@SWECER, thank you for the kind words. I am glad that you have benefitted from my build thread. I am looking forward to seeing pics of yours once it is done, especially with that AFN front bumper (I'm a little jealous - that's a very clean looking bumper).
For the suspension, I just purchased the shocks, springs and upper control arms. If you are doing a 2" or 2.5" lift (I would not go higher than that without a differential drop kit), the aftermarket UCAs are an important component to change the suspension geometry enough for good on-road stability by adding positive caster (pushing the wheels forward). You will want to try for 4 degrees or more of caster if possible. There are several good options out there, including Total Chaos, Icon, SPC, Dobinsons, and more. Look for anything for the Prado 150, Lexus GX 460, or 5th Gen 4Runner; they all have the same suspension components and geometry. I use TC because of the strength of the Uniball design, but in a cold region like yours you may benefit from the sealed ball joint design of the Dobinsons or SPC type, which are still plenty strong. The uniball of the TC upper is open to the elements and is probably more likely to squeak in cold weather than ball joints.
I did have some very minimal rubbing on my body mounts before chopping them. I first tried hammering them back, which helped, but in the end cutting them back was the only way to get full clearance. I also trimmed the plastic fender liner in both front (to match the ARB bumper) and back.
Best of luck on your build and make sure to post pics. Let me know if you have any additional questions; I'm always happy to help in any way I can.
