A Ukrainian Company Is Making Portal Axle Kits for the Ford Bronco
Photo: Werewolf Tech
Do you look at an already-very off-road capable Ford Bronco and think it just needs a little bit more? Well, my strange friend, you are in luck. Thanks to the Ukraine-based company Werewolf Tech, there is now a portal axle kit for the Ford Bronco. It’s just the logical next step in off-road enthusiasts trying to one-up each other, but this could be getting close to the end game.
Werewolf says its portal axle kit for the Bronco is completely bolt-on and doesn’t require any major modification. It raises the ride height by 5.1 inches (130 millimeters) and reduces the vehicle’s stock gear ratio by 35 percent. The company says that the kit improves torque and “cross-country ability.”
For reference, the standard Bronco’s ride height – depending on trim – is between 8.3 and 11.6 inches. So, you are getting a very big improvement in that department with the portal axle kit.
Photo: Werewolf Tech
The kit also allows you to install a central tire inflation system – just like on the Hummer H1 – but that isn’t included in the price of this kit. Werewolf says the portal axle kit will run you $16,000 (plus $2,000 for the tire inflation system). It also comes with a two year, 31,069 mile (50,000 km) warranty.
G/O Media may get a commission
Super stylish STEM learning.
These Mann Magnets Gear Toys are a simple and stylish way for kids to learn to problem solve in a STEM setting. With this set, kids can group and design, creating more complex gears as they learn.
If you’re not sure what a portal axle is, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Basically, portal axles increase the ground clearance of a vehicle (5.1 inches in this Bronco’s case) by raising the axle above the wheel’s center line (where it would be on a normal car). It achieves this by adding a gearset to the axle.
Photo: Werewolf Tech
They are super rare. Almost no vehicles come from the factory with them, save for a couple: the Hummer H1 and Mercedes-AMG G63 4×4 Squared (and I guess the 6×6, but that thing is insane).
That $16,000 kit price doesn’t sound too bad when you compare it to those vehicles, either. A decent Hummer H1 will cost you at least $60,000 on the used market, and even the best H1 is still a pile of shit. A G63 4×4 Squared, however, will cost the better part of a quarter million dollars, so you’re probably better off with a Bronco plus the kit.
Among other things, Werewolf also makes portal axles for 12 other vehicles – including Jeep Wranglers, Toyota Tacomas and Mercedes G-Classes. Pretty neat stuff right there.
Here’s your perfect chance to flex on losers who don’t have as much ground clearance as you.
