I've learned a lot since I put in the rear coilovers and I think I have come up with a method for mocking up the perfect placement for the hoops and it requires very little effort comparatively. This is the culmination of my experiences, the suggestions of others, and a few things I've seen. So I can't take full credit for it. I also agreed not to share some of the tips I received that really helped make the install way easier, if you're keen eyed you can probably spot these tricks in the pictures and learn.
To start, I measured the axle from the ground at ride height, next I moved the axle up to full bump and measured again. My limiting factor is the tie rod contacting the draglink TRE. My total available uptravel is 6.5". Next I took the collapsed length of my coilovers and added 6.5" to the number. I ended up with 31" as the length of my coilovers eye to eye at ride height.
I then took a piece of 1x1 and cut it 1" longer than my eye to eye length and drilled holes 31" apart so I could fit a 1.5" spacer in on each end (this is the width of my coilover eyes). I then bolted the mounting tabs on one end for the axle and the bracket on the other end for the hoop. This is my "mockup coilover".
If you've worked with coilovers before, you've probably realized as soon as you start placing the top bracket that there's really only one way to orientate the bracket onto the hoop so that the coilover body doesn't hit the bracket. Here's the magic recipe:
Take your hoops and lay them flat on the ground, put a length of ...REDACTED... The resulting location should be the ideal orientation. I went ahead and tacked the mounts in place.
One quick note here, I cheaped out when I bought the upper brackets since I was patching together what I had left from the rear hoops and I went with Artec's version. Artec either has no clue what they're doing or their mount isn't designed to work with Fox 2.5 coilovers... either way they don't fit around the eye and the design isn't nearly well functioning as the Genright mounts I replaced them with.
(Artec on the left, Genright on the right)
The next biggest hurtle that we're going to prep for is perfecting coping and notching the tubing around the frame. The front section of frame has a lot of things to notch around like the motor mounts, but this method will make messing up okay. I took 6' of ...REDACTED... not have to bend/buy new hoops.
Based on some testing at full flex, I know that I need to move the coilover inboard to keep it off the axle side track bar mount, and I need to keep the coilover as far outboard as I can to clear the frame. But by mounting the coilover angled too far out at the top it looks dorky and can start getting into the tire. My best bet is to lean the coilovers back at the top so the body is in the narrowest section of the frame. To achieve a happy medium I will possibly need to notch the frame to make it even narrower. I'm hoping I'll be able to fit in short airbumps but I might not have the room.
Now that I am prepped and have a general idea of my coilover placement, I put the axle back at ride height, closed the hood, took the "mockup coilover" and checked my clearances against the hood. I want my mounts to fit under the hood. Right off the bat I can tell that I need to move the coilovers down. The coilover itself clears, but the hoop will not.
I was able to shave 1/2" off the axle mounting tabs to get them closer to the axle but it's still not enough clearance if the hood is pushed down and I don't want them tapping as it catches wind going down the road. These 2.5x14" coilovers are just so long... I looked briefly at the 2.0s and I've riden in a similarly built Jeep with 2.0x12" with the new Fox DSCs and it rode great so it's an option if I have to. But I still think I can make these big boys fit.
My 2 options are to limit uptravel and I could lift the Jeep slightly more to gain it back, or to mount the coilover lower on the axle.