An “a la cart” (spelled as “all a cart” in the transcript) ordering system means you can buy individual suspension components instead of being forced to purchase a complete kit. For off-road builders, this can make it easier to upgrade only the parts you need (like specific brackets) and match components to your existing setup.
A bump stop is like a safety cushion for your suspension. When the suspension compresses a lot on rough trails, it hits the bump stop to prevent damage and keep things from slamming into the end of travel.
Johnny joints are special connection joints used in off-road suspension. They let the suspension move through rough terrain without binding, and they can be rebuilt so you don’t have to replace everything when they wear out.
Hymes are basically heavy-duty ball-and-socket style joints used in suspension. They help the suspension links move freely as the wheels travel up and down over rough ground.
Aluminum links are the suspension arms that connect parts of the lift kit. Using aluminum can make them lighter, and in this case the host says the kits include them without extra cost.
Trail Revival sounds like a community program that helps support and maintain off-road trails. The host says they got to participate and do maintenance on a famous trail.
The Jeep Wrangler is an off-road SUV made for driving on rough trails. The podcast mentions using it for maintenance related to the Rubicon Trail, which fits how people use Wranglers on challenging routes. It’s a popular choice because it’s built specifically for 4x4 driving.
The Ford Ranger is a pickup truck, meaning it has a cargo bed for hauling things. People talk about it in off-road podcasts because it can be set up to drive on rough trails and still be useful for everyday tasks. It’s also popular because there are lots of parts and upgrades available.
The Aston Martin Vanquish is a luxury sports car designed for speed and comfortable highway driving. It’s not an off-road vehicle by design. In the podcast, it’s mentioned as a specific car name they could use or talk about.
“V8” means the engine has eight cylinders arranged in a V shape. They’re saying it’s not about being super fast—it’s about how smooth and nice it feels to drive.
They’re talking about a Jeep Grand Cherokee from the early 1990s. It’s an SUV that people use for trails, and they’re pointing out that even back then it had lots of basic electronic warnings and features.
They mean the truck/SUV has lots of features controlled or monitored by electronics. Instead of simple switches and gauges, it can show warnings on a screen for things like lights or doors.
“JK” is a Jeep Wrangler generation. In this conversation, they’re comparing how the JK feels compared to an older Jeep, especially in terms of features and electronics.
They’re talking about having a simpler off-road vehicle with very few electronic features. The point is that it can be easier to deal with when you’re out on trails because there’s less complicated stuff that can break.
They’re using a joking term for a “basic” version of the vehicle with fewer features. Here it means the windows/controls aren’t as convenient as on a more fully equipped trim.
Car
Lexus GX470
The Lexus GX470 is a Toyota-based luxury SUV with a V8 engine and a sturdy off-road-style frame. It’s related to the Land Cruiser/4Runner family, but it’s the more “luxury” GX version.
Displacement is basically how big the engine is inside—how much space the cylinders move through. The bigger the displacement, the more air/fuel the engine can potentially move, which is why car model names sometimes reference it.
The Toyota Land Cruiser is a tough, off-road SUV that’s known for being built to last. People often spend a lot of money turning them into serious trail rigs, so it has a different “build budget” and culture than cheaper Toyota projects.
“Modular” just means the system is built from parts that can be rearranged or reused. They’re saying their portal setup is designed so you can move it to a different truck/SUV without starting from scratch.
Adapter plates are mounting interfaces that let the same hardware fit multiple vehicle platforms. Here, they’re used so portal components can be removed from one SUV and installed on another without replacing the whole system.
“One ton axles” means beefier, heavier-duty axle parts meant to handle more stress. The point here is that upgrading axles on one vehicle doesn’t guarantee the same parts will work on another.
IFS means the front wheels move independently from each other. That can affect whether certain off-road parts (like axle setups) will work the same way as they do on a solid front axle.
Car
GX 470
The Toyota GX 470 is an SUV built to handle rough roads. In this story, they added portal-style gearing to make it easier to clear obstacles by lifting the wheels higher.
A break-in period is the early stage after something new is installed or rebuilt, when parts need time to “seat” properly. They’re basically saying they might not have followed that fully before going off-road.
“Portals” are an off-road upgrade that raises the vehicle’s axle area using gearing near the wheels. The goal is more ground clearance so the truck can go over obstacles without scraping.
They’re talking about replacing the shocks—one at each wheel—with TRD shocks. Shocks help keep the tires planted on rough terrain, and the “better” shock design is meant to handle repeated bumps without fading.
Term
IVP two point five
“IVP 2.5” is a model/spec detail for the shock. It’s basically part of how the shock is built and tuned so it can better handle rough driving and keep the ride controlled.
Piggyback shocks have an external reservoir mounted on top of (or alongside) the main shock body. That extra reservoir helps manage hydraulic fluid and heat, which can improve damping consistency during repeated hard off-road use.
Bump stops are like safety cushions for your suspension. They keep the suspension from getting crushed when you hit big bumps, and “Gen three” means a newer version of that design.
King of the Hammers is a famous off-road race where people drive over very rough rocks and obstacles. If they’re talking about it, they mean the vehicle is being tested in extreme conditions.
Johnson Valley is a well-known off-road area in California. It’s where big events like King of the Hammers happen, and the terrain is tough on vehicles.
Rock crawling is when you drive slowly over rocks and rough trails. The goal is to keep the tires gripping while the suspension moves a lot. It’s a good way to test whether a 4x4 setup can handle tough terrain without breaking.
“Whoops” are rough, bumpy sections of trail made of repeated dips and rises. They make the suspension bounce quickly and can shake the truck hard. Hitting them is a good stress test for parts that might loosen or break.
Term
airbags popped out
“Airbags popped out” here likely means the truck’s air-suspension components extended a lot when the suspension flexed. That usually happens when the vehicle is pushed to its limits on rough terrain. It’s a clue that the suspension travel is being used up.
Rear springs are the parts that help your truck or SUV ride over bumps without getting slammed. If you don’t have them, the suspension has to rely on the backup cushions instead.
Stress testing means pushing a vehicle or component through demanding conditions to reveal weaknesses before they become failures. In this context, the long drive and portal suspension load helped uncover a small issue early so it can be resolved proactively.
In off-road event talk, “trifecta” means completing three named trail sections or obstacles as a set. Here it’s tied to a specific route sequence—Poison Spider, Golden Spike, and Gold Bar Rim—so it’s a structured challenge rather than a generic “three trails” idea.
Golden Spike is another named trail section the group tackled as part of their three-part route. In off-road communities, these named sections are used like “stages,” so the name signals a particular obstacle and typical driving approach.
Gold Bar Rim is another named trail section they drove as part of their three-part challenge. It’s the kind of place off-road groups talk about by name because it has its own difficulty.
A “lunchbox locker” is a traction upgrade inside the rear axle. It helps both rear wheels work together when you’re stuck or climbing over slippery rocks, so you don’t lose traction as easily.
Coilovers are suspension parts that help the wheels move smoothly over bumps. Off-road builds use them to keep the truck stable and maintain traction on rough trails.
“Long arm” refers to a suspension upgrade where the control arms are lengthened compared to stock. This typically increases suspension articulation and improves ride quality on trails, because the suspension geometry stays more favorable as the wheels move up and down.
“40s, 42s” means they’re running very large tires—around 40 to 42 inches. Larger tires help you clear rocks and ruts, but they can make the truck heavier and harder to drive without the right setup.
A “V notch” is a tricky spot on a trail that looks like a V-shaped dip or cut. It can make one wheel lose contact or traction, so you have to pick the right line and keep control of your throttle.
When one tire lifts off the ground, it stops gripping the trail. If the other tires don’t have enough traction, the vehicle can start sliding instead of climbing.
A winch is a motorized cable that can pull your vehicle out when it gets stuck. Off-road, it’s a backup plan when the tires can’t get enough grip to keep moving.
An “optional line” is a different way to go through the obstacle. It’s usually chosen when you want an easier or safer route than the main, harder path.
“Wedgie” sounds like the name of a specific obstacle on that trail. It’s likely a wedge-shaped section that makes it harder to keep traction and stay pointed the right way.
A “hard right turn” means you turn the steering sharply. On rough trails, that can shift the vehicle’s weight and grip, which may make it lurch or lose its smooth climb.
Term
double step up
A “double step up” is a trail feature with two raised sections close together. It’s hard because the truck has to climb both parts without losing traction or getting hung up.
“40 inch tires” are huge off-road tires that sit higher and roll over rocks and ruts more easily. They also usually require other upgrades so they can fit and still steer and ride properly.
A leveling kit is a simple lift that raises the truck to make it sit more level. It can help fit bigger tires, but it’s not the same as a full suspension lift designed for serious off-road travel.
The ring gear is a big gear inside the axle that helps send power to the wheels. When you drive hard off-road, the axle takes big hits, and a stronger ring gear helps it survive.
The Jeep Gladiator is a pickup truck that’s meant for off-road use. The discussion is about how strong its axle internals are, which matters when you hit obstacles hard on a trail.
M220 is an axle/differential model designation used by Jeep for certain Gladiator configurations. It’s being referenced here because different axle models use different internal gear sizes and designs, which affects how much abuse they can take on trails.
Dana makes a lot of the axles used in trucks and SUVs. “44” is a common way people refer to a particular axle family, and it’s used as a quick strength comparison for off-roading.
Throttle is how much you’re asking the engine for power. On rough trails, the timing of when you press or lift off the throttle can affect traction and whether parts get hit with damaging shock loads.
“Backup” here means reversing to see if the vehicle is still mechanically okay. If it can move in reverse, it suggests the drivetrain didn’t fully break.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is an off-road SUV made for driving on rough trails. The episode mentions a red one they saw during a long day out, which shows how common and memorable these vehicles are on trails. It’s a popular choice for people who want something rugged and easy to recognize.
“Aired up” means you pumped your tires back to a higher pressure. Off-roaders often lower tire pressure for better grip on dirt, then raise it again when they’re heading back to normal roads.
The rear diff is the gearbox for the back axle. It helps the two back wheels turn at slightly different speeds, which matters when you’re turning or driving on uneven ground. If it breaks, you may need to swap in another one that has the right gear setup.
“Gearing” means the gear ratio inside the differential. If you replace a diff, it needs to have the same ratio as the original so the wheels and drivetrain stay in sync and the truck drives the way it should.
“Dropout thirds” is a design that lets you remove the differential’s center section more easily. That means you can swap or repair the diff faster instead of doing a much bigger teardown.
Topic
EJS industry
EJS is a big off-road event in Moab where lots of Jeep and off-road people gather. It’s a time when you’ll see a lot of builds, parts, and repairs happening.
A “third member” is basically the center gearbox section inside the differential. Off-roaders swap it out because it’s faster than tearing everything apart when gears or bearings get damaged.
Term
used gears
“Gears” are the differential’s internal gear teeth that set the ratio. Changing them affects how the truck pulls at low speeds versus how it feels at higher speeds.
“Cliffhanger” is the name of a trail/obstacle the group drove. The host is implying it’s tough enough that they needed to swap parts (like the differential) to be ready. Trail names like this usually mean there’s a known difficult section ahead.
A “pre run” is when you drive a trail ahead of an event to learn the route, identify difficult sections, and plan your vehicle setup and recovery strategy. The host connects it to their differential choice and their decision-making at the breaking point—taking it easy and using recovery options rather than repeating mistakes. In off-roading, pre-running can reduce surprises and help you match traction hardware to the terrain.
The Lexus GX is a rugged 4x4 SUV. In this discussion, they’re talking about the rear axle/differential setup, which affects how the truck handles and how strong it is. They mention different rear gear sizes used across model years.
“8.2” is a shorthand for the size of the rear differential’s main gear. That gear size can matter for how the axle is built and how it performs under load. The hosts are using it to compare different rear-axle versions across years.
The Toyota 4Runner is a popular off-road SUV. Here they’re talking about the rear axle/differential gears, which can change strength and gearing. They say it used one gear size for earlier years, then changed in 2010.
