Are Portals Right for You? -We Compare Your Options
We take 2 of our cleanest builds in the shop and compare which is right for you. Portals or the typical way people build a big sturdy Jeep. This is not an opinion piece just a side by side comparison so you can walk away understanding more and making a good decision for you and your new build.
Exodus4x4.com
Who is Exodus 4x4? A custom Jeep shop in Central Texas. Each episode I take you to work with me and the crew at my shop. On our channel we do badass builds, of course, and tons of owner tips and some off-road adventures.
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This video was edited by the talented Gabe Hodge.
For the Legal Loons: This video was independently filmed and produced by Exodus 4x4. The opinions and actions of the individuals featured are in no way affiliated with or attributable to the products shown.
I love the idea of portals. Love the ground clearance. Love the capabilities it gives. But for 25k you can get pro rock 80’s and an xd60 built for less “or the same money” and have a way stronger setup. I mean really Dana 60/80 vs stock axles “and all their weaknesses” and still spend the same money. If they were 10-15k I think they would be a great option but for their price it’s just not worth it
Way stronger? Not. Educate yourself on portals. Sam
@@samswim6449 lol I’m very well aware of the stress that portals put on an axle. A stock axle “Ie ford bronco,wrangler,Toyota” then add portals to it it helps to reduce some stress but it also moves the stress to other points not intended for said stress. And I’m sorry if your gonna challenge me to say a stock diff “even a Dana 44 rubicon axle” with portals is stronger then a XD60 and a pro rock 80 then your decently wrong. The portals are a great idea as I said they have great potential but the point of my argument is for the price “25 grand” you can buy a way stronger axle or if you are hell bent on portals you can get a set of dstrac portals with a Dana 80 center section for 23k and their a bolt in setup. Now for reference let’s take 2 identical setup Jeeps and run them on the same trail with the same tire the added stress on the ball joints and the added torque on the diff and axles you will be more likely to break the portal equipped Jeep then the Jeep on Dana 80’s. Would that be a fair statement
Nope. The portals will effectively give the strength of a 60 with the added benefit of ground clearance and no lift needed to accommodate larger tires. Believe what you want. Go tell Loren Healy how the portals "don't" work.@@Michaelg0221
Completely agree Michael, if it's 20k for portals with the same D44 fuse points or 20k for Currie HD60s front and rear...the complete axles are a no brainier... especially with 40s. I would never feel safe to throttle out of any sticky spots with 40s on a D44
@@Michaelg0221 What about XD60/80 axles with Portals? 🤔
The portal's looked cool until I saw the price. 25K for the portals alone. I didn't think aluminum should be that hard to manufacture. This mod will not be going on my 1999 TJ, but it is cool to see what is out there.
It's made in merica man you gotta add 20k for where it's made with Chinese aluminium.
@@brandonke690 try dim sum and you will understand what a crap of american food 😋
@@jackvern what?
It is not made is merica, it is made in The Peoples Republic of California. Moving production out of that sink hole would save huge amounts on overhead.@@brandonke690
If I am remembering This Old Tony, and AvE videos correctly, Aluminum can be a bit harder to machine nicely than harder heavier materials, because it can be a bit soft, and it likes to "Gum up" the tools.
$25k and staying on the stock axle shafts and ring and pinion doesnt make enough sense for me. I love the concept and clearances tho. Im curious what the margins are for 74 weld on those units
They give you portals, axles, and brakes on the kit.
@@EAGLINWRXand they still make about $12k per set
@@mattbrew11 think of the R&D, time, labor, machining, and speciality for this product. I can understand it. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth the money? Probably not for normal people like us.
@@EAGLINWRX I’m not complaining. Just providing data. I have currie 4.56 60s on my diesel gladiator. For the 39s I run thats dead nuts perfect for my Jeep and if they had moved to a cast setup for $8-9k as planned before I made my choice I would have done it. One ton axles almost never offer 4.56 so I was mostly on an island
@EAGLINWRX Spot on. Yes, the 25k is out of the price range of any upgrades I'll be doing to my JT. However, I do agree they are worth it to anyone willing to spend the money. The manufacturer definitely put the work into making a very nice product.
I need to play the lottery to afford this cool stuff.
