Jump to content

PathyDude's R50 Projects (03 SE 4x4)


Recommended Posts

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)
sRo0dtd.jpg

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.

LcTSm7H.jpg

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

eNqJYa2.jpg

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.

SYl51Qn.jpg

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

j73osbX.jpg 

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 tnybULo.jpg

Manual Hubs: Mile Marker 435's. I broke a stud trying to get them on. That was a fun night

LrOFrwx.jpg

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: 

 

 

tT6f8uT.jpg

Added a WD21 Skid Plate for the Transfer case, direct bolt on.

STvGQis.jpg

 

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.

va50X0t.jpg

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!

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

did you have to grind the brake calipers down on the front to fit those 15” wheels? others have had to do that but had different year rigs than you and i. they also fit at first for some but then when they got new brakepads the calipers rubes the wheels. also

 

IT LOOKS SO GOOOOOOOD love the black honey comb grill. i’m also going to be painting that bottom rocker panel black but i was thinking of maybe even as high up as the first lower body line on the doors

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, spicyheckboi said:

did you have to grind the brake calipers down on the front to fit those 15” wheels? others have had to do that but had different year rigs than you and i. they also fit at first for some but then when they got new brakepads the calipers rubes the wheels. also

 

IT LOOKS SO GOOOOOOOD love the black honey comb grill. i’m also going to be painting that bottom rocker panel black but i was thinking of maybe even as high up as the first lower body line on the doors

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

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. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

 

Edited by PathyDude17
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, RainGoat said:

Just as an FYI, there are at least 2 OME options for the front (Heavy & Medium Duty)
2928=Heavy Load 110-220# Spring Rate

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

Edited by PathyDude17
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m just saying that the load bearing capability will be dependent upon which OME springs people are running. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard complaints about theHeavy Duty, only the medium duty for the front when they went heavy with a metal bumper or with the medium & light duty for the rear (no heavy duty for the rear) though I would agree the LR springs have likely made all other rear springs obsolete.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, RainGoat said:

I’m just saying that the load bearing capability will be dependent upon which OME springs people are running. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard complaints about theHeavy Duty, only the medium duty for the front when they went heavy with a metal bumper or with the medium & light duty for the rear (no heavy duty for the rear) though I would agree the LR springs have likely made all other rear springs obsolete.

@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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[mention=39321]mjotrainbrain[/mention] and [mention=38818]micahfelker[/mention] 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.

Okay, that’s news to me. Hey guys (@mjotrainbrain &[mention=38818]micahfelker[/mention] ) can you chime in about your experience with the OME HDs up front. Thanks!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, RainGoat said:

Okay, that’s news to me. Hey guys (@mjotrainbrain &[mention=38818]micahfelker[/mention] ) can you chime in about your experience with the OME HDs up front. Thanks!

 

I had OME HD up front, which should be rated for more weight than my bumper and winch since the tube bumper really wasn't terribly heavy, and the rear was OME MD.  I had a 1" front spacer and 2" rear.  Despite this, I had about 3 inches of rake.  From how the vehicle sat, it seemed to me that the OME coils weren't capable of supporting nearly the weight they're supposed to.  Honestly it was probably an inch better than stock but nowhere near the lift the rear offered.  If you were stock weight I'm sure they'd be much better, but I'm not convinced as to how they hold up long term (rear was fantastic though).

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm, well that’s not good to hear at all. I’ve had people cautioning me that HD might be too much & then relenting when I said I was putting a metal bumper & winch up there. I figured 3/4”+1” spacer. For ~2”. Do you know how much your bumper & winch weighed in total? I don’t need to hijack the thread but I certainly see why you might not want to go Option#2 OME@PathyDude17. Now I get to contemplate my brand new OME HDs in my garage awaiting placement on the new struts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats odd. I have had no issues with my OME HD front coils and I have a heavy steel plate XJ front bumper. I received about 1.75" of lift with them and have run them since 2015. No problems or major settling after many miles of highway and tough off road driving. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, RainGoat said:

Hmmm, well that’s not good to hear at all. I’ve had people cautioning me that HD might be too much & then relenting when I said I was putting a metal bumper & winch up there. I figured 3/4”+1” spacer. For ~2”. Do you know how much your bumper & winch weighed in total? I don’t need to hijack the thread but I certainly see why you might not want to go Option#2 OME@PathyDude17. Now I get to contemplate my brand new OME HDs in my garage awaiting placement on the new struts.

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More information on OME HD:

Notice posts 167 and 171 (page 7), both list the front end heights right around 33” on stock-ish tire sizes. That puts the OME lift at about 1.25” of lift, which is why rugged rocks says their trim packer is necessary for the 1.75” of lift. I mean, the lift is supposed to provide ~.5” under a specific load. So let’s say it settles to an inch, that almost explains what @mjotrainbrain said he was experiencing

Edited by PathyDude17
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the only knocks on the AC are the harshness of the ride (& AC’s shipping costs). I think it’s unanimous they get 2”. I suppose planned use may be a good guide. If it’s a DD or has alot of Overlanding in its future, maybe OME. If it’s a local weekend toy, AC.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, RainGoat said:

I think the only knocks on the AC are the harshness of the ride (& AC’s shipping costs). I think it’s unanimous they get 2”. I suppose planned use may be a good guide. If it’s a DD or has alot of Overlanding in its future, maybe OME. If it’s a local weekend toy, AC.