“8.2s” here means a specific size of rear differential setup. The point is that some people think it may not hold up well if you push it hard off-road.
Ring and pinion are the main gears in the rear differential. They determine the “gear ratio,” which changes how the vehicle pulls and how it feels at speed.
The carrier is the internal housing that holds the differential gears in place. A stronger carrier can help the differential survive harder off-road driving.
Term
4.9 inch
“4.9 inch” sounds like a shorthand for a specific rear differential/gear setup. They’re comparing different axle/diff options to find one that works best for their build.
“Nine inches” refers to the popular Ford 9-inch-style differential ecosystem (ring gear size and associated axle/diff parts). Enthusiasts like it because there’s a wide aftermarket and many gear/locker options, making it easier to build a strong, trail-capable setup.
Term
10 and a half inch tundra axle
They’re talking about using a larger Toyota Tundra rear axle/differential setup. The idea is that the bigger hardware can be stronger and may fit better for their off-road goals.
Clearance is how much space you have between the ground and the lowest parts of the truck. More clearance means you’re less likely to scrape the rear axle on rocks or ruts.
A “locker” is a feature that forces both wheels on an axle to turn together. The “E” part means it’s controlled electronically, helping you get traction when one wheel starts slipping.
“Gears” here means the differential ring-and-pinion ratio, commonly written as a number like 3.73. A lower numerical ratio (like 3.73) generally helps balance highway drivability with off-road torque needs, depending on tire size and vehicle gearing.
Unsprung weight is everything that moves with the wheels instead of being supported by the suspension. If it’s heavier, the suspension has a harder time keeping the tires planted over rough ground.
A stub shaft is a short part of the axle near the wheel. For an axle upgrade to work, it has to match the portal’s input so the gears and splines line up.
The input gear is the gear that takes power coming into the portal/axle unit. It has to match the rest of the drivetrain parts so everything locks together and drives correctly.
Splines are the ridged connection that lets two parts slide together and transfer power. “30 spline” means the ridges count must match for the parts to fit and drive correctly.
They’re talking about the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. They mention older and newer generations because off-road parts often work across those model years.
Car
GX470 and GX460
They’re mentioning two Toyota GX models from different years. Even though they’re similar SUVs, the exact generation can change how parts and electronics fit.
They mention the Lexus LX570, which is closely related to the Toyota Land Cruiser. They’re saying their parts/setup can apply to both, not just the Toyota.
They’re also including the Toyota Sequoia from the second generation. The idea is that even though it’s a different model, it can still use the same general setup.
They’re talking about the Toyota Tundra from the second generation. They’re grouping it with other Toyota/Lexus models because parts and electronics can be similar within that timeframe.
A knuckle is a metal part in the front suspension that helps the wheel steer. If the knuckle shape is the same, it’s easier to make parts fit and work correctly.
ABS is the system that helps your brakes keep the wheels from locking up. They’re saying it can be tricky to work around because it’s tied into the car’s electronics and computers.
Modern cars have more computer-controlled systems than older ones. If you change something the computer relies on, it can cause warning lights or make the car behave differently.
LIVE
Four wheel underground is making some big changes.
They really are. What's really cool about what they're doing right now is they're
kind of changing the way the business is set in the sense that you get to now buy things
all a cart.
Absolutely. So if you want the upper frame bracket, you can just buy that.
Yeah. If you want the lower link bracket, because it has the integrated bump stop and
it's super stout and it looks really good too. You can get just those before you would
have to buy the whole kit. Now you're going to be like, that's the bracket I want.
He's also brought joints in house.
So now you can buy those all a cart from cartridge joints, rebuildable Johnny joints,
hymes, offsets, all sorts of different ones.
Do you know what else he brought in house?
Aluminum links, that's pretty rad.
He found a way to source aluminum links so that there's no extra charge on the suspension kits.
They now all come standard with aluminum links.
I know I'm totally jealous.
And thanks to the all a cart system, you can also order aluminum links if that's all you want.
So if you want to move your Toyota from Lee Springs to a link suspension kit,
check out four wheel underground.
We want to check with you guys today about on X off road.
Definitely one of our favorite apps for off roading.
Yeah, what's better is not only their software, but they also are doing a lot to be a part
of the off roading community here in the country from the trail revival program,
which I actually got to be a part of and use to do some maintenance on the Rubicon Trail too.
They have an elite partnership.
So if you are an on X off road user, you can go to any of their 40 plus partners on there
and you get discounts with any of those partners.
So from bringing the people to the brands to the listeners to everybody involved,
it sounds like they really want to be a part of our community.
So let's be a part of theirs.
Go download on X off road from your favorite app store.
Oh, welcome one.
Welcome off to the snail trail for path for podcast.
If you like going off roading in Toyota's, wrenching on Toyota's, camping in Toyota's,
maybe even poking a little bit of fun at Toyota's and of course,
hearing about how great Lexus is are with Toyota's.
Then this is the podcast for you.
That's right ladies and germs.
My name is Tyler joining me for another episode of snail trail four by four podcast
back in the studio after a long hiatus out on the road there is Jimmy.
What up?
How you doing, man?
Good. Thank you.
How are you?
Do pretty good.
Awesome.
Yep.
I'm glad to hear.
Yeah.
Well, we'll get into that on.
We got into that on Thursday.
We got into that Thursday as to why I'm sore.
But yeah, it's a good times all around though.
So nice.
Glad to hear.
I'm looking forward to today's interview.
Yeah.
I'm always it's always a good time when these guys are around.
You know, they're there are a lot of we're kind of similar in a lot of ways.
Yeah, we just like to have a good time.
We're serious most of the times, but when we can relax and chill and hang out,
it's a lot of fun.
Yeah, I agree.
We'll get into that in a bit.
We do have let's see this month that we're still in May, right?
We are still in May.
God, May went quick.
Yes.
Well, we were gone for half of it.
It's true about our back.
All right.
So May is Russo, right?
Correct.
So we have a two and a half pound fire extinguisher here from Russo.
Can't grab it with one hand.
It's too girthy.
Too girthy.
Your hand isn't big enough.
Well, for the yes, for the box, for the box.
So we have a two and a half pound Russo fire extinguisher here.
These things are pretty slick.
Lots of really cool stuff going on with these things.
I have a handful of them now.
Jimmy has you're getting some.
I'm getting some.
So if you guys do not know about these, please go back and listen to the episode,
the interview with Russo.
Some very important and very important information for anybody who is
off-roading with a vehicle, which is probably a hundred percent of our listeners.
I would say almost all, yeah.
You're going to want one of these for sure.
So look into them.
They're fantastic.
Lots of really good information came out in that episode.
And in my opinion, it's one of the most important episodes we've done on the show so far.
So go check it out.
We have one here for somebody to win this month.
So all you got to do is go over to I rate four by four.com
and make sure you get signed up for at least the giveaway tier.
Oh, we get boxed is closed.
We're in May.
So sign up for the giveaway tier.
And that's your opportunity to get in to win a two and a half pound fire extinguisher.
If you already like went and bought some because they're doing 25% off.
Yeah, we have a 25% off discount code with them.
Yeah.
So for all the listeners out there, you will not be upset having another one of these.
You'll find a use for it.
Find somewhere to put it.
So go do that.
Make sure you're signed up before the end of May.
The end of May 30th.
It's April.
We didn't update our calendars.
Oh, May 31st.
So make sure you guys get signed up by the end of May 31st in order to
get a chance at winning one of these really awesome fire extinguishers.
Yeah, the episode number was 702.
So it wasn't too long ago when we interviewed them.
And I believe I'm trying to remember.
I looked back at the notes and I don't think I, I didn't write it down,
but I believe it's Russo Crawlers is the discount code for 25% off.
Since we're talking about 25% off, the group buy with DeVos is over.
And everybody that signed up for the group buy should have received an email
from us, which includes a discount code for you to go on to DeVos website.
DeVosOutdoor.com, I believe it is.
And then you can go and get your Light Ranger 500 or however many you want to
get, and then you put that discount code in there, that discount codes only for
the DeVos Light Ranger 500.
It doesn't work on any of their other products, but DeVos is having sales going
on right now, I think for Memorial Day holiday and other things that are coming
up and some of their products.
I didn't figure out which one, but some of them are up to 25% off.
There is no sale going on on the Light Ranger 500 though.
So the only way to get a discount on that is with our discount code.
And our discount code is valid through June 1st.
We extended it one day because June 1st, it was going to be through the end of
the month, but June 1st is Monday.
So we can talk about it on the Monday episode.
So we pushed it to that, um, especially since we were gone for the majority
of this month, and we haven't had time to talk about it a lot.
But I do want to stress, I sent out an email to everybody that signed up or
everybody's email address that we recorded, and everybody should have
received an email from us with the discount code.
I did have a few people reach out to me saying they did not get the email.
And, um, I went back and I looked at the email and it was on there.
So if possible, that it's going to your junk mail or some spam, or maybe I
inputted it wrong.
And when I inputted it wrong, then I'm sending it to the wrong place or
something like that.
So if you have, if you did sign up and you did not get an email, reach out to
me and I'll give you the discount code.
There you go.
Yeah.
Uh, do, do we post that on the, uh, discord?
Uh, well, I didn't post the discount code anywhere on the discord, but I did
post that you should have received the emails and he did not get one message me.
And that's, we did have a few.
That's where the people reached out to me was on the discount code because the
discount code seems to be working.
The discord, the discord, the discord.
That's funny.
Yeah.
The discord seems to be working really well for communication.
Yep.
I actually, um, Jess the other day had a phone conversation with Austin Stanley.
Oh, nice.
Yeah.
Uh, and, um, we were just talking about suspension stuff and it was, it was really cool.
So, um, you know, it was like, we were DMing each other through the discord.
And then I just was like, this, like it's getting long.
Like I'm like, I'm getting to the point where I'm writing really long responses.
And I'm like, I'm just going to call, like there's a call button on here.
Yeah.
I'm just going to call them.
Nice.
Yeah.
So that worked out rather well.
And, uh, there's, yeah, some fun conversations on there.
I saw that uncle weirdo signed up the other day.
So that was, uh, that's pretty cool.
Um, so yeah.
So there's, uh, some good listeners that are repeat callers from, um, the snail
mail episodes that are on there, but yeah.
Oh God, I haven't even looked to see how many snail mail.
Oh, we have.
Yeah.
Well, for your own future casting a little bit, but this is Monday.
We don't know how many we had last Friday yet.
So yeah, I'm, and then here at Steve, we're way ahead.
So we'll see you guys will hear Friday's episode before you hear this.
I think we're going to be at like 60.
My guess is 65 70.
So we'll see.
So, uh, too funny.
Um, all right.
Well, cool.
So that is Devo's, uh, update update on the group by, uh, Russo update on today,
this month's giveaway, as well as the 25% off with Russo.
Um, definitely if you can, like I said, if you haven't listened to episode
seven or two, go back, listen to it, um, and then use that discount code.
It's 25% off these things is a pretty phenomenal deal.
Um, yep.
Let's see the boxes are out.
They are.
And hopefully you have all you local people to us have already received theirs.
Uh, so that will be, uh, hopefully that's how it's working out for you guys.
But yes, they are all shipped out.
Gotcha.
Yep.
Cool.
Um, we'll do a little bit or so late.
Yeah, we'll, uh, we got some reviews done last Thursday, so we'll wait a little
bit, uh, get more done here, but, um, from how much Jimmy and I used on X, uh,
off road, well, pretty much 24 seven when we were out at trial hero X.
Yeah, um, it's a very, very awesome piece of equipment for going out and
exploring outdoors.
Uh, all you need to do to get, uh, entered to win a subscription or maybe two, if
you're lucky is to go and leave us a review over on Apple podcasts.
So, um, leaving a review, you can say anything you want.
It doesn't even have to be nice.
It doesn't have to be five stars.
We don't really care.
Even if you give us a one star driving you, we're not braving for five stars.
Uh, we're describing you for the review itself, whatever you want to pay, uh, or
put down, um, if you can find ways to leave multiple reviews by getting access
to multiple accounts, um, then please do.
