tekazgtr1984

All R50 models use the same monoframe construction.

I wouldn't mind a set of those, esp. because of the HomeLink.

Werd! I'm planning on going with the same coils (coilsprings.com) but with 1.5" + 4" SFD, with a custom set-up for the rear. I want monster flex! I'm hoping to run 33x12.5 tires on a 15x8 wheel with 4" BS. Should that be enough to clear the struts?

Truck looks great! With the 35's how's the get up and go and cruise speed on the highway? Just wondering because I'm debating between 33" or 35" Toyo M/T but I'm on the highway a lot so I don't know if I want to go as big as 35". BTW, how are the custom coils?

Yes, you'll be able to run 35" tires with your 4.636 gears. With the VQ there should be little to no difference in power. Your braking, on the other hand, may change. As for the 4.9 Xterra/Frontier gears, I've been looking into this. But I've been hearing two different sides: one, it works, the other, it doesn't work... WTF.

Stiffer shocks might help but a panhard rod drop bracket would help stabilize your rear axle with the SFD. Custom links would also be a nice improvement.

Topping out struts with lift coils is pretty much inevitable... It does go away over time as the coils settle.

Looks awesome. Truck's lookin' so sick. This summer's gonna be sweet.

Nice work on that rust!

Awesome work!! I has a jealous.

Post pics!

Andrew nailed that one. OME HD coils and KYB GR-2 struts. For rear shocks, you may want to consider rear shocks, especially if you're lifting. My recommendation is Bilstein, namely the 5100 series.

Anyone who wants bling factor on a 4x4 should give their head a shake. But nice '03!!!

The R50 for 1998 came with 2 gearing options: 4.363:1 or 4.636:1. You can check by looking at your VIN plate in the engine bay. It should read HGXX for the gears.

1K isn't bad at all. I got quoted $1700 for just the rear quarters and new paint. So 1K is pretty decent. The best I've found for the quarters, new fenders and fresh paint all around was ~$2,400. Anywhere near the 3K mark for all that seems pretty good to me. Agreed. I have OCD so I couldn't live with that for long... No worries. For the most part, rust on vehicles built in Japan is a pretty common occurence. They have snow in Northern Japan (Northern Honshu and Hokkaido, for example) but they don't salt the roads IIRC. Therefore, most of these vehicles aren't designed with salt in mind.

So Jeep XJ coils are an ideal option for the rear of the R50? I'm still thinking custom front a rear would be the best way to go but the more options the better.

On the R50, the flares attached with plastic snaps. Plastic is already bad enough but a little too much force results in breaking the snap. After bodywork, I'd like to explore possible options to actually mount the flares using some kind of adhesive, not only to keep 'em on snug but to create a perfect seal which would eliminate the accumulation of crud in between the fenders/quater panels and plastic flares.

It would be nice to find a permanent solution without having to pull the flares, though.

Just so you know, we don't have states up here. And for the record, every province east of SK salts the road. Hard to justify moving across the continent for that reason alone...

Ah, one of the many downfalls of winter in the Great White North. White in regards to all the damn salt on the roads. I thought Winnipeg was bad but clearly not the case. It's pretty much overkill out here with salting the roads... Sorry to see your sweet R50 go through this... I was in the same boat last year when I took my flares off. Quite the nasty surprise. I'm still exploring options to remedy this but it seems like body work may be the only option.

Lifter tick? More common an issue on the VG but also known to happen on VQ engines.

X2, the install for manual hubs took about an hour to do. Easy install and well worth the money.

Post pics of this mod. I'm definitely interested in seeing how this works.

Just like JUDGE said, they lock and unlock on their own, but you gotta go in one direction or the other to engage or disengage them. By having auto hubs as opposed to manual ones, they do the work and you don't have to touch 'em at all. That said, where can we find these?

Some sick updates! Absolutely amazing work.