That’s how I understand the debate as well. Ride quality is the dividing characteristic. I’m probably gonna go AC just to leave everything as open as possible in the future. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, RainGoat said:

Hmmm, well that’s not good to hear at all. I’ve had people cautioning me that HD might be too much & then relenting when I said I was putting a metal bumper & winch up there. I figured 3/4”+1” spacer. For ~2”. Do you know how much your bumper & winch weighed in total? I don’t need to hijack the thread but I certainly see why you might not want to go Option#2 OME@PathyDude17. Now I get to contemplate my brand new OME HDs in my garage awaiting placement on the new struts.

 

According to AC's site the OME HD cols are rated for 110-220 lbs.  The winch alone weighed 87 lbs and I'm guessing the bumper was around 100 lbs so (maybe more, not really sure; can't have been a ton because my scrawny self could move it around).  I guess I was near the maximum load, however you would think if they're rated for it they wouldn't be struggling with it.

 

19 hours ago, TowndawgR50 said:

Thats odd. I have had no issues with my OME HD front coils and I have a heavy steel plate XJ front bumper. I received about 1.75" of lift with them and have run them since 2015. No problems or major settling after many miles of highway and tough off road driving. 

 

It is certainly odd, I know you and @hawairish in particular have had fantastic results with your OME coils.  Perhaps my situation is an anomaly.

 

17 hours ago, PathyDude17 said:

More information on OME HD:

Notice posts 167 and 171 (page 7), both list the front end heights right around 33” on stock-ish tire sizes. That puts the OME lift at about 1.25” of lift, which is why rugged rocks says their trim packer is necessary for the 1.75” of lift. I mean, the lift is supposed to provide ~.5” under a specific load. So let’s say it settles to an inch, that almost explains what @mjotrainbrain said he was experiencing

 

I guess in re-checking the specs the coils aren't supposed to provide nearly as much lift as I thought they were.  Even so, why would there be such a huge difference between the front and rear?  With the tools and heavy spare tire I carried over the back end, the front and rear coils should have been loaded in a manner which is similarly taxing on them, so I'm still perplexed as to why the rear coils proved so much more stout.

 

Perhaps I just had bad luck or something, but the amount of rake I had certainly seems off.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, mjotrainbrain said:

 

According to AC's site the OME HD cols are rated for 110-220 lbs.  The winch alone weighed 87 lbs and I'm guessing the bumper was around 100 lbs so (maybe more, not really sure; can't have been a ton because my scrawny self could move it around).  I guess I was near the maximum load, however you would think if they're rated for it they wouldn't be struggling with 

If they’re rated to give .5” under load, then that’s what they’re rated to do. Idk, but it’s odd that people are getting such a variance with lift 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, PathyDude17 said:

If they’re rated to give .5” under load, then that’s what they’re rated to do. Idk, but it’s odd that people are getting such a variance with lift 

 

Yeah, I've now realized that...I guess I got the lift I was supposed to from the front coils, but more than I was supposed to from the rear (by a considerable amount).  I was just confused because I know I've heard some people say they're good for 1.75" of lift...maybe their stock suspension was just trashed?  In any case, I think it's fair to say if you want to match a rear 2" lift OME front coils are not the way to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, mjotrainbrain said:

 

Yeah, I've now realized that...I guess I got the lift I was supposed to from the front coils, but more than I was supposed to from the rear (by a considerable amount).  I was just confused because I know I've heard some people say they're good for 1.75" of lift...maybe their stock suspension was just trashed?  In any case, I think it's fair to say if you want to match a rear 2" lift OME front coils are not the way to go.

Even rugged rocks says you need the trim packer to achieve 1.75” of lift

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, PathyDude17 said:

Even rugged rocks says you need the trim packer to achieve 1.75” of lift

 

Good to know now, however I did not have that.  This means with the 1" spacer and HD OME coils I had up front I should have had a 1.5" front lift, and with the 2" spacer and MD OME coils (also advertised as a 0.5" lift) I had out back I should have had a 2.5" rear lift.  This is a 1" difference, which is certainly not what I had observed in my suspension.  Either the rear coils are underrated or the fronts are overrated.  I would still say you're probably best off going with AC coils, as they're extremely well proven.  If I build an R50 again that's what I'll use.

 

This is just my experience.

 

Btw, not the best angle, but evidence pic:

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, PathyDude17 said:

If they’re rated to give .5” under load, then that’s what they’re rated to do. Idk, but it’s odd that people are getting such a variance with lift 

 

Something I've found myself reminding others about is that OME springs and shocks are intended for increased load handling, not lift.  I don't consider them lift springs at all; it's not what they're meant for (that's not to say they don't provide lift).  For R50s, all their springs have an estimated lift of 15mm when used according to their loading specs, which are standardized for all their springs:

  1. Light duty: no accessories
  2. Medium duty: bumper or winch, up to 50kg or 110lbs
  3. Heavy duty: bumper and winch, up to 100kg, or 220lbs

I get about an 1.25" of lift from them because my winch and bumper setup is towards the low/mid range of the HD application, maybe around 140 lbs.  Still, I rely on my strut spacers for lift, and the springs for handling, and they don't disappoint.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...