And, uh, the more you, uh, reviews you live, the higher your chances are of winning
some really cool on X, uh, elite memberships, as well as a bunch of other
stuff that we do grand prizes per se.
And the next big grand prize is coming at 900 reviews.
So once we reach 900 reviews, we're doing a big old package from more
flight, Tyler's big package, my big package, you'll get, uh, my big package
in the mail and it's valued over $900 again.
There you are.
Uh, anything else we got going on the background.
Uh, I don't know.
I think we covered a lot of it on Thursday's episode.
So I say we just jump in today's.
Okay.
Sounds good.
Well, we do have a Scott from portal pros back on the show today.
Uh, he's always got some really cool information for us, some fun stories and, uh,
some cool things that portal pros is doing.
Um, it's really been fun to see them from their inception design.
Ideas to having product out in the market now and people buying
product and now launching more product.
So it's, it's pretty rad watching their journey and what they've been doing.
Um, and we're super excited to have Scott back on the show to talk about a new
product launch that a portal pros is getting ready to do here.
So we'll take a quick break and then we'll be right on back with Scott from
portal pros, grab your favorite drinks.
This one's going to be a lot of fun.
At four wheel underground, we have something for everyone's 79 through
04 Toyota vehicle, whether you've got a Chevy Dana 60, 0 five and up super
duty fabricated, FJ 80 or many truck axles, we got you covered three link, four
link parallel and triangulated suspension kits.
We've got you covered under bed coilover mounts, through bed, coilover mounts,
trailing arms, cantilevers, custom tuned coilovers and air pumps.
Make sure to use coupon code snail trail at fourwheelunderground.com
because we've got you covered.
Well, welcome back ladies and gentle ladies.
We have here in the studio, we let him out of the green room and finally into
his proper position on the casting couch.
Scott Scott from portal pros.
Welcome back to the podcast van.
How the hell are you?
I'm good, but I'm feeling a little nervous now.
Should I?
No, no, you're good.
You got the center seat on the couch, which means there's plenty of room for
the plans we have later.
Yeah, you're good.
Do you, you only need to be nervous once that door opens.
I'm just going to be watching on the YouTube land.
So watching your eye movement just constantly getting all worried and
getting all bug-eyed.
I usually sit on the couch and every once in a while, you can see the shadows
under the doors moving.
So get ready for that.
That's when his eye head is going to be moving that way.
Oh, here it comes.
Who knows what Ryan has planned out there?
We never know what Ryan and the guys have planned or what's going to come
through that door when it comes open during the, when we're recording.
Um, anyways, welcome to studio.
I didn't realize that you had never been here before.
Like, no, we did the wrong one before.
And yeah, no, it's, it was cool.
Thank you.
Yeah, we did a little tour, walked around the whole warehouse and everything.
It was cool.
Yeah.
So it's quite impressive.
Yeah, definitely.
It's way bigger than I thought it was going to be.
She said, yeah.
And especially cause you weren't at the previous spot.
No.
Well, how big was, do you remember how big the previous spot was?
2300 square feet.
2300.
And then he's like, I'm upgrading.
And I was like, within a year or something like that.
And I'm like, okay.
So you're going to like three, maybe four.
And what do you got now?
93.
Yeah.
It's 93 and a square feet.
And it's pretty damn full.
Yeah.
I was just like, wow, that's, that's way better than our shop.
The garage.
I was there.
I was in a fucking garage in a condo and 1100 square foot condo is where we
started more flight at.
So, yeah.
Um, yeah.
And then, uh, we're almost got this place full and there's a spot next to us.
That's open.
So I went and looked at that one.
It's 26,000 square feet.
And I was just like, I could set up an off-road park in here.
It's kind of crazy.
I was like, I can't do that one.
I can't go that way.
We could work with Vanquish, right?
Yeah.
And set up an RC off-road park.
Oh my God.
People come over for RC competitions.
There you go.
Oh my God.
That would be hilarious.
Anyways, uh, enough about us.
We're, we're talking here today about portal pros.
Um, so, uh, you guys,
have been doing a lot of testing and having a lot of fun with a Toyota.
Yeah.
Well, it, it's not a Toyota.
It's a Toyota.
It's a Lexus.
It's the better Toyota.
It's the bougie Toyota.
It has a DVD player in the back.
So they watch a movie.
They watch movies while Scott drives people around up trails.
That's how you escort people around.
It's, it's, it's so silly.
It's 2004.
It's way nicer than my 2015 JK, which the JK is like manual windows, mirrors,
all this stuff.
Um, and the, the Lexus has leather seats, heated seats.
Um, the, yeah, I mean, electric everything.
And then the DVD player, it's a seven-seater.
So it's got the like full down back.
Oh my God.
And it's crazy.
I mean, you know, it's 22 years old, 160,000 miles.
It, and it, cosmetically, it's not the best.
It's got some chips and paint and whatever, um, but like driving.
It's like, oh, I see why these are so popular.
Like the V eight is really nice.
Like it's not crazy powerful, but it's really nice.
And then just drives nice on the road.
It's like the, um, what do you call it?
N V H is like really nice.
It's really quiet.
I mean, yeah, especially again, coming from Jeeps, like they just suck.
So you're saying that, but how many Jeeps have you owned throughout your
just to just to I had my, yeah, the 94 grand Cherokee and then my JK.
And that's it. Yeah.
So yeah, I've had a Jeep since they're very utilitarian.
And it's like, it's like the, the pre 20, 24 Tacoma.
Like it's like the Tacoma is just all utilitarian.
Right.
And that's also funny.
He's going from my grand Cherokee, which is the like limited edition.
So 94, it also had electronic everything.
You know, you'd even had like this crappy little display thing.
It was like, you know, your tail lights out or your doors open or whatever.
Yeah. It just like, it had everything that you could get in 1994, you know,
and then I get my JK and it's like stepping back 10 years behind that thing.
But, you know, the JK just, it's better because it's newer.
Grand Cherokee, 20 years newer.
It's a lot better.
There's something to be said though, about having almost no electronics
in your off road vehicle.
Yeah, it is pretty nice, but I don't get that concept.
That's the funny thing is when I have to lean over to say hi to someone
out the passenger side and I have to roll, reach over, roll the window.
People are like, I'm sorry, what?
Like, yeah, yeah, this is the poverty edition.
That's Bobcat for you.
Bobcat's a 91.
So except for Bobcat, you also kind of got to like pull the window down.
That's just the driver window.
Yeah. There's no crank on the end door on the inside of the door.
Well, apparently on the, the Trail Hero X trip, Kermit's rear passenger
window stopped working.
Oh, wow.
So I need to go and dig into the motors on those now.
And like two of the door locks stopped operating as well.
So I just need to pull all the doors apart and dig into the other.
Fiona's passenger side front window wouldn't roll down for me.
Yeah.
And that's, I don't know if that's a switch.
We need to, I need to figure that one's been acting out for a while.
The motor works because I can roll it down from the driver's side,
but you just have to constantly be like, dad, can you roll my window down?
It sucked.
I'm sure you just turned the child locks on.
Anyway, so yeah, it's it's always been amazing to me.
The the fancy word coming your boggle, your was that boggle word.
Boggle your mind.
What do you mean?
Junk's deposition of what Lexus does with their vehicles
compared to what Toyota does with their vehicles.
It's just like, what do you, how is there this much of a gap?
Yeah, yeah.
Between the amenities in these two brands that are owned by the same fucking company.
So yeah, it's always been amazing to me at that.
But yeah, so you have this for at Lexus 470,
which is essentially the 100 series Land Cruiser.
No, no, it's a four runner.
Really? The 464 GX470.
Well, there's the LX470.
That's the Land Cruiser.
But this is a GX470.
So it's the same as basically a V8 four runner for that fourth gen four runner.
So it's with a bougie.
It's the bougie feel.
Yeah, yeah.
Exactly. Yeah.
So if you had a DVD player in yours and leather seats and whatever,
I do have a full supposedly I got a I may not have one anymore.
A full leather interior owed to me for that.
Yeah, it's a that's it's a fun ring.
It's amazing how much space is in that chassis and that cab.
Yeah, yeah.
So what is the the GX460 then?
Is that just the newer generation?
Yeah, so the of the so the 470 is the older one.
The 460 is newer.
Yeah, and apparently that just the number relates to the
displacement in the engine.
So 470, it's got a 4.7 or 6.6.
I just learned this at Cruise Moab.
Yeah, and it was so funny.
You just just went to Cruise Moab, you know, a few weeks ago
and normally going to it's gotten to the point where I go to shows
and whatever, I'm like, OK, I kind of know the people.
It's more it's all really been Jeep focus.
This is the first like this is a Toyota event that you're going to.
And I'm like, I don't know anyone here.
Yeah. And luckily, one of our upcoming customers,
he came out to kind of help and, you know, whatever.
And he kept introducing me to people and like this is very like it's funny.
It's kind of opposite now because I do feel like, you know, like at King of the
Hammers, I walk around and like I could walk to a bunch of booths and say,
hey, how's it going?
You know, people that I know, whatever.
I just yeah, all these brands and companies I'm just not familiar with at
all. You know, the only ones I recognize are like the NorCal ones,
like Descend Off-Road or whatever.
But yeah, it was very interesting being kind of like, oh, wow,
I'm very uncomfortable.
There's a whole other world off road out here, which was it was cool
because, you know, I learned a whole bunch of stuff.
And then especially I feel like there's what I'm used to saying is Toyotas,
which is kind of more like, you know, Bobcat, right?
Many trucks, trucks like Northern California.
We have all these shipbox Toyotas, right?
Sure, I think that we call them, we call them Raisin to Toyotas.
They're seasoned.
All right. Yeah.
But, you know, then you go to cruise moab and it's all these Land Cruiser guys.
And that's a whole another thing.
That's a whole other thing.
Yeah. Because you're not buying a truck for five grand and then putting 10 in it.
You're buying a truck for 60 grand, putting 30 to 40 into it.
Ah, yes. This is this is different.
Yes. So it's a different mentality for sure.
It's a different, it's just a different vibe.
Yeah. Yeah.
But it was cool because I, you know, I feel like I know enough about Tacomas
and forerunners and the mini trucks and whatever now at this point,
but I don't know much about Land Cruisers and, you know,
what's the difference in the Lexus version and the Toyota version?
Oh, 200 series and what, you know, what are the special things about that?
Versus a 100 versus whatever.
So it was really cool to learn more about that stuff because, you know,
we'd like to be in that market and yeah, well, I need to learn about this stuff.
Yeah, sure. So welcome to the light side, finally.
As I was trying to get to you, that's funny.
Now I'm kind of riding both sides, Toyota and Jeep.
So when I'm talking to someone who has a Jeep, I'm like,
oh, well, you could go to the dark side and get a Toyota.
And then I'm talking to someone who owns a Toyota.
Well, you could go to the dark side and get a Jeep.
Yeah, that's funny.
Playing both sides, all right.
Is that making God like, what is this?
That's funny.
So you guys have been releasing a lot of content released lately with the 470.
Yeah. How's it been working?
How's it because you guys obviously you made some portals for the 470.
And the cool thing that I really like about the way you guys are doing portals
is the adaptability of using the same
portal box on multiple different vehicles and how you accomplished that, right?
You're and so it makes it so you can roll out new models very quickly.
And it also makes it so that you're just going to have a wider
universe cell like you were talking about last time.
Your modular modular system so that if somebody, you know, buys
Jeep, yeah, had buys a set of portals from you guys for it.
And then it's like, nah, fuck this Jeep thing.
I want a GX 470.
They can take the portals off by the adapter plates
and put them on to carry them over to the next vehicle.
Yep. Yep. Exactly.
It's a really, really cool concept of modularity, universality.
Yeah, it's kind of a unique thing in the industry, right?
Because a lot of things are very vehicle specific.
And so, yeah, like, you know, a common thing on Jeeps, you buy one ton
axles, you put them in, well, that's not going to transfer to your next Jeep,
especially if you're trying to go to an IFS rig like that.
