One-piece portal wheel end mounting system

Abstract

A mounting system for a portal lift assembly of an off-road vehicle includes a housing having a rear wall, a front wall, and a side wall. The rear wall includes an opening to receive the end of one of the vehicle's axles, and the front wall includes an opening to allow an output shaft to extend outward from the housing. The rear wall also includes one or more integral mounting brackets effective to mount the box to the suspension of the vehicle. Such integral mounting brackets may include an upper A-arm connection bracket to connect the upper A-arm directly to the rear wall, and/or a lower A-arm connection bracket to connect the lower A-arm directly to the rear wall. When the wheel is a steerable wheel, the rear wall also may include an integral mounting bracket effective to allow a steering linkage to connect directly to the rear wall.

1 . A portal gear box assembly for an all-terrain vehicle or a utility task vehicle, the assembly comprising:
 a) a housing having a rear wall, a front wall, and a side wall,   wherein said rear wall includes a vehicle axle opening effective to receive the end of an axle of an all-terrain vehicle or a utility task vehicle, and   wherein said front wall includes an output shaft opening effective to allow an output shaft to extend outward from said housing;   b) a linking mechanism housed in said housing and effective for linking an axle received in the vehicle axle opening to an output shaft;   c) an output shaft operably connectable via said linking mechanism to an axle received in the vehicle axle receptacle, and effective to rotate upon rotation of the stock axle;   wherein said housing rear wall includes at least one integral mounting bracket adapted to allow the vehicle suspension to connect directly to the rear wall.   
     
     
         2 . A portal gear box assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one integral mounting bracket is adapted to allow an A-arm, a trailing arm, or a swing arm, to connect directly to the rear wall. 
     
     
         3 . A portal gear box assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the assembly comprises a first integral mounting bracket effective to allow an upper A-arm to connect directly to the rear wall, and a second integral mounting bracket effective to allow a lower A-arm to connect directly to the rear wall 
     
     
         4 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the assembly additionally comprises an integral mounting bracket effective to allow a steering linkage to connect directly to the rear wall. 
     
     
         5 . A portal gear box assembly for an all-terrain vehicle or a utility task vehicle, the assembly comprising:
 a) a housing having a rear wall, wherein said rear wall includes a vehicle axle opening effective to receive the end of an axle of an all-terrain vehicle or a utility task vehicle;   b) a gear reduction mechanism housed in said housing and effective for linking an axle received in the vehicle axle opening to an output shaft, while reducing the rotation of the output shaft relative to the rotation of the vehicle axle; and   c) an output shaft operably connectable via said gear reduction mechanism to an axle received in the vehicle axle opening, and effective to rotate upon rotation of the stock axle;   wherein said housing rear wall includes an integral mounting bracket effective to allow the vehicle suspension to connect directly to the rear wall; and wherein said housing rear wall further includes an integral mounting bracket effective to allow a steering linkage to connect directly to the rear wall.