74Weld Portals on a 4XE!

In case anyone was wondering, 74Weld portals are absolutely amazing!

This is the best driving Wrangler I have ever been in. It seriously drives better than stock. You get all of the plushness benefits of the larger tires without the normal negative feedback due to the increased angles of the suspension/steering components.

The key to this setup is the portal-specific +44 wheels from Raceline Wheels. These are forged Ryno beadlocks.

Currently, we have the stock shocks on it. I would not recommend that. The shocks are definitely not made to dampen the weight of the wheels/tires/portal boxes. We'll be changing the shocks soon.

The portals have a built-in gear reduction and it's perfect for these 38" Trail Grapplers. The final ratio is exactly where it was with the stock tire size. It runs through all of the gears perfectly and cruises at the same RPM as before.

If you're on the fence on portals, do it! They're amazing, but definitely spring for these wheels. They make a huge difference.

Build thread - https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...d-organization-american-adventure-lab.154675/

Real cool!
I don’t see those wheels available on their website with +44 though.

StJJames said:

Real cool!
I don’t see those wheels available on their website with +44 though.

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Nope. You'll need to give them a ring, but they should have some more in stock. They machine them to whatever bolt pattern you need at the time of purchase.

Stellar pictures guys!

AmericanPatriot100 said:

Stellar pictures guys!

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thanks!

I wonder if HMMWV wheels would clear those portals? Since they are also designed to work with a portal design. But the 16.5" wheel size is less than optimal.

jeepingib said:

I wonder if HMMWV wheels would clear those portals? Since they are also designed to work with a portal design. But the 16.5" wheel size is less than optimal.

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Those things are also super heavy. From my Googl'ing, they do have a +50 offset which would be pretty good. I don't think you would be able to clear the calipers on the portals, though. These wheels clear everything by about 1/4". They're perfect for the portals.

Adventure Lab (Team) said:

Those things are also super heavy. From my Googl'ing, they do have a +50 offset which would be pretty good. I don't think you would be able to clear the calipers on the portals, though. These wheels clear everything by about 1/4". They're perfect for the portals.

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They are, trust me I know too well. But they are readily available and cheap. But it doesn't matter if they don't fit. It was just a thought.

Just curious what your overall outside of tire to outside of tire width measurements are?

Stock wheels are +45mm offset...

I can't wait to get a set of portals (I have certain things I am waiting on, like I plan on custom-building wheels to match the profile I want), sweet build with them.

Questions:

How has the extra width affected turning and trailing? (Do you find the extra width affecting your lines, and what trails you can do?)
How much overall height did the portals alone add (I am worried about garage door clearance.)
How do you expect they would handle pulling a trailer with the Jeep?

Hopefully people are aware of some of the negatives of portals.

They add a lot of additional unsprung mass. Little gearboxes at every wheel means increased complexity, more parts to break, and gear noise. As previously mentioned, your rig is now wider. The list goes on, especially when thinking about the on road implications (if it's not a trailer princess).

It will be interesting to see how the long-term reliability is, after 50,000 miles or so. At $20K, they are about the same cost as a set of one-ton axles. But with the one-ton axles you also have the cost of suspension and driveshafts that you wouldn't have with portals.

3TV said:

It will be interesting to see how the long-term reliability is, after 50,000 miles or so. At $20K, they are about the same cost as a set of one-ton axles. But with the one-ton axles you also have the cost of suspension and driveshafts that you wouldn't have with portals.

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Yeah, choosing a 4XE as the base platform for this build is going to leave you in a world of hurt.

Even my dealership that OKs everything would kick this thing out for all hybrid warranty repairs instantly. A 4XE without a warranty is relatively worthless, no matter how much money has been "invested" in it.

Looks great. I wonder about long term reliability. I have about 146,000 miles on my Jeep and wonder if the portals are 100,000 mile proof and the cost to rebuild them if necessary.