In the world of off-roading, a dozen different things will affect your experience. There’s the suspension, the wheels, thecamber, the steering and more. One relatively new modification is adding portal axles to jeeps or other off-roading vehicles.
Unfortunately, as many benefits as portal axles offer, they’re also incredibly expensive, costing as much as a secondhand classic car in some instances. But why is that? Here’s what you need to know about portal axles and why they’re so pricey.
To start, let’s look at what portal axles are. Portal axles are a type of modification popular for off-roading vehicles, most commonly found in military vehicles. They’re a collection of gears inside a housing that mounts onto the vehicle’s axle ends or control arms. The portal axle sits next to the wheel, increasing ground clearance beneath the axle. Now how does this work and why does it help?
As we’ve mentioned, by raising the axle height along with the differential housing and other related components above the wheel hub, portal axles increase ground clearance. This widens the wheel track while allowing for larger tires and providing gear reduction.
The vehicle’s axle threads through its stock differential to the portal, where the portal axle’s gears create the reduction. The portal connects to the wheel through a stub shaft and raises the whole vehicle, including the differential.
Because the first gear set in the portal is placed higher than the stub shaft, the axles remain at the correct angle. In short, you’ll no longer need a new suspension setup when increasing ground clearance.
Increasing ride height with portal axles also increases lift. Portal axles allow your off-roading vehicle to remain stable when off the road and maintain decent handling while on the road. You don’t lose too much maneuverability even with the added ground clearance for easier off-roading.
Compared to, say, suspension lifts, portal axles prevent extreme axle angles and help maintain proper alignment much easier without the need for a high-caster upper control arm.
It can cost upwards of $20,000 to have portal axles installed in your off-roader. We’ll go into whether they’re worth it or not in a later section, but for now, let’s look at what makes portal axles so expensive.
There are hundreds of components that go into how portal axles function, like nuts and bolts, seals, bearings, and gears. Installing them involves getting new brakes, differential breathers, front and rear axle assemblies, and brake lines.
You’ll also need to pay a mechanic to brace the axles, check and straighten the axle housings, fit various components, and modify the handbrake if needed. It’s a complicated job that most drivers can’t do on their own at home, which is one of the main reasons it’s such a pricey modification.
It takes about five to eight days to complete the whole installation process.
Are portal axles worth their high price tag? Let’s be honest. Portal axle pros and cons don’t exist in a vacuum. They depend on your preferences and available resources. Here are some benefits and drawbacks you should keep in mind when deciding whether portal axles are worth it to you:
Portal axles are one of the most reliable modifications you can make to your four-wheel drive vehicle. True, the ground clearance is a big help, but it’s also about how it achieves that ground clearance.
Portal axles are much cleaner than simple suspension lifts and forgo many of the latter’s complications. They’re also originally designed for military vehicles, meaning they’re more than enough for most off-road trails.
Sadly, portal axles do have their drawbacks. They’re heavy, and on an off-roading vehicle that’s already pretty heavy itself, this can be a big detriment. Most off-roading vehicles have a lot of unsprung weight already. Adding more by installing portal axles means potentially messing up your vehicle’s suspension tuning.
Portal axles are also not very great for on-road performance. They limit your top speed to around 60 miles an hour, meaning they aren’t good for daily drivers. This doesn’t even touch on the price for both the initial installation and subsequent maintenance. You need to keep an eye on both portals’ oil reserves, checking them every 5,000 miles.
Vehicles with portal axles need to be specially registered with modifications declared to the transport authority in your state. An engineer needs to certify the modification before registration to ensure the modification has been done safely.
Selling the portal axle vehicle to someone interstate or moving to another state with the vehicle in tow will require another engineering certificate from the new state. You’ll also need to have the vehicle approved again if that’s the case.
In the end, portal axles are a fascinating and innovative modification that many off-roaders would no doubt benefit from using. It’s just a shame they come with such a large price tag. Perhaps as technology evolves, portal axles will get cheaper and more accessible. But for now, they’re very much an off-roading luxury.
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.