An expedition truck on portals...
- Thread starter Oilworker
- Start date
GroupSe7en
Adventurer
Erik made the front page of the Africa Eco Race website...
http://www.africarace.com/index.php?lang=en
Can't wait to see the pics.
We were thinking about building a Carrera 4 but chickened out and got a Cayenne S!
Robert - have fun and be safe
Post pics when you can.
Cheers,
Mark
http://www.africarace.com/index.php?lang=en
Can't wait to see the pics.
We were thinking about building a Carrera 4 but chickened out and got a Cayenne S!
Robert - have fun and be safe
Post pics when you can.
Cheers,
Mark
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Hey there Robert....I have peeked at this thread before a few times but just spent more then an hour scanning over the whole thing.
I am no Land Rover fan for reasons I won't get into, I have always liked them though for their utilitarianism. I have been somewhat of a fan of the Tomcats and Wildcats for some time too, simply because they are cool racing trucks! I am also a fan of The Flying Spanners and they work they have done to their Rover based racing trucks.
However, I got to say, you have probably got the best overland Rover I have ever seen! Obviously you have put a ton of thought into this truck among a ton of other things. It looks like it works very well for you and your uses and it looks pretty damn mean!
I have always been a big fan of portal axles as well as European style trophy races. I dreamed for many years of being able to put some portal axles under one of my trucks. One day back in 2008 I was finally able to afford some and I took the plunge and bought a set of Portal-Teks.
My truck is an 83 Nissan Patrol SWB that these axles are under. Suspension is custom along with much of the truck. I have tons of articulation and rock crawling certainly has had a heavy influence on the build. However, as I mention I have always been a fan of the winch/trophy races not common in the USA. So the build was modeled after these types of trucks to a large extent. My build is not 100% done but it is not that far off either. The axles cost me a chunk of change, no doubt but it was not the $25k somebody posted Portal-Teks costing in the first few pages of this thread. I have decided due to the investment of the axles and the fact I could never get my money back on them, well I have decided if I ever get tired of the "extreme" off-roading truck I will put them under an overland vehicle.
In case you or anybody else didn't know (just an FYI) the G3 Portal-Teks use a Spider 9 axle housing. I have 4340 axle shafts but can upgrade to 300Ms if I ever needed to. Right now I have RCV front CV axles which I really like but if I want I can go with a standard u-joint axle in a variety of u-joint sizes. The Portal-Tek flips the Ford 9" 3rd member upside down creating a high pinion 9". My portal hubs are a 2.0 redcution so I am running a 3.0 gear set in the 3rd member but my final drive on the axle is 6.0 with the portal hub reduction. On 40" rubber I have just a touch under 18" of clearance under my diff center. Since the axles are a high pinion I have about 26" of clearance under my pinions.
Any ways, I am very happy with my axles, they are a great product! And it is cool to see other trucks running portals as you don't see that very often, especially in an overland truck.
If you would like to check out more of my truck, the build and the axles here is a few links....
The build
http://www.rmp-o.com/phpBB3/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=3648
the Patrol....
http://www.rmp-o.com/phpBB3/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=999&g2_page=51
and pictures from a week long trip in the truck...
http://www.rmp-o.com/phpBB3/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=6103
At this point my truck is pretty much a trailer queen as it is not suitable for long distance travel. However, as I linked above I have done a week out of the truck offroading.
cheers!
I am no Land Rover fan for reasons I won't get into, I have always liked them though for their utilitarianism. I have been somewhat of a fan of the Tomcats and Wildcats for some time too, simply because they are cool racing trucks! I am also a fan of The Flying Spanners and they work they have done to their Rover based racing trucks.
However, I got to say, you have probably got the best overland Rover I have ever seen! Obviously you have put a ton of thought into this truck among a ton of other things. It looks like it works very well for you and your uses and it looks pretty damn mean!
I have always been a big fan of portal axles as well as European style trophy races. I dreamed for many years of being able to put some portal axles under one of my trucks. One day back in 2008 I was finally able to afford some and I took the plunge and bought a set of Portal-Teks.
