Trailhunter On 74Weld Portals: 1000 Mile Update

[bdigital00]

1000 miles on portals - here's the truth so far:

The stance is unreal. With +45 mm offset wheels, they sit pertectly—no awkward poke like some long-travel kits.

1. The power hit surprised me. 2300 rpm at 90 mph and the truck pulls harder than stock. Didn't expect that.
2. MPG dropped a bit (~14→12). Not shocking after a 5" lift, +2.75" width per side, and 37" RTs instead of 35" ATs.
3. Portal oil changes every 3-5k mi. First 500 mi service: fronts spotless, rears normal fuzz. 20 min per side. Easy.
4. Crawling power on the trail: This thing is better than stock. You almost don’t need to get any gas at all in 4LO, it just rolls over obstacles
5. Planted feel at high speeds: I thought this thing was going to feel tippy, like it did stick with the GFC installed and again when lifting the truck. This in fact was the opposite, the added weight of the portal boxes down low and the increased width makes this feel feel planted as high speeds on and offroad.

It's wild money, but honestly worth it. I've had people tell me they wish they'd skipped all the suspension work and just gone portals. That's exactly what Quinn @74weld has been preaching-keep your OEM suspension, add portals + big tires, and you unlock performance per dollar nothing else can touch.

The quick math:

• 22% gear reduction at the wheel → less strain, more punch (esp. with the hybrid)
• 3.88" lift from the axle (15" under the diff) → clearance where it matters
• +2.75" track width per side → planted highway feel
• More articulation front & rear, no preload tricks

Total game-changer. I'll keep sharing the pros/cons as we prep for the Rubicon. Headed to Johnson Valley this weekend to push things to the limit

Follow the build here: https://www.instagram.com/portal.hunter

Find out more about portals here: https://motorsports.74weld.com/product-category/toyota-parts/

 

[rustytaco]

Heck yeah! All great information. I've been messing with trucks for 15+ years. The portals are definitely the most interesting and exciting thing introduced to the Toyota space during my time here. After watching and experiencing wheeling with the portals, there's nothing I've seen make trails go that smoothly. We're all clawing for every inch of ground clearance we can get, and a regular lift kit and tires can't achieve the same thing as portal axles. The cost sounds high... until you do the math on what some of these builds cost in pointless "overland" accessories. Not hating, but a lot of people who complain about the cost also run a $4500 RTT from China. If you prioritize performance over everything, the cost makes sense. Especially on new gens where the electronics are so involved and make doing something like a SAS build WAY more difficult, and always expensive. Looking forward to your feedback once you hit the rocks!