Of course, that's not going to work.
So, yeah, I know that's pretty cool.
And yeah, we we got the portals on the GX 470.
So basically, we had our Jeep early adopters order.
So that was a total of 15 sets of portals.
And one of those sets was for the GX.
So that was our first prototype for ever putting on a Toyota platform.
It was cool. They came like mid December.
So we actually I drove the GX for the first time ever on portals on Christmas Day.
So I had bought that GX one year and one day before on Christmas Eve.
The year before.
Yeah. So I was like, oh, this is cool.
And I just drove around the block real quick and was like, OK, I'm done.
I've been working so hard to get that going.
I was like, this is Christmas.
I shouldn't be doing this, but I just need to drive it today.
It's just cool.
And then we took it out for one quick run down at Hollister, our local place.
A couple of weeks later, of course, I found a jump.
I jumped it the first time ever being off road.
I don't even know how we had completed the break in period at that point.
And it was I had also used it to deliver our first two sets of portals to customers.
So we have a couple of customers in California.
Yeah. So there's one in like not quite to Sacramento.
I don't remember exactly.
But yeah, I drove to meet him, drove partway to Fresno to meet another customer.
And you know, it's cool to shake their hand.
Here's your portals and bring you around in the Lexus.
Yeah. The Portalexus delivery van, which is cool.
It's the mom car.
We're totally and then we were planning the delivery wagon.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Yeah.
And then we brought it to King of the Hammers.
And actually, when because I had jumped it at Hollister,
realized that the original suspension that was on with 160,000 miles were,
you know, a little less than ideal for.
Yeah. So I actually picked up some used TRD
2024 runner shocks for like 500 bucks for four corners.
Nice.
And, you know, they're like IVP two point five with like piggybacks on them.
Like 500 bucks, you know, I can resell those and double that.
So we put those on because we also knew we were going
our buddy, Patrick Perry, who owns Perry Parts,
the 3D printed bump stop company.
He was coming with us to drive that down there
so we could bring all three of our portal rigs.
And we're like, you know, when he's testing.
All right, I guess I don't know if there's
certainly ship now, but they're Gen three bump stops.
OK, we have those as like, you know, his testing one.
And we're like, yeah, we know he's going to drive this
like a maniac and King of the Hammers.
He's never been to Johnson Valley or anything.
Oh, no, we're turning loose on our portal rig, you know, that we're like,
we want to see if the portals will rip off.
He wants to see how well the bums stops do.
And we were encouraging some bad behavior.
So like, yeah, it's going to need some better shocks.
So yeah, we get out there first night, drive up Turkey Claw.
Yeah, really?
Oh, GX 470 on 35 all terrains.
When I took so I had to winch just one spot, like the squeeze
place, which is just got nasty.
Yeah. And that's when someone in a buggy drove over the corner panel.
Oh, that's right.
The fender got smashed. Seriously?
First night we had it out there.
Yeah, I was stuck getting ready to winch and this guy rather than asking,
hey, can you move out of the way because he drove over with the first tire
and then I backed up to get out of the way.
And then he drove through.
It was like, bro, you could have just said get out of my way.
Yeah. So yeah.
So yeah, I smashed the headlight, crushed the corner or whatever.
Lame. Yeah.
But then, yeah, we we turned it over to Pat the next couple of days
and we did a little bit of rock crawling.
And then we also went through some whoops,
because one of the big concerns that we have is that the portals will rip off,
right? Like that you're mounted rotation.
It seems like rotational leverage.
Yeah, I mean, especially, yeah, being IFS compared to we've tested the Jeep a lot.
But and yeah, we, man,
I don't think if we have the video on YouTube,
I don't think most people will ever drive their, you know,
well, any vehicle really as fast as Pat was driving.
I mean, the rear end, he had it in the air at least 10 times
going through whoops, not a jump like whoops.
And like the rear end would kick up in the air and then the front was just like,
and I'm watching our vehicle go by.
I'm like, oh my God, this thing's never going to be the same.
We're not going to solve what we're not going to do.
Well, and then it was like this third night, we took it back to Turkey Claw
and then flexed it out and the airbags popped out.
The rear springs, you know.
So then we were driving around with no rear springs just on the bump stops,
which was actually kind of great.
But then he had to drive home 450 miles with no springs in the back.
Just and I'm driving behind him.
Sometimes just like he just bounce in and was like, oh, I'm so glad I'm not.
And so you let Pat drive it back all the way up to that's the works, he deserved it.
But he's also our first ever Toyota customer.
So as part of the early doctor, we got him a set.
So he should have his installed in the next couple weeks here.
Nice. He's been super busy doing all kinds of crazy stuff.
So yeah, that was that was the first big one, the inaugural trip of the 470 on
Portals. Yeah. I mean, so how did the portals hold up?
We heard how the suspension held up.
How did the portals hold up?
Great. They actually, they did help us tease out a small issue that we didn't
didn't really know about.
So we're working on resolving that now.
But that's the biggest stress testing.
Exactly. Right. And we're glad, you know, we're finding these things out early.
So yeah, but other than that, I mean, he was still drove home, you know.
And then after that, actually, we didn't even realize that the issue
like it came up later, but I then got it prepped to go to EJS a couple months
later, because we're our plan was to go to you're going to take a Toyota to
EJS. I want to make the Jeep guys jealous.
See, so he's got to go around and switch both sides.
He's got to go around with the DVD player and give Uber rides at the
switch. Both sides are hard.
He's on the couch.
The door's opening.
Yeah, so then our plan was to bring Matt's gladiator out and he was towing
that thing out there and then I drove the GX out all the way and we took
Matt's dad's tow vehicle, which is a Chevy 2500, whatever.
So big diesel with the truck and trailer.
He's able to go 80 miles an hour the whole way.
I'm just screaming trying to keep up with him.
Yeah, so yeah, we went a thousand miles averaging probably 75, 80 miles an
hour, made it out there and then we did one trail day with just the Jeep and
then we did the trifecta, which is what is a poison spider, golden spike,
gold bar rim and we were doing great.
I was taking all the stupid bonus lines.
It also at this point now had a rear lunchbox locker, no front locker and we
were following what's the call?
Oh, moto built was doing a run.
So, you know, moto built they all their rigs are 40s, 42s, like long arm, you
know, coilovers and the whole group that was with them was like 30 rigs.
Same deal.
It was like average tire size was 40 inches, you know, and so they're just
booking it and we're falling behind them and they're doing all the bonus lines.
I'm like, I think I could do some of these.
Yeah, it turns out you can't.
Yeah, at least one like V notch.
I went up and I'm like, oh, yeah, I got this.
I just watched like five jeeps go up.
It's I'm like, how hard could it be?
You know, so I go up and then as soon as the front right tire lifted off the
ground, then I had nothing to drive and just slid right into it.
I'm like, OK, winch, I'm done.
And then we were at the one between like poison spider and golden spike.
It's towards. Oh, no, that's there's the wedgie.
Yeah, it was before that.
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
So this one is like very much an optional line that like there's a line
that goes around it and then you just basically go straight up.
And then I think, yeah, another couple hundred yards and you're at the wedgie.
Yeah, I also did that one and going through.
If you go on that, it's like, you know, pretty simple V notch.
If you just stay straight and you stand on the line.
So I'm like, most of the way through and then Matt's like, well, that was boring.
And we should have made.
I was like, do you want me to make it more interesting?
He's like, hell, yeah.
So I just I'm like 80 percent of the way through.
I just make a hard right turn.
And then the whole thing just like lurches over.
I'm like, oh, this is a bad idea.
Yeah. And then I couldn't get it back righted because the the front,
having no locker, it wouldn't grab in the other tires in the air.
I'm like, oh, God, what was I thinking?
Yeah, you made it more interesting to get photo.
Yeah, exactly.
And then we were I think we made it through golden spike to the golden crack.
And then one of the I don't know if it's a named obstacle,
but there's kind of this like double step up thing.
And you end up climbing both front and rear at the same time.
And Matt made it up with the gladiator.
Yeah, that's that's called something.
That's a fuck. What is it called?
Yeah, I don't know.
It has a name.
OK, yeah. So Matt goes, he didn't get it the first time.
So he winds up and just hits it 40 inch tires on his gladiator.
Stock shafts and everything is, you know, again, going to the portals.
Like he's his gladiators crazy.
It's got armor and whatever.
But stock suspension, except for a spacer leveling kit in the front,
40 inch tires and portals.
Yeah. And it's like, yeah, just it just works really well.
I mean, I drove it over here today.
I was going like 75 miles an hour on the freeway.
Like just chill in. It's like no big deal.
And anyway, so he winds up and hits it a second time
real aggressively and pops up and I was like, oh, yeah, that's how you do it.
Forgetting that the the GX470 is an eight inch ring gear.
So I wind up and I'm like, OK, I'm going to make this the first time.
The does the gladiator have forty fours?
Yeah, it's the M220.
So it's like an eight and eight point eight inch ring gear.
So yeah, those axles are very stout, considering they're like
technically Dana, forty fours.
They keep getting stronger every year.
Be fee 44
Yeah, it's a pretty big 44
Yeah. So anyway, I line up for it.
And I'm like, OK, Matt, is this kind of the right spot?
Yeah, I think that's good.
And like, I know what he just did.
So I'm going to hit it and I bounce the rear end in the air.
And I should have taken my foot off the throttle.
I didn't realize how aggressive I hit it lands tire stop crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch.
Like, oh, and then, you know, of course, that a moment of panic.
Do we just blow up a portal halfway through this trail?
That's another, you know, 10 miles, 15 miles, whatever it is like backup.
OK, well, the fact that I can back up means it's not a portal
because when those gears go, they it stops like, OK, I think we're good.
And I go forward again and then hit the spot
when the ring, the gap in the gear is gone.
So then we're like, well, let's see if we can keep driving it.
You know, make it off the trail.
So he just we winched and then basically he just told me up
everything that was, you know, a climb through or winched up or whatever.
And we made it off the trail and then we drove back into town
still with the ring here in pieces.
So did you go all the way through Gold Bar as to or?
Yeah, we didn't turn around.
Yeah, we just kept because I think at that point it was closer.
I don't know.
We're pretty close to halfway, but maybe a little past,
but it's certainly easier going that way.
Right. So we went through and yeah, the ring gear was in pieces.
And did you winch up the waterfall?
Yeah. OK. Yeah, he's like, did he pull you up the water?
No, no, no, we just went on to the hook and pull it up.
Looking for my leaf spring.
Yeah.
We were on the run with a couple people that had been there for with it
for your lease. Oh, really?
That's funny.
Did they make comments about?
Hey, that's where Tyler's regular is right there.
This is where we spent six hours.
Yeah, it was a guy with a red FJ cruiser.
Oh, that's a oh my god.
That's our good buddies from Oregon, P and W. Yeah, I want to say Robert,
but it's no, it's not Robert.
I'm going to he's going to make fun of me now.
Yeah. No, I'm blanking on his name.
Yeah. Anyway, yeah.
So the OK, they were telling me I'm like, well, at least I mean,
we didn't get off the trail till oh wait, no, now I'm mixing.
Sorry. Sorry. Now I'm mixing two stories up.
Two weeks later, Cruz Moab, he was on the run.
That was not EJS.
Gotcha. Yeah.
So the plan was we were going to leave the GX out there
and we had arranged with Cliffhanger rentals, the GG rentals
that we were going to store it there
and they they brought it out during the day and parked it out front.
So people buy by portal pros.
Yeah. And so I'm like, OK, well, now I don't have a, you know,
the ring gear is broken.
This thing's will stay out here for 10 days.
What am I going to do?
You know, and, you know, trying to go through the scenarios of OK,
we could tell it we have the trailer.
We could bring it back on the trailer
and then I have to figure that out when I get home and yeah, whatever.
So I'm like, oh, let me see if I can make some calls.
So I don't know if you guys know the GXOR Facebook group, GX Offroad.
