Okay... if someone else posted this, I'd tell them they were making things too complicated, that there were too many moving parts, and so on. Anyway, here's my idea:

Building off of this semi-indepent suspension system (http://www.ukcar.com/features/tech/suspension/deDion.htm), someone on another board caome up with an idea similar to the one I had.

Why not use parts off of some beefy IFS out there (is theresuch a thing?) and rig them up onto a beefy tube framework with a curve to it? Fixing the diff in place and making it travel with the knuckles as one rigid unit gets rid of excessive joint angles - so you just have to find IFS components strong enough to take the pounding. Therein lies the rub. Maybe hummer stuff?

http://home.off-road.com/~mithrandir/por_pics/dedionaxle.jpg

Someone already did this. I cant remember the name but I know that soemone on this board will remember. They used regular axle shafts with yokes thoughIt had like four 1550 joints in it I think and it cost like 10000 bucks.

10k? Why not just go buy some for that much?

there is a guy here is Sacramento that took complete hummer axles and welded them solid. Sorta the same thing as here. Now he has real portal solid axle.

It's is or was on a rig from papeola offroad in santa rosa. But was made by someone from a local club I think.
There was a thread on it reacently.

Yah, I'd seen that one before (The Papaloa OffRoad one before)... just didn't connect it with this idea for some reason. :rolleyes:

Nevermind...

Eric from URJB Industries up in Santa Rosa made taht axle for Mike. I guess he had some isses to work out with it still, but a great concept nonetheless.

Dimitri

The axle that eric build cost better than 10K, but more inportantly, I thought the benefit of a portal axle was rear reduction at the wheels.

You mean this axle :flipoff2:

I believe thats known as a "De Dion Axle" with a rigid tube running between the wheels and the diff and axleshafts up high.

EDIT: About halfway down, there's a good diagram of one setup (this one is more IRS than live, but that could be easily changed by making the shock rigid)
http://members.tripod.com/~RoverSD_1/liveaxle.html

i think the original idea was to use cheep parts like say IFS toy stuff that guys are yanking off for a SAS. Weld up some tub around it and gain some clearance advantages.

True no gear'd hubs, but look at where all the rock rash is on your rig... Look at what the next size tire buys you besides breakage. Look at what a 1" diff shave gives back....

I think that with out the movement of a true ifs it would hold up to more abuse most breakage looks to happen at the outer range of motion or at near binding... If you could hol dit just before that you might have a viable solution, and gain a some clearance....

need to look around more next trip to the local yard....
-yag

This is nothing new.

Lots of military vehicles setup this way - Duro/GM_LUV come to mind.

I think it is a cool thin to try to fab though. The Duro/GM_LUV uses portal ends in addtion to the cobble together - oh, and inboard brakes.

r@m