PathyDude17

Not hijacking at all, this is what I wanted to happen! I feel pretty comfortable with the OME or the AC setup. For most of the 2000s people ran almost exclusively AC coils and really enjoyed wheeling their pathfinders. I just don’t want to make the mistake I made with my spacer lift-I was limiting my rigs capability. I don’t want to buy OME springs, and then end up in a place where I wish I had Ac springs, or vice versa.

@mjotrainbrain and @micahfelker have both expressed some level of discontentment with how OME HD handled their tube bumpers. Regardless, I believe it’s safe to say that AC is stiffer and can handle more load. There’s no doubt OME HD can be run with a front bumper without a problem, I’ve just understood that AC could be a notch better suited for steel bumpers.

Exactly.

Right, I’ve come across that. The above are the setups that I’ve contemplated, not by any means is it a full list of all the possibilities

And it’s also worth noting that the shocks don’t go straight up and down, so the higher up you go, the more your shocks can be extended beyond the height given by the lift

4x4parts.com has shock options for 2” lifts-Rancho and Bilstein. Rugged rocks should carry the OME options

I’ve been undergoing a bit of a deliberation as to what to do with my front suspension. I guess I’m kinda resurrecting the AC vs OME debate. I’ve read a lot on this forum, and so I guess I’ll post up my thought process Setups: 1.AC springs and a 1” or smaller spacer: This setup was really popular sometime about 5 years ago. However, there were TONS of issues with unpredictable camber and CV binding. But, some got away with it problem free. The true 3” lift up front looks great, but it’s a real risk. This is my least favorite option 2. OME and 1” spacer. This setup is very functional, no reports of CV binding or unsolvable alignment issues. However, some people have complained about the load bearing capability of these springs. It seems that people who run this setup get about 2” of lift. (Alex, @02_pathy, is sitting at 35.5” on his front fender.) 35.5-2” (springs)-1.5” (tires)= FSM spec of 32” tall. Ride quality is supposedly good though. 3. AC 2” lift coils Reliably gives 2” of lift, good load bearing, possible harsh ride with top out before springs settle. However, you get 2” of lift and it’s impossible to encounter CV binding. This would give me the same height as the OME lift, with no possible CV issues, and load bearing capabilities, which leaves the door open for an aftermarket bumper. Notes: Does anyone make a half inch spacer? I can’t find one and I know you can get away with that on the AC lift. Anyhow, this is how I currently see the debate, and I am leaning toward AC coils. Anything I’m missing? Feel free to weigh in, I’ll update as I come up with new considerations or finally order springs.

Ya I would extend rear bump stops on mine, and my spring would be double the height of yours in terms of lift. I’m looking at 3” spring lift

Ya, nrc9447 is probably a half inch shorter in lift height. Thanks for the correction.

Yes. This also makes sense. Im on original springs (150k miles), and running 3' spacers. I drive every day, everywhere with a twin subwoofers and a golf bag in the trunk, and I can't say ive ever bottomed out real harshly. I also don't have much for potholes though

Yep, land rover springs only fit in the rear.

To maintain a 2” lift and get load handling, your cheapest option is LR (Land Rover) springs, part number NRC9446. Get them off of LRdirect.

Is 29” too long of an extended length for 2-3” of lift in the rear? Stock being 24”

Agreed. I honestly don’t see a lot of room to the side of the fog light for this kind of cutting. But, only one way to find out for sure....

Stock should be 32” front and 33” rear, see post #171.