They are very active and they are very friendly.
And so I knew a couple guys
that are in the Salt Lake City chapter or the, you know,
Utah chapter, but live in Salt Lake City, start making calls.
Hey, let me make some texts of people, whatever.
By the time we were aired up, we had a full rear diff
with the same gearing on its way from Salt Lake City to Moab.
And I received it at my hotel at like 10 30 p.m.
So it was the guy who was he said, I think he's named Troy.
He's like, yeah, it's just my spare.
So you don't have to buy it or anything.
Just use it and then either send me a replacement
or if you end up swapping in whatever, just send it back.
So yeah, then I we got that swapped in Saturday.
So before we left for home, GX was back in one piece, you know,
that's a great thing about dropout thirds, man.
It is cool. Yeah.
And then we also went to grandpa's garage to replace it, which I've never been there
except for I still haven't been to grandpa's garage.
I haven't been there either.
That's legendary. Yeah, it's really cool.
And his name is Danny is the one that owns it.
And he just hangs out, smokes cigarettes and chats with you
while you repair your stuff, you know, but I had never been there
except for two nights before we went for like a EJS industry.
Yeah, right.
So kind of knew where it was and like, well, let's go back and do it.
You know, that's part of the experience of being a Moab is getting to work there.
So yeah, we've replaced that and then brought the third member back with us
and Dave Pfeiffer, you know, SRC, he's like,
we'll just drop it off when you get back here and I'll work on it.
Thinking, OK, I'll get it back in a month.
I'll just, you know, we own the one that I have, whatever.
No, I come back to Sacramento a week later to drive up for Cruz Moab
and he's like, oh, yeah, it's already done.
Just come pick it up.
Yeah. Nice.
So then I picked up my original diff with some used gears that he got, you know,
and drove back out to Moab for Cruz Moab.
And then I remember you breaking the diff out at EJS
and I contacted you.
I'm like, I got a third member, but, you know, like either you need to get back here
or we need to figure this out.
And you're like, no, dude, I'm good.
We already got one coming.
I'm like, love this community.
Yeah, it's pretty crazy.
It was rad.
Yeah. The fact that I think we broke it three p.m.
We're off the trail at seven and already had it on its way.
So yeah, that's crazy, man.
Yeah. So yeah, then we I picked up the diff from Dave
and I wanted that one back in because it had the lunchbox locker in it.
And, you know, I was signed up for some fairly hard trails
and for Cruz Moab, so I kind of be nice to have a locker.
And I drove back out there, went to Cliffhanger, borrowed their shop.
It swapped the diff again.
So the one that we rented got five miles put on it before we swapped it.
Nice.
And then did three days of trail runs at Cruz Moab.
And the third day we were sponsoring that one and did the trifecta.
OK. And so that's why we did it originally was to kind of pre run.
So I knew I was getting into it.
So we got to the spot where I broke and I'm like, we're taking it real easy.
Yeah. So I'm not bouncing up this if we need to stack rocks, winch.
I don't care. I am not doing this again.
But yeah, it was it was super fun doing that.
And and then yeah, I had the tow.
I brought the truck and trailer so that I could tow the Lexus back
because yeah, and didn't have a ride back.
Right. Yeah.
Because someone didn't. Hey, Jimmy.
Sorry. What did I do?
That was also funny, right?
It's like what two days before we were supposed to leave.
So I was supposed to ride out with Sean.
Sean. Yeah.
More played, Sean.
And he texted Tyler and I on Sunday.
We're supposed to leave Tuesday.
It was early Tuesday morning, five a.m.
So yeah. And he texted us on Sunday morning.
He's like, hey, I'm sick.
I don't know if I'll be able to go.
And then we're like, OK, well, we'll check in tomorrow.
See how you're feeling next day.
Yeah, I'm feeling pretty terrible.
It's not. So the Tyler and I chat was like, OK, well,
I guess I'll have to figure out my own right to get a thousand miles.
Well, luckily, Matt has a truck and trailer.
So I just called him up and was like, hey, man,
I'm coming to get the truck. Yeah.
Like, can you set it up for me?
Nice. Yeah.
Yeah. So you got an Airbnb.
A whole build, a whole thing.
All do yourself to like, oh, I'm going to change accommodations
like one day before.
Yeah. Oh, man, that place was really nice.
Was it? Yeah.
It was pretty new.
I mean, couldn't have been built more than five years ago.
Like it was. Wow.
Well, it's it was in a weird spot.
It's like pretty far south of town and it was like south of the arena, too.
Yeah, the arena and is in like the industrial park.
So it's like rental shop, off-road shop, rental shop.
And then there's like was it down next to Tomater?
I know he's he's fairly well south of town, too.
But I never looked at the exact location of where that Airbnb was.
He's farther south.
OK, it's kind of what trail did we do that we came out that way?
I think steel bender.
If you know the exit of still under is that is farther south.
So we had to come back.
But yeah, I showed up at like, you know, 11 p.m.
or whatever. Yeah.
And I'm like, this cannot be the right address.
You know, like when you might, you know, like,
everybody's always like, don't follow Google Maps.
You know, I'm like, yeah, I'm turning on an industrial park.
Like there's no way this is right.
And I'm like, look, I guess it seems right and pull down.
And then it's like a laundromat, some other store.
And then the condos are part of that building.
So I'm like, this is very confusing.
And I'm so tired, you know, but yeah, the place was really nice.
And it was nice, very silly having it all to myself,
yeah, including the the master bedroom had a giant shower with two faucets.
Oh, that's right.
You show me. Yeah, it was like a shower.
You're like 10 people in there for sure. Sounds fun.
All right. Yeah, it was yeah, it was pretty funny.
We'll do an industry party at the that condo next year.
Couches.
Now I'm checking the door again.
Yeah, so that was that was the latest one.
And then, yeah, thankfully no events or no, nothing to note.
So interesting note about the the 470 and the 460,
the Lexus, the GX, the the rear ends they put in those vehicles were the eight inch,
the 460, they upgraded to the 8.2, they did go to 8.2 because the forerunner,
I believe those years had the 8.2, they point two in it,
and then they put the eight inch in the Lexus and used the bigger ring gear
for the forerunners. My understanding after doing this research is basically
everything up to 2009, the forerunners and the GX's were using the eight inch
and then and the FJ's. And then in 2010, they switched to the 8.2 on all of them,
including the FJ's. So what's interesting, I was researching this,
people were recommending doing an FJ cruiser with an automatic transmission,
I think has 373 gears in it, and it's a direct bolt in to the full rear axle.
So I was like, oh, if you could find one of those and they come with a factory
locker as well. Yeah. Unfortunately, I haven't found one yet. So,
but yeah, so I don't know. And then you can also, if you're a crafty,
you can make the 8.2 third member work in the eight inch housing by moving some of the
studs that hold the third member in. Like four studs need to be adjusted or something like that.
So anyway, I started looking at that and then someone was like, dude, don't bother,
you're gonna blow those 8.2s up. I'm like, okay.
Well, and from what I need to do more research on this, because it's sort of like this gray
cloud of information. I think the 8.2 is still an eight inch ring and pinion. It just has a
beefier carrier. Oh, the carrier and the bearings are a little bit bigger than the bearings.
So yeah, I don't know what the right answer is. I kind of want to just get a 4.9 inch.
Or the Land Cruiser 9.5. 9.5 is a pretty sweet diff.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just like the idea of doing the four just because you can
give so many options, you know, and there's a wide world of nine inches. Yeah. Wonderful
world of nine exactly. So I don't know. We'll see if we're going to run it as it is now and
I know a really great way to make a 10 and a half inch tundra axle. I'm going to put that in there.
Actually, I did see, I forgot the name. You got all the clearance in the world.
Yeah, it's true. Actually, I saw on Mark, you probably eliminate all that clearance by throwing
that big green gear back to stock. It's only what is it? We have it listed there. Your rear diff
is 12 and a quarter inches off the ground on 37s. Okay. And Kermit is 12 and a half.
So it's 40 on 40s. So I have a quarter inch more clearance.
Yeah. With the Toyota eight inch on three inch larger tires, one and a half inch larger
tires when you project out. That tells you it is pretty, pretty good. You know,
it's pretty wrapped up in there. I did see a sterling 10 and a half from a super duty
on marketplace with 373 gears and a factory E locker. And I was like, that could work.
It'll be overkill, but it'd be cool. That'd be fun. Go big or go home.
There you go. Yeah. Nice. Run in a, is it a 7.5 in the front?
Oh, I think it's an eight inch. Eight inch in the front, 10 and a half inch in the rear.
Yeah. Yeah. It might be a little off balance at that point with that big old axle back there.
Unsprung weight is fun, especially when you're as wide as you are with the portals.
So again, girthy and more unsprung weight, man.
Right. Well, it sounds like you've been stress testing the vehicle a lot.
Definitely. You've been having some fun. Oh, yeah.
It sounds like and all the stories you told us talked about how you broke the vehicle,
but you actually didn't break the portals. Yeah. Yeah.
So that I think that's a great sign. Yeah. So are they available for Toyotas yet?
Yeah. Well, so yes, with the caveat, they're not here yet. So we have our next batch of,
we're going to have 14 total for sale of which either 11 or 12 are spoken for already.
Wow. So we'll have two available. Yeah. I know, right? It's amazing.
And so those are going to be here July, August kind of timeframe. Okay.
So they're coming up pretty soon. So what's all vehicle applications do they fit on?
Because your guys' vehicle application is really dependent on the unit bearing, right?
Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. So the big thing is,
yeah, what is the unit bearing pattern? And then what stub shaft do you have in the front
to match the input gear? Gotcha. In the front, we match whatever the OEM was.
So like the Jeeps are 32s, the Toyotas are 30s, although I think the diameter is actually bigger
with the 30 spline Toyotas one, which is weird. And then in the rear, we do a 35 spline into the
portal no matter what. So yeah, that's always the same. So the applications we're doing right now
are the fourth gen and fifth gen, four runners. So 2000, is it 2003, 2004?
I think 2004 is when the fourth gen started. Yeah. So up to 23 or 24. And then Tacoma is
second gen and third gen. So 2005, 2006, one of that starts to 23. FJ Cruisers, the whole run,
GX470 and GX460. And I think that's all of them. Yeah.
That's a lot of the market though. Yeah. It's 20 years of vehicles.
Yeah, sure. Yeah, I know. That's what we're offering right now. And then we also got talked into
doing a 200 series Land Cruiser. So we're going to have one customer on that. And that applies to
the Land Cruiser, the LX570 and the second gen Tundra and second gen Sequoia, I think,
they're all the same. Okay. So yeah, there's another 15 years of vehicles across four different
platforms. So we have just the one customer right now, and that's going to be kind of a prototype.
He's going to help us figure it out. He's actually the guy that was with me at Cruise Moab. So
it's the big Land Cruiser guy. And yeah, so that's all we have right now. And then we also,
on the Jeep side, it's still the JKJLJT. And then we learned that the TJ Front Axle is,
the knuckle is basically the same in terms of what we care about. So we're going to have a customer
with an LJ with two J axles as well. And he's going to weld on an adapter plate in the rear.
So we don't have to worry about that as much. So yeah, our modular design is really coming in
handy where it's like, yeah, there's actually not that many things to figure out. The biggest thing
is, oh, I don't know, maybe the biggest risk of doing a new application is things like the ABS.