If we get the price of those portal axles to come down, they be more affordable for people, but I do get why these are so expensive. You don’t have to do any of that extra suspension. Or re-years
I think if they get the volume in sales to justify forgings instead of milled parts that will bring the costs down. Already they're not far off a 4" lift, axle shafts, reagear,upgraded joints etc and you gain some real diff clearance which you just don't get any other way.
I talked to them, and the price is about to drop from 20 to 15, which isn't bad considering everything you get. I don't know about the Bronco pricing, though it's a lift gearing, and with 4.10, you will be able to get 40s plus the brake upgrades
@@dougenyart9243At 15k, they would make a lot of sense. Not forgetting that if you upgrade to a later model, you could return your Jeep back to stock and fit the portals to your next buy.
Hell for the cost of those portals you can go buy another whole jeep. The price is ridiculous and completely out of the price range for your average jeeper
Never said they were for the average Jeep. Neither of the Jeeps in the video were for the average Jeeper
The Jeeps in the videos probably have close to $85,000- $100,000+ stickers if not more so they’re not average Jeepers.
I like that 74 Weld took their time developing these.. Id love to have portals under our Bronco
Your inner tie rod ends would shatter lol.
I love my portals and fully independent suspension. They came stock on my 1972 Pinz Gauer 710 M. Kinda noisy and a bit slow but still roadworthy.
I get people are concerned about the stock axles but people forget it’s 22% less stress on the shafts and RP. People run 40s on the JL 44s somewhat reliably, and the 22% strength increase may be enough to make it a pretty strong setup actually. Time will tell with these builds. I do think that the price is too high as does everyone, but I really think they are just breaking into the market and have a good opportunity for some decent volume. I know they are proud of their billet, but it just drives the cost up so much due to the heavy machining. I think if they cast these (maybe steel at that point) to bring the price down to 10-15k, it will really take over the market. But maybe they just want to stay billet and only cater to the high end and racing market, that’s their choice.
These are not worth 2.5K much less 25K They would be a rip off at 15 and party trick at 10K. And that’s if the whole design wasn’t a bad idea in every possible way. It’s a hill-billy solution for a problem that doesn’t have to exist.
Awesome Comparison...🤩🤩
What's the cost difference between the two. I likked up 74weld and it's about 25k for that kit.
Love watching these videos but have no freaking clue what these things are. Definitely coming to you guys when i get my jeep
Brilliant!! This is awesome! We done y’all!!!
Should be great to combine both concepts I think,got the flex of the double throwdowns and diff clearence of the portals
Can you fit this on a Wrangler Sport, of yes would you have to regear.
Thx for the video! I just cringe when people spend 20k+ for Portals Only and Still have stock axles and suspension travel etc with MORE LEVERAGE against the factory inner-C's that are not that strong imho when a person goes past 37s...Id recommend they put those Portals on a aftermarket axle assembly like a D60 etc...Dont you think?
Would they be able to make the portals with CTIS? That would be a wonderful addition.
Are you developing anything for the 4xe?
After initial break in of the gears, do you use a friction modifier in the portals oil? How often is it required to change the oil in the portals?
I thought the extreme recon‘s came with 35s…. Or are they KO2s so 35s that should be somewhere in the 34 range are actually 32s?
I don’t own a jeep or live in America but ever since I’ve seen portals I’ve wanted some on my little Suzuki jimny for the extra ground clearance and possible central tyre inflation like the hummer but sadly no one seems to make things like this for a jimny or for an affordable price but I love the look and work great job
TRE4X4 makes portals for the Jimny.
I need this for my Ram 1500 Rebel
So would the portals and the double throw down compliment one another? Have the F9, portals and the King suspension would be super cool.
Think about wide that would be. Maybe if the axles were narrowed
@@Exodus4x4 So true. The ground clearance would be insane though.
That being said, is there an axle upgrade that would work well with the portals for max protection and clearance? Or would it really be necessary to bullet proof?
That JEEP Bone Wagon is awesome. How did Stryker, DePuy and Zimmer collaborate on this one?
Are there any full axle replacement portals? Portals are so cool, but im just wondering if theres an option that gets you the ground clearance but not necessarily setting you up for giant tires and really wide track.
Buy why?
DSTrac has full axle portal replacements.
gotta love the Geep Wagon :)
does tire pressure and ambient temperature matter when measuring Ground to Differential height?
