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Bonus post! (Long post...) Figure I'd keep this one separate from my last post since it's a pretty significant aspect of the project. Enough to warrant its own discussion. So, I bought a coilover. Just one, though. Going with a Fox 2.0 emulsion coilover. 10" travel (9.25" actual), 7/8" shaft. Fox seemed to be the best overall option...cost, parts availability, service availability (local). The thing I've learned is that each additional "feature" or upgrade on a coilover adds $50-$150 per shock. My "budget" Fox option was just under $300/ea, while the piggy back reservoir ones I wanted ran almost $500/ea. I'm seeing about 7" of vertical travel; 3" up and 4" down. Squeezing more up-travel would require lifting the truck more, and beyond the usefulness of using radius arms. Ride height should amount to about 7"-8" of lift from stock, which is still another 2"-3" above what I was running with the SFD. Numbers-wise, things are pretty much on target for my needs. Springs are the next thing I need to order (well, and another coilover...they only had one in stock at the site I went through at the time). I'll have a dual rate setup, which uses two springs, though it'll be unconventional setup I suppose. Rule of thumb is: The lower spring should be equal or longer in length than the upper spring. The lower spring should be equal or higher in spring rate than the upper spring. In a dual rate setup, there's a primary rate produced by both springs being in series, and then a secondary rate...which is just the rate of the lower spring because at some point, the upper spring will stop compressing. Problem with the conventional approach is that the secondary rate is always, at minimum, double the primary rate. For example, Calmini offered a 300 lb/in + 300 lb/in 10" coilover setup for their Xterra SAS kit. (This is about as best of a starting point as any considering the 1st Gen Xterra has almost the same curb weight as the R50 and loses and gains pretty much the exact same parts). A 300/300 spring set produces a 150 lb/in primary (it's not an average) and 300 lb/in secondary rate. But, that's what I don't like...the primary rate seems perfect, but then there's a 150 lb/in rate spike. Just seems like too much. I set some target rates around the stock numbers (150 lbs/in), OME numbers (200 lbs/in), and also on a few dual rate springs OME offered for similar vehicles. OME's dual rate gaps are closer to 40-120, which I'd like to think led to a far more comfortable ride setup (I do trust OME in this department). The only way to lower the gap is to put the heavier spring up top. So, that's probably what I'm going to do. Currently planning on a 9" 350 lb/in upper and 12" 250 lb/in lower. That'll give me a 146/250 setup. Notably, the OME MD setup for an FJ80 is 170/260, and 150/260 for a Pajero/Montero, which are fairly similar vehicles (FJ being a bit heavier). There's some other math involved, but I should be within the range I need to be. Unfortunately, if this approach flops, I'll learn a pretty valuable lesson about coilover springs. They're not cheap, but Summit has some options that'll shave a few bucks off.

One year later and I'm basically back where I started and am deciding to go a different direction... Just kidding. But damn, it's been a year as of yesterday. Year+ being a leap year, too. Progress lately has been great, though. If you didn't notice in the pic, the engine is now resting on the subframes as of last night. Pretty big milestone. This is how they turned out. Not sure if I explained it previously, but the subframes use the existing subframe attachments, but both sides also have a 1/2" bolt running perpendicular through the chassis rail (tubed holes), between the front u-bolts, to hold the subframe tight against the chassis rail. Driver's side has an additional support bracket welded to the plate on the inner rail near to create a rectangular bolt pattern with the u-bolt. This is all to bear the push-pull stress of having the panhard mount. The long bolts shown by the bump stops will be for the limit straps. For now, I've added some additional weld nuts to the lower perches so that I can build some sort of missing link and transmission pan skid plate when the time comes. Chopped up the fan shroud last night. Months ago I was hoping to heat and shape the shroud around the steering box, but that turned out like dogshyt. Going to rivet on some ABS sheet, should turn out a lot better. CAD (Cardboard Aided Design) process... This should help things run as cold as the Rockies. Other things done over the last two weeks, in no particular order: Radius arms torn down for bushing replacement and painting. Need to install new bushings. Water pump changed. Old pump seemed ok, but with the mild cooling issues I was having, this was one of two remaining things I had not replaced... Radiator mounts moved over a little...except after doing all the work, it feels like I didn't move them over at all. So that sucks, but the radiator is in a good spot. New radiator in. Two of two things I had not replaced. Still sorting out the power steering lines, but I basically have all the parts needed. Not sure I'll be able to route the line how I wanted, but I have some options. Went with a PTFE fuel line kit and 6AN fittings. Figuring out all I need has been a bit of a PITA, but I think I'm 95% of the way there in terms of parts. Rebuilt the power steering pump. I thought the thing was black, but after cleaning all the sludge that had accumulated on it over its life, I realized it was silver aluminum. Whoops. Tore apart the Rubicon sway bar the other week. A little sludgy inside, but it'll clean up well enough. Need to order the pneumatic bits to finish it up. New headlights and corner markers installed. The other ones just needed to go. Yellowing, cracks, etc. New ones look great. Cracked my washer fluid reservoir...mistook it for something to grab onto when trying to get off the ground. Fluid spilled on my cheap digital caliper, which wasn't good for it. I was more bummed by that chain of events than a grown man should be. Need someone to explain why washer reservoirs are $100...or $200 on ebay. That's a junkyard trip I wasn't hoping to make.