The new Toyota's, I've heard that there's some challenges around that. And as the computers
get more and more complicated, picky, like, yeah, if you mess something up there,
like that becomes problematic. So yeah. And then I don't, I don't know where we're going to go from
there, but yeah, we're, I mean, with that, with that application, those two applications on the
Toyota side, all the work you guys have done with the Jeep stuff, like you're going to be covering
90% of the off-road market for the past 20, 25 years. Yeah, yeah, for sure. So I think,
yeah, from there, I think it's just a matter of growing the company. Yeah, for sure. Once you
have the, that foundation of your product stuff. So yeah, for sure. So that's, that's kind of what
we're, we're looking at basically doing this batch, delivering, like I said, around August and then
ordering a small amount of inventory going into early 2027. And then we'll see where it goes
from there. Yeah. Yeah. That's cool. That's rad. So it's pretty wild. Last time we had you on,
we talked about the cost comparisons of going with just portals versus doing a full on build,
right? And it was super eye opening to see that difference. And so now, when, now that you have
the Toyota stuff getting covered, what's the most popular thing right now for suspension building
a Toyota for, you know, fully capable, you know, I don't want to say over the top build, but
something that's going to be super, super capable, that's going to be able to do 90% of anything
out there that people are going to want to do. Yeah. I mean, it seems like the RCLT kit from
Marlin Crawler is kind of like the baseline that people compare to if you're turning into the
standard. Yeah. There's a lot of long travel kits out there. And I think if you want to go fast,
I don't know if the RCLT is the best for that. But in terms of ground clearance and design for
big tires and rock crawling, as far as I understand, that's, that's the, the kit to go to. Yep. And
so yeah, that was what we wanted to use as kind of a baseline of comparison for the more extreme
build. If you want to run like 37s or 40s, I did also do a comparison. If you were having a more
mild build, kind of like we did with the Jeeps, you know, one ton swap versus just upgrading your
Dana 44s. So yeah, we can, we can jump in. I want to dig into this. I'm curious. I don't know if you
want to scoot this over. Yeah, you can scoot everything out. Adjust as needed. So you can start
with the mild build. And I should stipulate, mild build still means full build. So it's not like
it's not a two inch lift kit and, you know, some crappy reused tires that you bought on marketplace,
right? It's still pretty significant. So in the, in the quote unquote, traditional build,
meaning the non portal build, and you want to run like 33s or 35s, I picked a lift kit from
Accutune. That's kind of like a mid, you know, like you get some Fox 2.2 point 0s, 2.5s, I don't
know, upper control arm. Yeah. And then, you know, replacement leaf springs or coils in the back.
Okay. So that's $4,000. You're buying gears, 1200, 1200 bucks. So you're regearing. I'm assuming
you're going to want to go to some RCB axle shafts. Those are 2,500 bucks. That's probably going to
want to upgrade your axle shafts, but you know, if you want to be worry free, you're certainly
buying those rear axle shafts as well. Like to chromoly axle shafts, assuming a rear drive shaft,
maybe, I don't know, maybe that's debatable things get moved around. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. I'm
not sure about that one. Okay. You know, we'll just take it off then. I mean, you don't necessarily
need to offline. So yeah, subtract the yeah, whatever. And then knuckle gussets or an axle
truss. Well, yeah, I think I just have a hundred bucks for the knuckle gussets and then install,
and we have labor as well. So 2,400 bucks. I'm assuming $200 an hour just because this is what
I'm used to paying for labor in the Bay Area. So I mean, we're the most probably the most expensive
place in the country. I think most off road shops are pretty average 150 to 200. Yeah. So maybe
this is a little on the high end, but not far off. Yeah. So I'm assuming like 2,400 for lift kit,
regear 2,600 just because the IFS clamshell ones, I think they charge you a bit more for those
axle shaft installed. Well, drive shaft again, we can delete that one. So total parts, I'm saying
$9,200 for the full like, you know, mild build lift kit, all that stuff. And then about $5,800
in labor. So I guess minus about 800 bucks total because of the drive shaft that I was having.
So, you know, calling it about, let's say $14,000 out the door installed.
And then comparing that to the portal build, we just have, yeah, so we skip the lift kit, gears,
axle shafts, all that stuff. We do do the knuckle gussets, portals for 15 grand, and then labor to
install the axle trust. Oh, I didn't even include that on the, oh, whatever. But yeah, I'm assuming
like three hours to install, yeah, knuckle gussets, because we don't provide replacement knuckles.
And then 1600, I'm assuming about eight hours in labor for installing the portals,
which again, we can attest to just yesterday I was installing portals on Matt's dad's Jeep. And
with a real casual pace, we got like 80% through it and maybe seven hours, something like that. And
we were chit chatting and talking with, yeah, so it was, you can definitely do it at a shop
in eight hours. Okay. Labor total being 2200. So you're out the door, $15,100 for parts and $17,000
total for arts and labor. So if you're doing the mile build, if you're doing, and you're having
someone else do it, you are paying a little bit more. So it's $15,000 versus $17,000. So, you know,
and then you have, you don't have portals. So you're still missing the extra ground clearance.
Yeah. And then, yeah, I mean, you probably can't fit as large as tires.
Correct. Yeah. So yeah, running at 35, there's probably going to be some other work you're
going to have to do as well. And also the time and, you know, effort to put them in and then the
transferability, yada, yada, yada. And then the other thing is with, this is assuming not a long
travel kit. So with the portals, because you're pushing the wheel mount surface out, you're
technically getting some amount of long travel. I don't like to say that it's a long travel kit
because don't go sending it through the desert like we did. I don't recommend it.
Mid travel. Mid travel. Yeah. But your, your, your control arms are effectively just getting
longer. So it does seem to flex quite well, at least going slow. Okay. So we have a difference
there. So we take out, what was that, that $600 bucks and the $200 for the labor on it. So we're
looking at 14,000 roughly for parts and labor on your mild build, everything. And that's 600
taken out for the actual trusts. Or were you still going to include that on the portal site?
Oh, it's giving you a portal. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So 17,000. So you got a difference of about 3,000
bucks. Yeah. And you have portals that you can transfer between vehicles later on. It's a nice
investment. And all the extra benefits that come with them that you get the ground clearance,
you're not getting with the other one too. So. Yeah. Certainly if you're trying to do
Northern California rock crawling trails, the benefits of the portals are, I mean, it's like,
it's crazy. And you can run a bigger tire because you don't have, I mean,
technically with the, what's your on 35s right now on the 470, but you have enough room in there to
go to 37s, 38s without too much work. Yeah. I think if we, we'd have to shift around like where the
control arms are at right now, it is rubbing a little bit on the CAD mount and we did do a chop
already. So, but we also have the control arms to have the camber set correctly. They're adjusted
all the way in. So it's like as far as, as worst possible, you know, case scenario for
clearance to the body. So if we had an adjustable upper control arm or whatever, we could
play with that a little bit more, but you know, that's where we're at right now. So certainly
you could go to 37s. It would just be a little bit more, you know, angling. Yeah. But you're
going to, I think it feels like it'd be less finangling than having to do like a CAD mount
relocate and everything, but you'd have to do on, that's not true. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. The CAD
mount shots pretty easy compared to moving it. Okay. So, um, cool. On a Tacoma, um, have you,
do, do you have any experience putting them on Tacomas yet? Not yet. No. Okay. That'll be that
first batch. Yeah. Yeah. Cause I'm only, I'm my concern is that with the scrubber radius,
it's going to be quite horrific. We're going to have to learn. Well, yeah. See, you say that and
then, um, uh, yeah. So on the scrubber radius for our existing setup, we're just using the
stock Toyota wheels. So they're like plus 25 millimeter offset, I think. Sounds about right.
Yeah. And yeah, it's crazy jumping that and sending it through whoops with the stock cast wheels.
And, uh, yeah. So plus 25 millimeter offset. So we're, we literally just pushed the wheel
out four inches, you know, as opposed to what we were kind of normally compared to centered wheels,
because that's pretty typical centered or maybe slightly negative offset, um, for off-road rigs.
So yeah, I think just putting the wheel out four inches, you're also pushing it forward. Yeah,
down. So I will say like, I think this is one of the big concerns and I would almost say
misconceptions of portals is that, Oh, your scrub radius is where steering is going to be terrible.
Sure. And the reality is with, you know, going one to one, it is not bad at all. And I mean,
doing all this off-roading, I'm not feeling like, Oh man, I'm really struggling with the
steering or anything like that. I mean, I haven't had a front locker, so I'm sure that'll feel
different, but that's true regardless or share this portals. Right. So, um, yeah. And if anything,
honestly, the GX, I would say drives on the road better than it did before, uh, because, um, I
think one, we're getting a little bit wider. So that just adds a little bit of stability,
but also because you're pushing the wheel down, um, so your mechanical trail is getting a little
bit longer, um, which is to say your geometry is becoming more stable. Um, so I, because I don't
know, I don't know if this is true on like all Toyota SUVs, but, uh, driving that GX when it was
stock on the highway, it always needed a little bit of input because they don't have much caster
angle. It's like three or four degrees from the factory, something like that. So I'd be driving
on the highway straight and it's like just always a little bit of, you know, steering input.
I think it's less driving with the portals and 35s. Yeah. Which is, I mean, I guess it's faking
caster for you kind of thing or just because caster, what it really comes down to is mechanical
trail. Where did the line of the ball joints hit the ground before when the tire, you know,
what's the separation between those two points? Yep. And by pushing this down,
now that line keeps traveling further down in the tires, way back here. Okay. Yeah, you got,
I got it. Interesting. And that's why like, um, I've, if you look at like motorcycles,
especially like choppers or whatever, well, they'll have a ton of offset from the center,
the axle to the fork. It's to make up for that. So it's not horrible to steer. Yeah.
Okay. So this is kind of add, yes, it's not, it's just adding more mechanical trail.
Mechanical trail to your caster angle. Yes. Well, mechanical trail is literally,
so if you draw the line from the ball joints, your caster line basically through the ball
joints to where that hits the ground, the measurement from that point to where the tire
is centered. To where your tire makes contact. Yeah. That's mechanical trail. So when that gets
longer, it's harder to steer. It's more stable. Yeah. Um, but not maybe harder to steer, but
yeah, more stable. It's more, it'll drive in a straight line. Yeah. And that's the same as
adding more caster. That's basically what caster is doing is just adding, increasing your mechanical
trail. Gotcha. Yeah. So, um, yeah, I mean, I was pretty surprised. Like I drove, I was like,
shit, this thing drives better on the whole highway than it used to. And then even crazier too,
it still gets the same gas mileage. It's like, I went from, you know, whatever the stock tires are,
30, 31 inches. I was getting 35s. Yeah. 12, 13 miles of the gallon with that old V eight.
Still get 12, 13 miles ago on the way out to Moab going 80 miles an hour is getting 12 miles
of the gallon. That's awesome. It's like, yeah. Okay. You know, yeah. My, my concern or my fear is
because, uh, going from whatever 29, 31 inch tires on stock Tacoma up to 33s, you're already rubbing
the body. Oh, okay. And so, and there's a few tricks that I've learned to like solve that problem.
Like a three quarter inch wheel spacer and setting that making sure you have the right
right rim set up. And yeah. And so going on stock, a stock application, going up to 35s,
you have to do a body mount chuck. Okay. Yeah. And so it's going to be interesting to see how it
works with the portals because you're making the scrub radius bigger, but you're also lowering it.
So it might, you might get the clearance due to the, yeah. And then the other thing I've
been told is people will adjust the lower control arm, um, cam tabs. So the rear one is
all the way pushed out and the front one's always put all the way pushed in and that moves the top,
the axle or the wheel forward a little bit. In my case, again, they're both all the way in,
which again is the worst case for tire clearance. So it's getting a little bit of rub at like full
stuff turned. Um, but it's, you know, it's enough to take the paint off my crappy spray paint job,
but it's not chunking the tire or anything like that. So yeah. Okay. Yeah. Um, so I think,
yeah, fitting 37, you know, it's just probably going to be a little bit more work and
but, you know, learn and it's also going to be a lot more work. I think otherwise without the
portals. Right. And then we'll also have, because we're doing, we're going to offer our own wheels.
So we'll have those pretty soon that are plus 50 millimeter offset. So with that,
that actually might help as well. Cause now the tire's not swinging as much cause we are
improving the scrub radius. So reducing the scrub radius. So that might solve it. Um,
which will be interesting to see, but yeah, just haven't had a chance to put them on yet.
Cause we, well, we haven't gotten them yet. So, um, yeah, pretty excited to get those on.
Nice. Cool. All right. Okay. So let's take a look at the extreme. Yeah.
