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!

 

[Quez]

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!

You bring up some great points. Especially with the tents LOL. I think a lot of people stray away from them just due to the upfront costs, warranty worries, and lets be real - most dudes aren't taking their 4GT to do the rubicon. I think they're sick af and would love to get my hands on a set but I think it just boils down to cost of product vs. intended usage.

Edit: Do they limit your top speed at all?

 

[rustytaco]

You bring up some great points. Especially with the tents LOL. I think a lot of people stray away from them just due to the upfront costs, warranty worries, and lets be real - most dudes aren't taking their 4GT to do the rubicon. I think they're sick af and would love to get my hands on a set but I think it just boils down to cost of product vs. intended usage.

Edit: Do they limit your top speed at all?

Yes, I can see the hurdles people need to overcome. It's not a mod for everyone. But if you plan on wheeling more technical terrain, and you're already thinking about heavily investing in your truck, it's not as bad as it seems. Especially saving money on things like gear reduction. A major angle on this seems to target new-gen trucks due to all the electronics. Doing a SAS build isn't as simple (not that it's ever easy) on these new trucks without running into every electrical issue you can imagine. You can also compare it to something like LT, which is less difficult, but can often be around 15-20k for only the front end of the truck. Assuming premium parts, secondary shocks, and other modifications required, like axles, etc. Starts to make more sense the more you dig into the larger and more intense mods. As someone who has experience with just about everything (on and off road), I can see the application for the right truck/people.

It should not affect top speed, no. You should still be able to hit the governor.