6×6 G-Wagon Portal Axle Build: Unboxing a Full Extrema Ratio Kit

Building a 6×6 G-Wagon is not for the faint of heart, and the parts that make it possible are every bit as serious as the truck itself. A set of portal axles weighs about as much as a third of Mars, enough to blow the cylinder on our 80-year-old pallet jack, so when a fresh kit lands on the shop floor, it’s an event. In this post we unbox a complete Extrema Ratio portal axle package headed for a 2017 G65 6×6 conversion, and we walk through exactly what shows up in those crates.

Why this 6×6 G-Wagon needed new portal axles

We didn’t build this 6×6 from the ground up. We finished it. The truck originally rode on Ukrainian-made Werewolf portal boxes, and while they worked at first, one of the left-rear housings cracked clean in half from a stress fracture, likely caused by harmonic frequencies or a manufacturing flaw. Once the case let go, it dumped its fluid and left the truck dead in the driveway. Replacement parts were impossible to source, so we made the call to switch gears (literally) to a complete Extrema Ratio (Zar) kit. Big thanks to Luca on that side for putting the whole package together, soup to nuts.

Crate one: brakes, brackets and front axle parts

The first crate is all the hardware that bolts to the portal boxes rather than the boxes themselves. The highlights:

• Two-piece floating rotors. A rotor hat with a bolt-on iron disc, so you can replace just the outer ring instead of the whole assembly when it wears out.
• Brembo calipers and pads front and rear, brand-new units matched to this truck.
• Front lower ball-joint supports that weld to the axle tube. This is the piece that demands real fabrication skill and 90-degree precision before it ever sees a welder.
• Front axle CVs, C-clips, truss supports and all the laser-cut bracketry, clearly labeled.

Everything arrived in shockingly good condition. No ripped pallet, no missing parts. With current tariffs and shipping coming all the way from Italy, that’s a small miracle.

Crate two: the portal hubs themselves

The big crate holds the six portal hub assemblies, plus CV boots, clamps, oil-level sight glasses and ABS wheel-speed sensor bosses. The rear units bolt directly to the axle tube with a flange. The fronts carry a swivel knuckle so the factory axle shaft can run through to the aftermarket CV. Assembly is a precision job. You’re working with special sealant on the tube, O-rings, torqued gears and an anaerobic compound (the same orange Loctite we trust on Porsche case halves) to mate the housings together.

What to expect when you order portal axles

If you buy a set of portal axles, here’s the reality. They ship in crates, every part is labeled and wrapped, and the install is invasive. It takes a complete front and rear axle disassembly, TIG welding, and a deep understanding of mating surfaces, tolerances and gear lash. This is professional-installer territory, not a weekend driveway project.

What’s next for this 6×6 G-Wagon

Phase two is suspension. The truck currently sits on undersized off-brand shocks that bottomed out almost immediately in the desert, slamming the bump stops at just 15 mph off-road. To control that much sprung and unsprung weight, it needs heavy-duty front springs and a proper shock body. Once that’s sorted, we’ll get this 6×6 rolling down the road for its next phase.

Build your own G-Wagon at Alliance Motorworks

From portal axles to full overland builds, this is what we do every day at Alliance Motorworks in Loveland, Colorado, home of Nothing But Gs. If you’ve got a 6×6 dream or a G-Wagon project that needs expert hands, get in touch with our team. And don’t forget to submit your rig for G of the Week.