My truck is an 83 Nissan Patrol SWB that these axles are under. Suspension is custom along with much of the truck. I have tons of articulation and rock crawling certainly has had a heavy influence on the build. However, as I mention I have always been a fan of the winch/trophy races not common in the USA. So the build was modeled after these types of trucks to a large extent. My build is not 100% done but it is not that far off either. The axles cost me a chunk of change, no doubt but it was not the $25k somebody posted Portal-Teks costing in the first few pages of this thread. I have decided due to the investment of the axles and the fact I could never get my money back on them, well I have decided if I ever get tired of the "extreme" off-roading truck I will put them under an overland vehicle.
In case you or anybody else didn't know (just an FYI) the G3 Portal-Teks use a Spider 9 axle housing. I have 4340 axle shafts but can upgrade to 300Ms if I ever needed to. Right now I have RCV front CV axles which I really like but if I want I can go with a standard u-joint axle in a variety of u-joint sizes. The Portal-Tek flips the Ford 9" 3rd member upside down creating a high pinion 9". My portal hubs are a 2.0 redcution so I am running a 3.0 gear set in the 3rd member but my final drive on the axle is 6.0 with the portal hub reduction. On 40" rubber I have just a touch under 18" of clearance under my diff center. Since the axles are a high pinion I have about 26" of clearance under my pinions.
Any ways, I am very happy with my axles, they are a great product! And it is cool to see other trucks running portals as you don't see that very often, especially in an overland truck.
If you would like to check out more of my truck, the build and the axles here is a few links....
The build
http://www.rmp-o.com/phpBB3/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=3648
the Patrol....
http://www.rmp-o.com/phpBB3/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=999&g2_page=51
and pictures from a week long trip in the truck...
http://www.rmp-o.com/phpBB3/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=6103
At this point my truck is pretty much a trailer queen as it is not suitable for long distance travel. However, as I linked above I have done a week out of the truck offroading.
cheers!
Last edited:
LRD130PUMA
New member
Just registered myself, bumped into this forum/ thread by looking for pictures of Blindo wheels. And must say :Wow1:AWESOME:Wow1:. I'll surely come back to you with questions. Just about to buy a Land Rover Defender 2.4Tdci Puma myself, with plans to get it expedition ready over the next couple of years.
Oilworker
Explorer
Well guys, a brief visit of mine, before I get back to long days and more nightshift to finish the truck for the Africa Race.
@RMP&O: I am curious about more images and your experience with the axles. I guess it was me who posted the quote as it´s what I got from them when I approached them for the bolt-on drop boxes and replacement axles for the Rhino.
The next two days I will be in the workshop again to fit the new suspension package and do a few modifications prior to picking up the 911 Safari and heading down to Saint Cyprien.
I will surely post images and keep you updated on this adventure.
So long,
Robert
@RMP&O: I am curious about more images and your experience with the axles. I guess it was me who posted the quote as it´s what I got from them when I approached them for the bolt-on drop boxes and replacement axles for the Rhino.
The next two days I will be in the workshop again to fit the new suspension package and do a few modifications prior to picking up the 911 Safari and heading down to Saint Cyprien.
I will surely post images and keep you updated on this adventure.
So long,
Robert
Oilworker
Explorer
And there we are installing the new suspension kit and again a world premier :wings: the first 130 with this setup!
Ralf Berlit (www.offroad-extrem.com) volunteered to help me at his workshop (a great advantage as he has all the tools which is much more convenient than my "travel kit")
The rear is finished...
and currently we´re working on the front
I will later post a few more images as I brough a tray full of gear that I need/want to fit before tomorrow night and will definitly work a night shift, too.
Ralf Berlit (www.offroad-extrem.com) volunteered to help me at his workshop (a great advantage as he has all the tools which is much more convenient than my "travel kit")
The rear is finished...
and currently we´re working on the front
I will later post a few more images as I brough a tray full of gear that I need/want to fit before tomorrow night and will definitly work a night shift, too.
Red90
Adventurer
D44 = Devon 4x4.
GroupSe7en
Adventurer
WOW!!!:Wow1: