Thread: 130 on portals

Okay that was too easy, the next image quiz will be tougher...just have to find something on my truck

what spline count/profile did they go for on the cv stub?

Oilworker,
Sorry about the delay as I have been away.
The dot points from Motor Transport are as follow;

Overall vehicle height increase, (I supplied the tyre info and height intfo based on your vehicle and the portals, detaile by Wolfgang in an email sent earlier). Guessing that the info requested is from a stock Defender.

Increase in wheel track, (I supplied the tyre centreline info from Wolfgang). Guess again that the info is from stock.

Increase load on the vehicle's stub axle, (this is out of my league).

Brake testing, (?) guess I will have to achieve some speed and lock up the brakes, guessing though.

Details of any additional bracing used, ( do not if any is used).

The information has to be supplied by an "Approved Person" whom is an Engineer. I have such a fellow available to do so. The letter also says "Such information is to include but is not limited to the following", being the dot points above.

I am awaiting some local info as well.

Any help welcomed!!

By the by Oilworker, are you running Dana 40 drive gear?

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
PeterW

Originally Posted by TwoUp

Oilworker,
Sorry about the delay as I have been away.
The dot points from Motor Transport are as follow;

Overall vehicle height increase, (I supplied the tyre info and height intfo based on your vehicle and the portals, detaile by Wolfgang in an email sent earlier). Guessing that the info requested is from a stock Defender.

Increase in wheel track, (I supplied the tyre centreline info from Wolfgang). Guess again that the info is from stock.

Increase load on the vehicle's stub axle, (this is out of my league).

Brake testing, (?) guess I will have to achieve some speed and lock up the brakes, guessing though.

Details of any additional bracing used, ( do not if any is used).

The information has to be supplied by an "Approved Person" whom is an Engineer. I have such a fellow available to do so. The letter also says "Such information is to include but is not limited to the following", being the dot points above.

I am awaiting some local info as well.

Any help welcomed!!

By the by Oilworker, are you running Dana 40 drive gear?

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
PeterW

Peter,

by stub axle do they mean spindle?

cheers,
Serg

Originally Posted by TwoUp

Oilworker,
Sorry about the delay as I have been away.
The dot points from Motor Transport are as follow;

Overall vehicle height increase, (I supplied the tyre info and height intfo based on your vehicle and the portals, detaile by Wolfgang in an email sent earlier). Guessing that the info requested is from a stock Defender.

Increase in wheel track, (I supplied the tyre centreline info from Wolfgang). Guess again that the info is from stock.

Increase load on the vehicle's stub axle, (this is out of my league).

Brake testing, (?) guess I will have to achieve some speed and lock up the brakes, guessing though.

Details of any additional bracing used, ( do not if any is used).

The information has to be supplied by an "Approved Person" whom is an Engineer. I have such a fellow available to do so. The letter also says "Such information is to include but is not limited to the following", being the dot points above.

I am awaiting some local info as well.

Any help welcomed!!

By the by Oilworker, are you running Dana 40 drive gear?

Thanks for your time.

Regards,
PeterW

An approved person is usually someone approved to certify the particular mod. They are usually not engineers.

As you state the first 2 are easy to calculate using specs from a stock defender.

The increase in static load on the stub is also easy. Dynamic loading (during acceleration and braking) is slightly more difficult, but not overly.

Bush65 doesn't seem to be around much lately, but he can usually do these sort of calcs in his head...

Brake testing is necessary in NSW for roadworthies. They use an accelerometer. I assume that is what DOT are proposing?

there is a GU Nissan in Tas with portals, originally approved in Victoria I believe. Off road it is not much better than standard as the ride height and overall spring travel has been kept to an absolute minimum resulting in many cocked wheels.

But this could be advantageous to avoiding attention as Tas rego officials will have nothing to do with portals (I enquired some time ago) and unfortunately if the Police or Mermaids so desire, you'll be put off the road with them.

Worse still, the Police/Mermaids here can (and do) put you off the road even if the mod is approved by another State! They can (and do) deem such mods (and including engine mods like turbos or even retro fitted EFI) to be dangerous or at odds with the National Code or the manufacturer's OE specs, triggering a merry-go-round of bureaucracy to get approval!! So much for National consistency.

PS FYI Current Transport Dept assessment time for exisitng or intended Tas vehicle mods (that is, before any engineering assessment and certification phase) is running out to 8 weeks

I think I read on Marks Adaptors site that their portals have also been approved in south australia, and that the axles have been given a higher load rating too.
Re TwoUps post.Portals do not of themselves increase stub axle loading because the stubs/spindles are still concentric with the wheels. The only alteration to stub axle loading will, just as on non portal axles, depend on tyre diameter and wheel offset. If anything, negative offset rims should reduce stub axle loading.This would be the case with Maxidrive portals that retain the standard landrover full floating hubs and spindles.
Providing the front radius arms and rear A frame/lower links locate the axles adequately, braking performance once again should be equivelant to that with non portal axles with the same tyre size.Front antidive may be more exaggerated.
The main issue the way I see it will be calculating the increased loadings on the axle housing/ swivel housings/ swivel pins, bearings etc, and to quantify the positive effect of the additional bottom swivel bearing and its brace back to the axle housing. I would personally like to see heavily inset wheel rims more resembling half dualls to get the scrub radius back to something close to standard even if you must use larger diameter or split rims to clear the brake calipers, because I would hate to have a sudden tyre failure at speed with aftermarket portals, particularly with bias ply offroad tyres such Simex ETs or Interco TSLs.To compensate for the loss of stability due to the increased height the front/rear axle/banjo housings should first be widend and reinforced to obtain the desired track width increase,not rely on the thickness of the portals and wheel offset. This of course would require longer upper halfshafts, but if you are going to do it right you've got to do it right. Half dualls may not look cool but this is the only way I can see aftermarket portals getting engineering approval from a really competant engineer.
Wagoo.

PS, What are Mermaids ?

mermaids are Transport Inspectors...it is truckie language, has to do with them using scales to measure weights etc

Hopefully one day there will be a truley national approach to vehicle mods whereby approval in one State equals approval in all. It is ironic that the national working party for the Code re vehicle mods consisted of reps from each State who after agreeing to the specs and mod processes then decide to apply different interpretations afterwards. This is very frustrating indeed.