Just how durable are these Unimog axles? How would they stand up to 500hp? What about some mild jumping? I've seen them under rockcrawling rigs, but haven't heard anything about their durability.

Thanks,
Squash

Torque breaks more axles than HP. A stock Toy 4 banger geared at 180:1 can break axles at idle. So if they do OK under rock buggies with V8's and Atlas t-cases then they should do ok with 500 hp.

Why would you want/need portal axles in a non-rock or mud environment? And mud's pushin' it, IMHO...

I think you're putting a LOT of extra stress on a portal axle by jumping, given the design...

And I have a feeling that Unimog's weren't designed to jump. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by ColdNorthJonny.:
<STRONG>Why would you want/need portal axles in a non-rock or mud environment? And mud's pushin' it, IMHO...

</STRONG>

Portals were all the rage in competition mud - about 15 years ago. They're now illegal in all but the most extreme classes, and the guys in those classes these days are too fast to be sittin' that tall.


TEX

I've seen the portal unit break twice. Once in Little Sluice, and once in Montrose, CO.

Well here's my story. I'm building primarily a rockcrawling rig, but I like to make the occasional trip to the dunes and very infrequently the mud. I've got a nicely built EFI 454, chevy D60/14BFF/TH400 sitting in the garage, but all this talk of portals has me thinking differently. The rig should weigh around 4500lbs and is taking the form of a 94 S10.

So I like to do a little more pedal mashing than the average rock crawler (I stop short of rolling in a flat, dry lakebed however).

Squash

actually, i think HP would be more prone to break an axle , but only after it has begun to spin. lifting a tire or losing traction in a high HP rig will sure get that axle spinning alot faster than a high torqe rig will. and when that axle finds traction again, pow !! thats where most breaks seem to happen.

I saw the one that broke in Montrose, LT1 350 and too much foot scattered the portal casting. Mogs make little hp, those axles arent made for hammer-time.

So hopw does a front 404 compare in strength to a front D60?

Thanks,
Phil

For doing the things that you're describing, I'd stick with the 60/14 bolt combo that you have. I just wouldn't feel comfortable jumping them. If you're dead-set on portals, I'd ask Jare or one of the other 'wheelers from across the pond for their opinions.

That said, I think that many of the concerns about the strength of 404s should've been eased by last year's TTC. Both JR (404 portals/9" hybrid) and Ryeguy (404s) both ran 'Mog axles, and neither had trouble with them, AFAIK.

Originally posted by Realsquash
So I like to do a little more pedal mashing than the average rock crawler (I stop short of rolling in a flat, dry lakebed however).

Squash

:flipoff2: give it time

I extracted some jumps with Unimog and Volvo axles from a movie i got. It's 47Mb and well worth it if you wanna se some unimog axle beating.

http://multimedia.campus.luth.se/offroad/unimog-volvo-portals-jumps.mpg

Btw, the Red Ford-pickup is running "Volvo-Rockwells"

Petersons did an article on these axles a month or two ago. I think these axles were underneath a volvo SUV, that was going to be racing. So maybe they would hold up. But if you have a 60/14 combo, I would stick with that. The parts are easier to find.

Originally posted by sweden

http://multimedia.campus.luth.se/offroad/unimog-volvo-portals-jumps.mpg

Btw, the Red Ford-pickup is running "Volvo-Rockwells"

I wanna see more of those truck trials at the end! I miss not having eurosport...

Thanks for the video though

Originally posted by 1TONTJ
So hopw does a front 404 compare in strength to a front D60?

Thanks,
Phil


simple phil ......it doesn't ;)

dude let me just tell you they are sick.when you see the axle shaft you will be like "holy fawk"

they are under fawking huge rigs ya think a small as buggy or jeep is going to hurt them......

I hav ripped an old truck trial (1995) competition from Eurosport, its 415Mb and i promise you custom unimogs, and heavy 6x6 and 8x8 trucks going at rocks and some crazy shit.

It's a real must-see if you ask me.

PM me and ill make it accesible to you, dont want to hand out a public url. I host it on a dorm computer and insane traffic is bad..


Btw, heres my collection of movies, theres lots of uncut outing stuff here :) -But some nice stuff also.. Anyway:


http://multimedia.campus.luth.se/magnus/movies.jpg

Originally posted by tj7



simple phil ......it doesn't ;)

dude let me just tell you they are sick.when you see the axle shaft you will be like "holy fawk"

they are under fawking huge rigs ya think a small as buggy or jeep is going to hurt them......

But didn't one of those Assasin things break two pinions on one course? Granted he was running 48's or something, and a 4.3L Vortec but still.

Phil

Wasnt that some experimental dana60-portals?

Originally posted by 1TONTJ


But didn't one of those Assasin things break two pinions on one course? Granted he was running 48's or something, and a 4.3L Vortec but still.

Phil

those were avalanches custom POS portals, using no unimog parts

Yep , your talking about the Avalanche "HighMark"

Originally posted by UGET IT
Yep , your talking about the Avalanche "HighMark"

These use a 9" third member

Oh, so it was a 9" pinion that shiat itself?
Well, let me know how low you can get me a pair of front portals for then.

Phil

sent ya a pm dude...... but if anyone needs them i can definately get them.....

7500lb Blazer (Hulk, Caddy 472) vs. 7500lb Red Chevy (Cory's truck, Chevy 454).

Full throttle. He had more power than me but I won the tug of war (by a foot). At the end of the day, one of his new 35 spline D70 shafts had 2 full twists in it and was broken. I had wrapped up torque arms, but the axles are fine to this day.

I've outright abused and hopped the Blazer under full throttle often enough to know that these Mog portals will take a ton of abuse.

But you have to maintain them. That means doing things like making sure that the bolts are still tight. Duh.

--Rob