Thread: portal options

Unless you fit Volvo portal axles complete,as fitted to the Disco pictured on Series 3s post which have the correct right hand side offset and track width of 60.5'' to suit Landrovers, it is looking increasingly unlikelythese days that you could get engineering approval to legally register the converted vehicle.Even Maxidrive portal hubs that were specifically designed for LandRovers would probably not be approved in most states.
Another problem with Volvos and Unimog 404 axles is that they have drum brakes,Volvos have identical brakes to LWB 6cyl andstage 1v8 landRovers.Mog drums AFAIK are too large for 16'' wheel rims. The disc brake conversion kits that are available as far as I can determin increase the track width and scrub radius to more than is permissable by the various state registration authorities. Hummer axles have independant suspension with inboard disc brakes and so called open knuckle steering, so the portal ends are difficult to adapt to LandRover style closed swivel housings.
Wagoo.

Originally Posted by garrycol

What about the portals off a Toyota 4wd Coaster Bus? Not sure how common they are but another option.

Garry

Do Toyota make a4wd Coaster with portals? I thought Glen Dobbins adapted his own design ringgear and pinion style portal hubs to Toyota Coaster Swivel hubs and CV joints, which being larger and stronger than LandCruiser swivels were more able to cope with the increased leverage that portals impose on these components.
Wagoo.

range rover land rover maxi drive portal hubs (eBay item 180577660289 end time 30-Oct-10 10:00:32 AEDST) : Cars, Bikes, Boats

I found these on ebay

Originally Posted by Disco W.A

range rover land rover maxi drive portal hubs (eBay item 180577660289 end time 30-Oct-10 10:00:32 AEDST) : Cars, Bikes, Boats

I found these on ebay

10k seems a lot for a second hand set that is of unknown condition

Originally Posted by blitz

10k seems a lot for a second hand set that is of unknown condition

For those of us who must have portals,if they come complete with diffs, difflocks and axles etc then they represent reasonable value compared to the other options I mentioned previously.
Eg the last Volvo conversion I did for a client cost breakdown.
Fr/rear axle assemblies including freight from Malaysia = $4500
custom make 5 wheel rims =$1250
New bearings,seals, wheel cylinders, brake shoes etc to overhaul axle assemblies =$650
Labor cost for overhaul and fabricating suspension link/coil spring mountings, steering draglink adaptions etc = $2500.(mates rates)
Replacement parts for Volvo portals are getting much harder to source, and the cost of a disc brake conversion could add a couple of thousand extra to the total. Same with Unimogs. They can be purchased reconditioned for a thousand or so less but you then have to add the cost of narrowing them down,pinion and propshaft conversions, changing diff offsets to suit LandRover and disc brake conversion plus custom made wheels.It's difficult to know where to start if attempting to fit Humvee Portals. Might be easier to just use the gears and shafts etc and fabricate new housings complete with brake caliper mounts and adaptor flange to bolt to LR swivels. Maxidrive portals accept slightly modified LandRover disc brake components and standard wheels and bolt up to reinforced Rover axle assemblies, so most spares are readily available. The Maxidrives 4 gear design, just like the gears in a 4 pinion diff basically doubles the strength of the portal box gear train when compared to the 2 gear designs as used on Volvos and Mogs, so theoretically they should last the life of the vehicle.A possible weak link is the 24 spline bottom halfshafts, but these could be beefed up to a larger 1.5'' 35 spline shaft size if required by broaching out the gear and changing to aftermarket hub spindles.
Wagoo.

Originally Posted by wagoo

Unless you fit Volvo portal axles complete,as fitted to the Disco pictured on Series 3s post ......Another problem with Volvos and Unimog 404 axles is that they have drum brakes,

The ones pictured had disc brakes.... a further conversion perhaps?

Originally Posted by wagoo

Unless you fit Volvo portal axles complete,as fitted to the Disco pictured on Series 3s post which have the correct right hand side offset and track width of 60.5'' to suit Landrovers, it is looking increasingly unlikelythese days that you could get engineering approval to legally register the converted vehicle.Even Maxidrive portal hubs that were specifically designed for LandRovers would probably not be approved in most states.

Wagoo.

more than one vehicle has been engineered and registered in Aus with MD portals...even in QLD

Serg

Originally Posted by Disco W.A

range rover land rover maxi drive portal hubs (eBay item 180577660289 end time 30-Oct-10 10:00:32 AEDST) : Cars, Bikes, Boats

I found these on ebay

thats alot of money sitting outside left to rust!