Extreme build. So we're going to talk more or less on our CLT, the Marlin crawler,
long travel kit versus portal pros. Yep. And so this is again, assuming you're running 37 or 40,
if, you know, if you're really feeling crazy. Um, so for the lift kit, I was just double checking
this morning. Um, the, they've actually come down in price quite a bit for the RCLT kit.
Oh. Um, so it used to be like eight or nine, like just for the parts for the RCLT. Now it's
about $6,000. And then you add the Marac, which I'm just going to cancel that one out because
you probably wouldn't, it'd be great to have that in, you know, the portal ring anyway. So
canceling that out fair. Um, that doesn't include the shocks. So the shocks are about
two grand from what they recommend, the RAVflow shocks. And then I was looking up
Aki tunes rear suspension kit. So you're about $9,500 to do total, you know, suspension and
just in parts for our CLT on it. Exactly. Yep. And then on the portal, I'm assuming a portal,
oh, I guess I won't go to the portal build yet. Um, and then buying gears. Um, so in this case,
I'm assuming that you're replacing the full rear axle. So just buying front gears only.
Um, and then front axle shaft, same deal, the RCVs for $2,500. Um, in this case, I am going to
say rear drive shaft because we're going to replace the rear axle so that won't work anymore.
Um, so is that a normal thing you have to do when you do RCLT? You have to redo the,
put in a new rear axle. You don't have to, but just those Toyota axles you want to run 40s.
Feel like you should, I don't know. Maybe this is the extreme bill. So you're going to want,
you're going to want to beef up from the totas if you're going to be going 38s 40s.
And so I'm assuming East Coast gear supply does this drop in Dana 60. That's a nice
so like full bolts in Dana 60 and sweet. So, um, there are certainly more expensive options
out there, but I think like you're, um, bang for your buck for that thing is, is really good.
I agree. It's like some of the fabricated nine inch axles you're talking 89 grand or
whatever. So I don't know. I'd be happy with a rear Dana 60, you know, and, um, so yeah,
that's 5,600 bucks. Um, they charge you for the gear oil that comes with that. Um, and then yeah,
so getting into labor, assuming like $6,000 for the lift kit, all that stuff, um, the regear, um,
drive shaft install, aftermarket in, uh, axle install. So all in all parts for the, um, extreme
build saying about about $19,000 and then parts and labor about $28,000. Wow. So that seems,
feels about right to me. If you're dropping off a shop and said, Hey, I want all this stuff,
you know, and this is ignoring armor and, you know, bumpers and all that stuff.
Drive, train, suspension axles. This is the difference between what you would get
for your build to be like, you're going to want armor on both the belts.
You're not going to need a winch with the portals, but
and then going to the portals, um, I'm going to assume that you're going to replace the lower
control arms and probably the upper control arms. I think that was the price of $3,000 for new control
arms. Okay. Um, and then, uh, yeah, knuckle gusts, it's in a rear axle truss. Okay. Um,
and then 15,000 for the portals. Uh, so installing the lift kit because you're just doing the,
just the control arms about a thousand bucks. Um, now you don't have a rear axle listed on the
portal build. Why is that? Cause you don't need it. Cause the reduction, well,
let's give an eight inch and a V eight.
But that's, yeah, if you, if you have like the newer Tacoma, especially right with the,
what is it, 8.75 or whatever, are they in third quarter? Yeah. Um, like, I'm assuming you could
run 40s and portals on that and be perfectly happy. Um, I've just got the worst possible
combination of motor and axle. Yeah. Just a well known thing. Um, so yeah, not replacing the full
axle, but I am saying axle truss. And then we also provide with the portal kit, um, rear axle
shafts. So because you're converting a full float, so you're going to a 35 spline into the portal
and then matching the 30 spline going into the stock diff. But if you do want to upgrade to a
35 spline ARB, you could go 35 spline, 35 spline, which is actually what I have in my JK now. So,
you know, then they are just like stupid strong. Of course, you know, then again,
depends on how strong those ring gears are. I don't know. It's ways you fuse.
Yeah, exactly. Right. Hopefully it's not between your transfer cases.
And then yeah, it's installing the knuckle, gussets and axle truss, I'm saying a thousand bucks.
And then portals again, eight hours, 1600 bucks to install that. So total for parts on the portal
build in this case, 18,000. So pretty similar to the similar. But then when you're out with labor,
it's about 22,000. So at that point, you're talking about a $6,000 delta. And really just,
it's all in that labor. So there's just a lot more shit to put on. Yeah. And you got to have
more skills, right? Like more fabricating, you know, welding, grinding, cutting, all that stuff.
Yeah, that you wouldn't necessarily have to have with the portal setup.
Yeah. Interesting. So yeah, I think hopefully this is a fair comparison. I know this is why I
like talking to you guys about it because I'm still like kind of new to the Toyota world and
kind of feel like I'm once I've out of my ass. Yeah, the fact checkers here can
all the listeners out there. Yeah. Yeah. As from our last episode, we know.
Yeah. No comment. Yeah. Have you ran into them since?
No. Okay. I don't know what we're talking about. You have to remind me off air.
Okay. Yeah. I mean, I think for the rough talk, I think that's totally, that's great.
I think that's pretty fair. Yeah. We're talking, you know, we're in the
clouds here talking to, you know, trying to figure out how things are. And what it comes down to is
if you're once again, which was similar in the last one, right? If you're looking to do just a
moderate build, it's still a really good option. It's still a good option for you. But you're
going to be paying more. Yeah. There are upsides that you don't get from the suspension route.
But yeah, if you're saying pure dollars, the portals are going to cost more.
The thing is though that with portals, it's easier to install. There's less things you
need to change on your vehicle. And you gain the ground clearance, right? And the gear reduction.
Well, and that's sort of what I meant by there's less things you need to change.
You don't need to change the gears. You don't have to pull the gears out or have somebody do
all that work for you, right? You don't have to deal with it, right? So it might cost a few
thousand dollars more, but it's all in all, it's easier. Yeah, for sure. And but if we're just
talking dollars to dollars, it is slightly cheaper on a mild build. But once again,
we're proving that it's about the same or like significantly cheaper. If you're going to, if
you're excluding the labor, if it's something you can do by yourself, way cheaper to have portals.
Yeah. And then do and to that point, right? Like wild build, we designed them to be able to be
installed in your driveway. You could basically go to Harbor Freight, pick up if you don't have a
floor jack, you're like, maybe $50 worth of tools, $80 worth of tools. Yeah. Sorry. Yeah,
if you do have a floor jack, if you don't have a floor jack, $300, you know, Harbor Freight,
like we literally use Harbor Freight tools for like all our trail stuff, whatever. So and we
designed them also to be able to be replaced on the trail, because anything happens, right? So
like, yeah, I mean, if you have some jack stands of floor jack and some, you know, buddies come
over, you could do it in a weekend, no problem. And yeah, it's, it was cool. Even just yesterday
with Matt's dad. And then we had John Herrick from Call Magazine coming over to shoot and see
the install and whatever. He kept going, oh, that's it? It's like, yeah. He's like,
this is very complicated. And you guys made it like pretty straightforward, you know?
So that's awesome. You talked earlier about going and doing a portal install on Matt's dad's Jeep
about seven hours and pretty lax days will pace. You guys were shooting magazine content while
doing that? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's taking pictures. And you got it pretty much done. That's pretty
good. Jimmy and I always joke around about it. Whenever we're having to do a video or Jimmy's
shooting something while trying to do work on a vehicle, it takes five times as long.
That's what when we did the first ever install with or for the install video for the Jeeps,
we showed up at the shop at about 830 and we did in a shop. So we had a lift and everything,
but we did shoot the video and it rolled in. We had to tear everything out. So that's part of it.
And then I think we were, we left it by 6pm. So, you know, 839 the morning we started,
we're done by 6pm. The customer is driving home while we shot the video. Yeah. The whole install
video too. Yeah. Now we had, you know, professional mechanic helping us do the tear down and we would,
we basically did the one side, the, you know, passenger side, shot the video and then he was
just watched us and then went and did the other side. So it's funny. Yeah. It would take us,
you know, two hours, three hours to get the front portal on whatever. He walks over half hour,
he's got it ready to go. All right. Yeah. We get it. Cool. Yeah. I mean, this is at a shop that
these guys do a lot of like custom fab stuff and whatever. So bolting on portals is like snooze
fest. Yeah. But that's cool. That just, that speaks, I think, paramount to the design that
you guys have been able to come up with and introduce into the portal, the portal industry
here. Yeah. Yeah. And it really stems from our experiences driving ship boxes. We're breaking
all the time. You know, like my ZJ, Matt's XJ and every time you go to work on something on the
trail and you're like, damn, this is, you know, it's great to work on it on a lift or whatever.
But yeah, oh man, this is a pain in the ass. Now we're laying on the dirt figuring this out. So
that really is like the core of it is we are expecting at some point someone will have to
take a portal off, potentially have to rebuild it on the trail and that's what we keep showing in
our videos that, yeah, you can do this, you know, like the point is that it is stupid, simple,
you know, that, yeah, you can be on the trail and not, not be pissed, cussing it up.
But you don't have cell service because you're going, oh, it's very obvious the way this comes
apart, you know, the instructions to double check, you know, and then in some extent, you know,
maybe we should exclude labor on there because you should probably install this yourself so that
while you're out on the trail, although apparently you blow out your airbag suspension and everything
else before you even have to touch the portals on the trail.
We've been talking about at some point, we want to do an install on the Rubicon trail.
That'd be fun.
We want to bring a stock vehicle out, bring out everything and at the beer tree.
Beer tree down the middle of the ball. Do it. That would be really cool.
I've talked to the sheriffs out there and they're like, dude, let us know. We've come out and hang
out. So Jimmy and I really want to go down to beer tree on like a busy weekend and just hand
out pormosas to get there. So let us know what is happening. We'll be there providing drinks.
We're mostly way through and then we can't stand up anymore. Yeah. Then the portal installs challenging.
Well, that's the great thing about pormosa. Did you just say we're pormosa the way through?
To answer your question, I do have a joke, apparently.
That's the great thing. We did a pormosa at the work party this weekend
and I had like six of them, seven of them, something like that.
And it's only equivalent of like two Coors lights because it's a 50-50 mix.
They're great. Refreshing. You keep going and you don't get anything out of it.
Unlike a Bloody Mary, which has a few shots inside of it.
Anyways, let us know when you do that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. I'll get the Sunny D. He'll bring the Coors light.
We'll bring the party.
And maybe the casting catch.
Actually, you know, what's that, that old like movie series science theater?
Oh, Science, Mr. Three.
Yeah, just be there commenting, throwing stuff at us.
Oh, God, that would be amazing.
We would need to shoot it from behind.
All right, we have a plan.
We're no longer handing out Sunny D, though.
You need a drink?
That would be funny.
All right, I have an off the wall question because you got me thinking about the LJ that has TJ
axles. Does the XJ have TJ axles under it?
So you would start covering the XJ market as well.
Yeah, we're trying to decide what specific axles there because those came with a few
different rear axles. So we're doing a Dana 44 rear right now.
But I think the mounting surface is all the same.
So yeah, I think we'll be potentially like, but here's the question, though, is
do we want to make portals for Dana 35s?
I mean, it would take stress off the data.
It might help the Dana 35 live through a couple of trails.
This is where it comes back.
People ask us for every application.
We have to filter it, right?
Like Toyota Mini truck axles.
People ask me, like, no, we're not doing that.
We'll just snap them in half, right?
The knuckle balls will snap right off, right?
Yeah, you need a lot of guts.
It's on the knuckle balls.
Yeah, and what about the FJ 80 axles?
Yeah, that's a lot bigger.
Yeah, that's a FJ.
He's got big balls.
Don't make me put four axles underneath my truck.
You can put four axles under.
How long until the Super Duty version?
Yeah, that's how I was going to ask.
Okay, this is actually a good topic because a lot of people have been asking for those.
And I'd say we're just scared of those.
Like we design these super duty.