What’s that thing on top of the Bone Wagon’? A tent? Great video. Impressive side-by-side.
Can ya'll add the portals to that radical build? Will they mount to the Currie F9's?
Would you look at videos about Merus Adventue Park in claude tx and tell me your thoughts on that terrain please. I am looking to buy a new Rubicon and I cant decide on the extreme recon pacage with portals or regular rubicon with long arm lift and all that goes with that. Also do you know what the wait time looks like for the portals that may make a difference
Wait time for a Jeep is about 8 weeks, per our schedule
clearance is great but that stock axle ain’t gonna hold up like a pro rock 60/80 will, which is in the same ballpark price wise
the 74 weld look so nice but it cost half a regular rubicon. for that price, you can do a full build for most wrangler.
We’ve run the number many times and you’d be surprised at how less capable the Jeep would still be even after twice the amount of money the portal option costs. As stated in the video, depends on the purpose of your build. It’s not for everyone
So are the portals good for a daily driver and say long highway trips to go wheeling in other states? and could you combine the portals with the currie semi float 60 axles and maybe a 2 and 1/2 inch lift?
You could, but not necessary to add any lift
There's really no need for the other parts after the portals. Can tuck 40s and is regeared to drive like stock with upgraded now floating axle. Jeep thinks it's stock...better diff clearance. The weld 74 portal kits a pretty solid deal honestly, if the get it forged and push the price down any its gonna be hard to beat just a big chunk at once.
Are these available for GM trucks?
Will this cause extra stresses and leverage on the upper and lower control arms and bushings?
Yes
No
@@Exodus4x4 You know your stuff, but it is basic physics. You are putting a lever in the mechanism thus these portals add more stress to the control arms. In fact they also add stress to the axle housing.
As an ortho surgeon, I gotta know who commissioned this? Lmao.
🍻Very cool, and nice to see you're not speed limited like many vehicles with portals. I am curious how much power you lose running them? Any idea?
None? It’s just gear reduction, so there’s not really a “loss”.
@@Exodus4x4 Thanks for the reply. There's always a loss due to friction, just as in the difference between flywheel vs rear wheel hp/torque. If it isn't noticeable though, that's cool.
@@squatch2461 Portal axles increase torque available at the wheels due to the gear reduction. This is what an old Unimog can do due to its portal axles with the meagre 84hp coming from it's engine: kzhead.info/sun/l92rlr6joqJ7gY0/bejne.html
None? 😂 This people is why you don’t buy stuff made by !&!@7s. Straight cut gears is all you need to know to avoid this nonsense.
Would be nice to know the cost of each build. Just the suspension & drive train modifications to each.
The bone wagon has about $40k added to it
Were those wheels custom for the portals I don’t see them in their website with +25 offset. And there is no rubbing?
And what’s that basket on the back tire? Looks great.
To get an additional 3 inches clearance under the differentials with straight axles would require increasing tire diameter by 6 inches which would require regearing both differentials, replacing shocks, modifying the steering linkage, tires & wheels, suspension and body lift and, honestly, I would want a rather massive brake upgrade to compensate for the reduced leverage the brakes will suffer, as well. None of that will be cheap and the total is unknown to me but I have priced new Dana-60 axles without any special upgrades to them at nearly $10K each, plus shipping or travel expense. Now add all that other stuff and I'm surely we're talking in the mid 30s, start to finish. Or, I could buy the portals and install them or have it done. I don't even need new tires to get that 3" clearance increase for $25K. It appears that I'll save about $10K and a lot of shop time by going with the portals. It's still twice what I paid for my first Jeep, brand new, but is significantly less that the other.
Bumper? Can anyone tell me what the bumper is on the Trauma? Looking to swap out my plastic factory bumper for a stubby with a winch. Thanks
These are reallly cool they have been around on rc cars for a while now too
Does this portals support CTIS (Central tire inflation system)?
How would Portals match with the Gladiator Mojave suspension for high speed desert running?
Fine
What about portal on the F9 with the double throw down Evo suspension?
I will build that whenever you’re ready!
I'm thinking 🤔 by the time you get the portals tweeked and running good you could probably afford to go with Mrap axcels and a suspension upgrade for close to the same if you can find the right junkyard!!!!
But can you do a double throwdown with portals?
i know you guy are jeep dudes but they got anything for the Toyota LC200 land cruiser? The portals and the full time all wheel drive with a set of kings 3.0 sounds sick, right?
Take a look at Werewolf for LC200 and other options in portals
So my take away from this is that I can do this myself. DIY!
Do you have a Dana 60 or Corporate 14 bolt version in the works?
Imagine you do portals and overhaul the suspension and tires. Mort unstoppable vehicle ever
Ill take the axel swap and suspension lit plus the portal axels... best of both worlds. Go big or go home.
This is a pretty cool solution. It seems to be catching on in racing with the top teams.
What are the fenders on the "Traditional" build? Look like MC, but something seems different.
Try watching the video with the volume up
Ya, but what's the cost difference between the 2 the portals are around 15 what's the cost of everything you would have to do with a lift rout
I would guess about $40,000
All that extra stress on the links and rod ends from axle wrap makes me nervous. I would need to upgrade all the links to thicker cromo or DOM and switch to bigger stronger rod ends.
Totally not necessary. There isn’t any more stress on the suspension than before.
@@Exodus4x4 Thanks. I was thinking the four link suspension on every Wrangler built this century would make axle-wrap a non-issue but did not know. Putting portals on my completely stock 1989 model, on the other hand, might get me into serious trouble with its leaf springs.
What’s the price difference?
What I would ask is, can you give the breakdown in cost comparison?...Lift cost + Extended Labor vs Portals + Lesser labor...to my mind the end cost of making a decision to go portals or not, is in the gap between the two....
Hi, great review. What’s the cost? Portal, tires and rims? With installation. Thanks.
Over $30k but really depends on how the customers specs the rest of the package.
I like the dstrack performance brand portals, they are very good
Wait! At 6:30 can you please explain why you’d re-gear to 4:10 from 4:56? Thanks man!
The portals already have a reduction in them, so going to 4.10s allow you to run a stronger pinion gear while still having the low gearing
These will move the weak link to the already failure-prone stock inner C's, ball joints, and FAD housing. If you have the coin for these I'd really recommend an aftermarket axle housing in the front at least.
Based on what experience? What have you personally done with portals to make such a bold statement?
@@Exodus4x4 It's simple physics. People are breaking/bending these stock axles on 37"+ tires already. Why else would they make truss and C-Gusset kits? If you add 3.8" more leverage to the equation, that will only find these weak links sooner.
You need to understand how portals work. They take the stress off the components you are talking about. Sam@@jake-mv5oi
We have been wheeling them for 2 years on around 50 vehicles and have not seen a housing or C fail yet…can it happe, sure, is it happening…nope
What is the cost comparison? The portals are $25k but what about the other set up?
The other set up costs about twice as much when you include axles with suspension.
Video pretty well illustrated who is the target market for these. People with money to burn and a pavement pounding jeep money pit where they're worried about gear whine and not the actual use of the added ground clearance. Between these 2 jeeps, the one with aftermarket suspension is going to handle much better in all situations and have much better suspension flex. This means its going to be better on and off road. The rare situation where the portal jeep may be getting some benefit the aftermarket suspension jeep will likely be able to make up that difference with better flex. Stock jeep with 40s vs a stock jeep with portals and 40s would be a good comparison. Over 20k additional expense and only 3.5" clearance to show for it. I think 99.9% of drivers would take the 40s + $20k cash in their pocket. Also, super high cost aside, you did not actually address the likely scenarios where portals would benefit you. They may be occasionally beneficial while rock crawling, but suspension flex more important in most rock crawling situations. Deep snow and mud is where its all about axle clearance is where portals really shine. If you're running 40s and frequently find yourself stuck in mud or snow, going up to 44"+ tires isn't an option, and you have $20k to blow then portals are right for you.
Glad your customers have deep pockets so we can see cool stuff like this
And what are those c gussets going to do besides scream & break?
Have they ever?
Do you make them for a modern GM 3/4 ton Duramax? That would be a big market! Would love to put them on my upcoming ZR2
get some unimog axles
@@toddtempleton9321 not even close to what I wanted. But on an old truck sure. Just not a new one.
