Thread: Portal axles

Originally Posted by crash

In last months 4wd monthly they had an article reviewing Marks adapters new portal axles for GU / GQ Patrols. As I was reading the article I was wondering how I could convince the wife to trade the Disco in for a Patrol just so I could have some portals. I was getting very excited, until I saw the price $16K. WHOLLY MOLLY, I love the Idea of portals but not at that price, no thanks. For 16K I would be looking to by a complete Unimog first.

Why buy a patrol? Why not get the Maxidrive units designed for Land Rovers?

Personally I'd rather go with the Volvo C303 axles, they may be drum braked, but the do come standard with diff locks, and can be picked up for $3-4K if you look around. A friend of mine has stuck a set under his 110.

The vehicle has no suspension or body lift and because of the axles, he has been able to engineer the vehicle for the 36" Q78 swampers that he runs.

Just to clarify, I am not currently looking for portals, they are on the wish list. I was just amased at how expensive these new portals are, knowing that there are less expensive options.
What also surprised me about the article is they are ADR compliant, but charge you $625.00 for the paper work / engineers report.

Unimog axles are common to do as well as the value of the volvo ones are increasing.

The maxidrives come in at about $24k from memory.

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Unimog axles are common to do as well as the value of the volvo ones are increasing.

The maxidrives come in at about $24k from memory.

Actually I was talking to Bill Larman about this on Sunday. The most common Unimog axle is apparently the 404. These have helical gears which generate heat and thrust loading of the housing. Bill was telling me that you can have problems with the actual housing breaking due to the thrust load, or the gears cooking due to a lack of oil to cool them. The volvo and later unimog axles use straight cut gears which help on both fronts.

yep you're up at the $20-22k mark once locked.... some volvo or mog diffs are much cheaper.

Don't like your chances of finding maxi ones (about 18k)... they're not being made anymore.

Are some volvo ones for sale at the moment on OL for $3300

Originally Posted by cmurray

Actually I was talking to Bill Larman about this on Sunday. The most common Unimog axle is apparently the 404. These have helical gears which generate heat and thrust loading of the housing. Bill was telling me that you can have problems with the actual housing breaking due to the thrust load, or the gears cooking due to a lack of oil to cool them. The volvo and later unimog axles use straight cut gears which help on both fronts.

Plenty of people with mogs and no problems - only extreme vehicles like the mogrover seem to break them (or applications where the portal boxes are put on on the wrong sides).

Biggest problems fitting Mog 404s to a landie are that:
(1) They are extremely wide
(2) The diffs are on the wrong side (meaning axle mods or a different t-case)
(3) they have a long pinion and need mods to attach a conventional propshaft

Whereas volvos are MUCH easier to fit to a rover.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

Plenty of people with mogs and no problems - only extreme vehicles like the mogrover seem to break them (or applications where the portal boxes are put on on the wrong sides).

This wasn't the impression that Bill gave.