Yeah, like your average Super Duty Rockcrawler person is different than your average JK,
JL owner.
And we're saying our warranty covers up to 40 inch tires right now.
We assume as soon as we get, we say, oh, yeah, Dana 60, 14 bolt, whatever.
People are going to put 43 inch stickies on them with 600 horsepower.
They're going to go blow them up and they're going to be pissed at us.
And we're going to be like, well, we said 40 inch tire.
Warranty.
You know, it's like DOT tires to do more testing now.
So it's something that is on our mind.
We're not sure if this is the platform, like meaning our portals is the right thing,
or do we have to have the Super Duty version, which, you know, maybe a deeper ratio, taller lift.
And then the other thing is, you know, market wise, like, is that really a big market?
Is it going to be worth it?
Yeah, like the reason that people use junk art axles is to save money.
Do they then want to throw $15,000?
I would argue that there is more rigs on the Rubicon with Dana 60s than any other axle.
I agree, but those are already set up rigs.
They'd have to ungear potentially.
Well, maybe not.
I mean, it depends, but, you know, like a lot of them are trailer to rigs.
So they're going from a 40 inch with a Dana 40 inch tire and Dana 60.
They're thinking maybe a 44 inch tire, a 43 inch tire.
And again, that goes down to, oh, okay, are these going to survive that?
I don't know.
So yeah, that's really the answer is we're kind of scared with our existing portals
to go down that road and look like it's a weak design because a bunch of crazy people
with 5, 600 horsepower, 43 inch stickies blow them up.
Yeah.
You know, it's like, yeah, of course they'll blow up.
Like they were designed for a freaking stock Jeep.
So that being said, we do have a couple of 392 customers.
Okay.
There, one guy especially is very aggressively trying to blow up the portals.
Um, so yeah, he does burnouts with them.
He drives, he jumps it all the time and he drives it daily, uh, to work 100 mile round
trip.
Um, yeah.
So he got them in February and already has like 14,000 miles on his portals.
What 40 inch tires in February?
Yeah.
Jesus Christ.
Yeah.
Wow.
That's impressive.
And he's like, yeah, I think I'm going to buy some 42 inch tires.
And I'm like, okay, man.
If he's willing to do the R and D for you and you can kind of work with them on it.
So yeah.
And with the early adopters, we didn't really set like a tire size limit or anything.
We're just like, see if you can break them.
Let us know nuts.
You know, yeah, for sure.
Yeah.
So that's, that's kind of a route.
Yeah.
Sweet.
Yeah.
Cool.
I'm excited.
I think it's a really cool idea that you guys have figured out for portals are really
neat way to implement them on vehicles.
And I love hearing about all the stress testing and R and D stories that you gave them that
you come up with.
Yeah.
I mean, actually another really good one was when my, I was on the Rubicon three days ago on
Saturday and my power steering pump went out.
And so we're like, it wasn't out.
It was just leaking really bad.
And so I had a jam to get out of there because I only had so much power steering fluid and I
didn't want to completely burn out the pump.
And I went from, yeah, the cell phone tree, which is like two and a half miles in something
like that to Lune in like 45 minutes, which that's pretty good.
I was ripping.
I mean, there's sections where I was going like 10 miles an hour through, like, you know,
it's like, that's really, and I had to pull over and retop off the fluid a couple of times.
It was, yeah.
I think Jimmy and I average into spider about an hour, hour 15.
If we're on our own kind of thing.
Yeah.
No group.
Sounds about right.
That sounds about the same pace that we'd be going through there.
So that's a pretty good clock.
Yeah.
It was, yeah.
What were you down to?
11.
Yeah.
So yeah, I don't have B lock.
So, okay.
But my Jeep is now pretty well set up.
It's got metal clothe control arms.
It's got Fox 2.5 shocks and the 40s and whatever.
Yeah.
So it, that thing's pretty nasty now.
All right.
Nice.
Cool.
All right.
Well, awesome, man.
Keep doing the good stuff out there with portal pros.
We always love hearing the stories.
So once you get another application, some more stories coming in,
we'll definitely get you back on listeners love hearing about it too.
So we'll be looking forward to the next time you come around.
How can people follow along with all the stuff you guys are doing?
Yeah.
The best way is on Instagram portal underscore pros or YouTube.
Same thing.
Portal underscore pros.
We do also have a newsletter.
If you're into that, we do a monthly newsletter and it's me writing it, not AI.
Okay.
And we've been doing like featuring our customer rigs, you know, so I could show and
it's been really cool seeing the customer rigs and you'll have to show you guys some pictures.
Like there's just one guy that's in Hawaii that's got a gladiator.
It's fully stock except for the portals and 37s.
It looks so sick.
I mean, it is just like, oh, that's what a gladiator is supposed to be from the factory.
Okay.
Yeah.
So yeah, it's been cool seeing all this stuff.
But yeah, those are the main ways to get in contact with us.
Sweet.
Awesome.
Jimmy, how can people get in contact with us?
Yeah.
Do you have any questions so you can always reach out at snail trail four by four on Instagram
or four by four Toyota Tyler on Instagram, or you can email us Jimmy or Tyler at snailtrail4by4.com
or you can call in and maybe we can get Scott back on the horn here on the snail mail episodes
9163454744
So I like it.
Final words, wrap up the show.
We'll start Jimmy.
He's a little used to it.
Yeah.
What you got?
I'm curious to hear about the Toyota stuff.
I'm super excited for it.
I know we've talked about it multiple times.
I'm always thinking about adding something like that to my rig and I actually think I would lower
my suspension that I have on my Tacoma right now and go to portals.
Yeah.
I think that would be a sweet, like, I don't know.
It would be like incognito, stealthy little, you know, amazing wheeler that I think people
wouldn't know what it was.
And then they'd like seriously go, wait, there's something different about that one.
And I think it'd be rad.
So that was, I think that's a get ready everybody for the Toyota stuff coming.
I think it's going to be a big splash in the market.
I agree.
Scott, any final words for everybody out there?
I need a new power steering pump.
We know a buddy of our Radle dynamics.
So we'll get in contact with you.
All right.
I guess that does it for today's show.
Thank you so much, Scott, for coming on.
Thanks, Jimmy.
Everybody out there.
Thank you for listening and watching.
And don't forget, keep crawling.
Well, I got a joke.
Okay.
Do you guys know what the difference is between a good joke and a bad joke timing?
That's like, uh, like, it's like,
About this episode
Portal Pros and Snail Trail 4x4 Offroad Podcast dig into Toyota/Lexus builds with real-world numbers, trail testing, and what’s next. They compare Lexus comfort and NVH to Jeep simplicity, then get technical on portal axles—fitment, costs, and why “the adaptability of using the same portal box on multiple different vehicles” matters. The crew also shares safety and community updates, including a Russo fire extinguisher giveaway and discount details, plus onX Offroad Trail Revival work on the Rubicon.
Scott from Portal Pros is back, and this time the conversation is all about Toyotas — because Portal Pros has been busy expanding well beyond Jeeps.
Jimmy and Tyler catch up with Scott on everything that’s happened since his last appearance: Portal Pros installed their first set of portals on a Lexus GX470 (basically a bougie 4Runner with a DVD player and leather seats), stress-tested it at Holister Hills, broke a ring gear in Moab, got bailed out by the FJ Cruiser Facebook community the same night, and somehow drove the thing home. If you’re wondering how capable a portal-equipped Toyota can be on trails it has no business being on — this episode answers that question pretty thoroughly.
From there, Scott digs into the numbers most people actually want to know: what does a portal build cost compared to a traditional suspension build on a Toyota? They run two comparisons — a mild build and an extreme build — and the results are more interesting than you’d expect. On the mild side, portals run about $3,000 more than a traditional lift kit setup, but you’re getting ground clearance, gear reduction, and the ability to transfer them to your next vehicle. On the extreme side — when you’re comparing portals to a full Marlin Crawler long travel kit plus a Dana 60 rear axle swap — portals actually come out around $6,000 cheaper.
They also cover what Toyota applications are available now (4th and 5th gen 4Runner, 2nd and 3rd gen Tacoma, GX470, GX460), what’s coming soon (200 series Land Cruiser, Sequoia, 2nd gen Tundra), why Portal Pros is probably not making a Super Duty version anytime soon, and why Scott designed these things to be installed in your driveway and rebuilt on the trail.
A good one if you’ve ever thought about portals and talked yourself out of it over the price.
Portal Pros: Website – https://portalprosoffroad.com/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/portal_pros/?hl=en YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@portal_pros – Monthly newsletter (hand-written by Scott, no AI) — sign up at their site
We have a massive discount this month with Rusoh Fire Extinguishers. You can get 25% off this month only with the discount code Rusohcrawlers. Go grab yours today!
SnailTrail4x4 Discord: https://discord.gg/yFyFFkQbuy Come hang out with us on the SnailTrail4x4 Discord — it’s the easiest way to connect with Tyler and Jimmy directly, chat with fellow offroad enthusiasts, and get first access to Group Buys and Treasure Hunt token drops.
MORRFlate Giveaway at 900 Reviews on Apple Podcast. But our next giveaway is when we reach 800 reviews; we are giving away an OnX Elite Membership. We will also give away an OnX Elite membership when we get to 850. However, when we reach 900 Reviews, we are teaming up with MORRFlate for a $1000 MF Product Giveaway. Go over to Apple Podcasts to leave your review now and become eligible to win. Congratulations to A13XMONT, who won a set of tires from Yokohama Tire!
Call us and leave us a VOICEMAIL!!!
We want to hear from you even more!!! You can call and say whatever you like! Ask a question, leave feedback, correct some information about welding, say how much you hate your Jeep, and wish you had a Toyota! We will air them all, live, on the podcast! +01-916-345-4744. If you have any negative feedback, you can call our negative feedback hotline, 408-800-5169.
4Wheel Underground has all the suspension parts you need to take your off-road rig from leaf springs to a performance suspension system. We just ordered our kits for Kermit and Samantha and are looking forward to getting them. The ordering process was quite simple, and after answering the questionnaire, we ensured we got the correct and best-fitting kits for our vehicles. If you want to level up your suspension game, check out 4Wheel Underground.
SnailTrail4x4 Podcast is brought to you by all of our peeps over at irate4x4! Make sure to stop by and see all of the great perks you get for supporting SnailTrail4x4! Discount Codes, Monthly Give-Always, Gift Boxes, the SnailTrail4x4 Community, and the ST4x4 Treasure Hunt! Thank you to all of those who support us! We couldn’t do it without you guys (and gals!)!
SnailSquad Monthly Giveaway
Massive thanks to this month’s giveaway with Rusoh Fire Extinguishers. We have one of their 2.5-pound extinguishers to give away to a lucky winner. This extinguisher has an 18-year shelf life and is the best fire extinguisher for any off-road vehicle. To learn more, check out Rusoh.com. If you want a chance to win, sign up for the Giveaway Tier on Irate4x4
For the Month of April, we are giving away Gift Boxes. It’s Gift Box month, and two lucky individuals will win one of our gift boxes. These are jam-packed with goodies from tools to whiskey smokers. They are always different and always random. If you want a chance to win, sign up for the Giveaway Tier on Irate4x4
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SnailTrail4x4 –SnailTrail15 for 15% off SnailTrail4x4 Merch MORRFlate – snailtraill4x4 to get 10% off MORRFlate Multi Tire Inflation Deflation™ Kits 4WheelUnderground – snailtrail 10% off Ironman 4×4 – snailtrail20 to get 20% off all Ironman 4×4 branded equipment! Sidetracked Offroad – snailtrail4x4 (lowercase) to get 15% off lights and recovery gear Spartan Rope – snailtrail4x4 to get 10% off sitewide Shock Surplus – SNAILTRAIL4x4 to get $25 off any order! Mob Armor – SNAILTRAIL4X4 for 15% off SummerShine Supply – ST4x4 for 10% off Backpacker’s Pantry – Affiliate Link Laminx Protective Films – Use the Link to get 20% off all products (Affiliate Link)