While I like the idea of portals , to gain 3 inches would be incredible in rock crawling situations but unless you are doing that , its a lot of money to front for a 3 inch increase. The other aspect is you have 3 gears and multiple extra moving parts inside each of the portals. This is a lot of parts that at any point can fail , and if they do , it will destroy the parts not failing at that moment which makes for a very expensive repair. Good idea , yeah , but very expensive. It is a very niche thing that only rock crawlers would pay that kind of money for.
They warrant full lifetime replacement I think I read.
It seems that cost is comparable between a good lift and portals.
Thought you might all about pricing! Would like to know
And I am betting wheel bearing live way longer on the portal setup !!! 🥰 😋
When comparing cost of the two jeeps granted the non portal jeep like you said can handle more abuse but the dollar to fun ratio has to go to the portal equipped jeep the suspension alone is about $14k then the axles are around $19k but the portals are $20k to me the portals are the way to go
Totally agree. Factory ride and steering is a big bonus too.
What he doesn't go into is you don't want to daily drive portals. They increase you fuel mileage drastically. They increase your cruise rpms drastically. They add a lot of wear and tear to the vehicle from running so hard at higher speeds. This is a great way to lower your gearing for rock crawling and offroading. It's similar to running a doubler transfer case. The only difference being that you can put a transfer case in neutral... the gearing on these is permanent.
Obviously you have no idea what you’re talking about lol. None of what you said is true. Stop internetting
How drastic that is all depends on what gear reduction the portals are, and the fact that the Jeep was still able to go 75 at all indicates that the reduction isn't that drastic.
@@Exodus4x4 not to butt in but he does have a few points kinda correct. The hummer h1 and the unimog both run portals and they do tend to suffer from heat buildup in the boxes themselves. The axle itself tends to do fine heat wise. I’ve said it before I think their cool and for a person who wheels and uses their Jeep once in awhile as a street vehicle they would be ok. But for a daily driver they could run into some issues unless 74weld has done something to mitigate the heat issue they tend to run into.
Well they better start designing for 2011 QX56 and up. Cause those are way better than spacers or aftermarket rims
Fluid change intervals (portals) plz. Thanks
Change it when you change your oil
So why couldn’t you upgrade the suspension on the Portal Jeep?
how did it effect your gas milage
how do the portals handle mud and water
Can you put portals on a Powerwagon?
I would think the tires were drowned out any gear noise
Im sold. If i get a Wrangler or gladiator, this is what ill do!
What about combining the two different types of lifts?
What about the weight on the end?
What about it?
Those portals add a lot of unsprung weight. How much does each piece weigh?
That portal setup is absolutely amazing, but not for $25K 👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿
What’s the price of each build?
Should do a flex comparison i am interested in that difference
As stated in the video, you will get more suspension/wheel travel out of the non-portal build.
Is there a way to get the clearance of portals and flex of long arm?
@@justinedmondson5759 Yes, do both long arms AND portals.
You need to have a price breakdown video
I'll stick with my '06 Wrangler with 2" of body lift and 35" tires. Those are the only mods I have made to my rig, and it didn't cost more than I bought the car for.
are they really portal axles? or more like portal hubs?
They’re portal axles.
@@Exodus4x4 there not axles
Bone Wagon is one hell of a tax deduction 😂😂
Ask no questions, I’ll tell you no lies
@@Exodus4x4 😂😂😂
I wonder how the portal axles would do on a 4xe rubicon....
Basically it’s a re-gear, and to my knowledge that still hasn’t been addressed
I would imagine that compensating for the regear with bigger tires should bring back factory rpm/vehicle speed ratios. That should be a fairly straightforward calculation using the percentage of reduction caused by the new gears.
Wish I could get you guys to make me a set for a discovery 2 lol
👍
I like this we’re can I buy this for my Jeep gladiator
Maybe call the guy posting the video?
Is California still in the United States? Just wondering 🤔
Meh
Not really
Shouldn’t be. They’ve become 3rd world.
Unfortunately
Yikes 😳
It would really be awesome if you guys could make qute little portals for subaru outback I volunteer mine to be the guinea pig.
Do these portals cause cancer or come with a prop warning?
Very nice but price is ridiculous.
The traditional build FTW! Do they make portals for the F9s? 😎 😂
Yea, let’s go it!