned is just stupid. The "many" who are having problems is because they don't know what the hell they're doing and or are running social media trendy drive shafts that aren't balanced for shit. Just because people now have 392s and they think they're somehow special doesn't mean things like "vibrations" are a new thing or even specific to them.
Exactly
@WhiteBronze392
Member
Yep exactly what I said without swapping axles.
@WhiteBronze392
Member
The only way I’ve seen anyone be able remedy that is by replacing it