I came across this EXACT thing today on Instagram and have been wondering how feasible it was! Here’s what I would do. Go to the junkyard and buy a bumper cover for your q and cut it up to see how it looks. For me, a bumper cover can’t be more than $20 at the local JY. Try a small cut, put it on and take pictures. Keep cutting at different angles and depts until you reach the fog light, then decide if you like the look. You could even do different things on the right and left hand sides to make sure you see all the possibilities

You could also go for OME MD (mid duty) suspension with their coil springs. That would provide better handling and lift .5-1.5”. It would also help with carrying extra weight

Current calipers didn’t need grinding, I’m at a -19 offset. When I get new calipers I’ll have to see for sure but worst comes to worst you just grind off a little edge. Thanks! Ya I thought about going up to the body line, but I think sticking below the doors looks a little cleaner. I think there’s a few people who have done it though.

sometimes less is more. That whiteout on the honeycomb was too much

I have an 03 with bose, as well as aftermarket head unit and door speakers. You don’t need to run new wire you can use the existing wire. I cut out my bose amp so I didn’t have to mess with that side of things.

And, for good measure, a few pictures of her in action

For convenience sake, I'll start putting all of my projects and pertinent pathfinder information in this thread, as well as retroactively putting some of my project in this thread, for starters, here's the car the day we got it. Rebuilt title, a front end wreck had taken out the front bumper cover, nothing else. The covers cheaply painted, but oh well. 151k miles when we bought it (October 2018) Very First thing to get done was a sound system. I swapped my twin 12" subwoofers from the 4runner along with the amp. I added a Kenwood Double Din Stereo, and Rockford Fosgate Component Speakers. I'm not quite an audiophile, but I don't like putting up with stock sound systems on older vehicles. Next thing that happened was the pathfinder got lifted: 2" spacer for 2.5" of lift, 3" spacer in the back. No new moog springs added. Running Boards removed Next: Led Headlights-they're better than cheap halogens, but they took forever to aim properly. Not my smartest or most necessary purchase. @RainGoat was right about the headlights not melting Ice, I had some slush stick to them once while driving. Original thread below. I also Spray tinted my fog light's yellow with Krylon Stained glass spray paint. Also added LED interior lighting. Here's my simple Missing Link-3/4" EMT with the ends crushed, using the existing LCA bolts. Then My Approach Lighting Project- 2 KC Cyclone LED Rock Lights bolted into the old running board holes, and a KC C2 Scene/Area light attached to the bumper. The lights can be all off, or manually on at any time, or set in an auto position that triggers when I'm in reverse or when I open any door, or come on when I unlock with my key fob. Straightforward idea that probably took too long original thread, wiring diagram at the top of post 84 (page 3): Wheels and Tires: 32x11.5r15 Falken Wildpeak AT3w's on 15x8 DX4 Gear Wheels. Love the look of the rims, and the tires more than do their job. Very happy with their performance thus far Manual Hubs: Mile Marker 435's. I broke a stud trying to get them on. That was a fun night I have an ongoing roof rack idea. I know a guy who is about to buy a welder, but if that takes too long maybe I'll just bolt it all together in a ghetto DIY kind of way. Original thread: Added a WD21 Skid Plate for the Transfer case, direct bolt on. Lately I've been messing around with the lack of black on white contrast, so the last week I've been doing some plasti-dipping. I also pulled a honeycomb grill and fuel door off of a black pathfinder. Did the fenders and the body below the doors in black. Still not sure what to do with the tabs under the headlights, I like the black a bit better. I would've kept the original grille, but it was in terrible shape. White on the honeycomb is gonna have to go, and the hood decal if kept needs to be redone in vinyl wrap. The black makes the vehicle look a little tougher and taller, so I was happy with that. White lettering on the fairing is a keeper. That's as far as I've made it so far, I've really appreciated the community and the help I've received thus far. Within the next week I'm hoping to start over on my suspension. OME HD coils and LR 9449's are hopefully in my future, along with finally replacing my shocks. Thanks for taking a look!

Yep, right down by the latch receiver, you can’t miss it

Ok, I’ll give it a go tomorrow (my brother is using my car for a dance tonight), and ya next thing I’m looking at is fenders. Something on the hood could be fun too

Ya, I guess the guestion is, do I go all the way along the tab, or stop in line with the bug guard? I’m thinking all the way