Suspension Upgrade Notes: AEV, JKS, TF
07-28-2012, 05:33 PM
#1
JK Super Freak
Thread Starter
Suspension Upgrade Notes: AEV, JKS, TF
Just finished my suspension upgrade. I'm posting these notes while what's left of my mind remembers how it went 
This upgrade was done to meet certain needs: A little more ground clearance, more suspension travel, better spring rebound control, and improved action when the suspension bottoms out. Looks and tire clearance were not important for this lift, although both are way better.
The AEV 2.5" Dualsport XT kit and AEV Geometry Correction Brackets were chosen because of the engineered package with a decent reputation for ride and handling. Terraflex front Speedbumps and rear bump stops were chosen to prevent "hard bottoming" of the suspension. A JKS adjustable front track bar was used for control over the front axle lateral position. JKS sway bar disconnects were added because the AEV Dualsport does not include discos. Spidertrax wheel spacers were used so the track would be wider to go along with the extra height.
Installation:
AEV says to install the geometry correction brackets with the wheels on the ground, so these were done first. The install was totally simple. AEV says do one side at a time, but that made it hard to attach both control arms on the first side while the other side was still stock. Think I would re-attach one control arm on the first side, then do both arms on the second side, then come back to do the remaining arm on the first side. None of the bolts were tightened at this point.
Next I jacked up the back, loosened the control arms bolts, then dropped the shocks and springs. The AEV brake line drop brackets are well designed and went right in. Swapping the stock bump stops for the longer Terraflex stops was totally easy. The rear track bar came right out and the new AEV trackbar bracket went on without event. I only torqued the U-bolts to 45 pounds to start after reading how one snapped off trying to get to the spec'd 80 pounds. I'll go back and tighten these gradually. The new AEV rear track bar slipped right in with just a shoulder nudge on the axle.
I installed the shocks without springs so I could jack the axle full-up and full-down to watch the travel and check the new bump stops. Ended up using the supplied Terraflex bump stop pads on the axle. The taller AEV bump stop pads stayed on the garage floor. Finally, I pulled the bolts off the bottom of the new shocks, slipped the new rear springs into place, re-attached the shocks and sat the rear back down on the tires to torque everything down.
Now the front went up on jack stands. Once the brake lines were loose and the shocks and swabar links were out the springs came out easily. I did NOT need to disconnect the drive shaft. The AEV swaybar link extension brackets were not used because the new JKS discos are the correct length for the new height.
The Terraflex front Speedbumps were next. Cutting off an integral part of the JK suspension makes ya stop and think but I just followed the TF directions and it went great using a cutoff saw and small angle grinder. A Dremmel was used to dress the edges, and a shot of self-etching black paint covered the bare metal. The Speedbumps then slipped right in and look great! Once more, I tested the axle with shocks attached but no springs to check the travel and take some measurements. I did not add the TF bump stop pads to the axle - they are not needed with a 2.5" lift. Detaching the shocks, slipping the springs into place, and re-attaching the shocks completed the AEV part of the installation.
Next the front wheels went back on, the Jeep was let down, and the JKS discos were installed.
Then it was time for the JKS adjustable front track bar. Lining the track bar up with the axle bracket was a cinch with help from a friend who turned the steering wheel a bit. Knowing that a 2.5" lift throws the axle off by around 3/8", I set the new track bar 7/16" longer than the stock bar and it pretty much nailed the axle position. This will be checked again after some miles.
After tightening everything up it was time for a test drive. Apart from re-centering the steering wheel by lengthening the relay rod a bit, there was nothing else needed to drive it away.
This mod used parts from 4 different manufacturers and pretty much replaced the suspension except for control arms. It was a helluva lotta work for a 69 year old fart, but I can't say enough about how well everything fit and worked. It rides nice and looks great. After some break-in miles and a re-torque of everything I'll get to find out how how it acts on the trail.
This upgrade was done to meet certain needs: A little more ground clearance, more suspension travel, better spring rebound control, and improved action when the suspension bottoms out. Looks and tire clearance were not important for this lift, although both are way better.
The AEV 2.5" Dualsport XT kit and AEV Geometry Correction Brackets were chosen because of the engineered package with a decent reputation for ride and handling. Terraflex front Speedbumps and rear bump stops were chosen to prevent "hard bottoming" of the suspension. A JKS adjustable front track bar was used for control over the front axle lateral position. JKS sway bar disconnects were added because the AEV Dualsport does not include discos. Spidertrax wheel spacers were used so the track would be wider to go along with the extra height.
Installation:
AEV says to install the geometry correction brackets with the wheels on the ground, so these were done first. The install was totally simple. AEV says do one side at a time, but that made it hard to attach both control arms on the first side while the other side was still stock. Think I would re-attach one control arm on the first side, then do both arms on the second side, then come back to do the remaining arm on the first side. None of the bolts were tightened at this point.
Next I jacked up the back, loosened the control arms bolts, then dropped the shocks and springs. The AEV brake line drop brackets are well designed and went right in. Swapping the stock bump stops for the longer Terraflex stops was totally easy. The rear track bar came right out and the new AEV trackbar bracket went on without event. I only torqued the U-bolts to 45 pounds to start after reading how one snapped off trying to get to the spec'd 80 pounds. I'll go back and tighten these gradually. The new AEV rear track bar slipped right in with just a shoulder nudge on the axle.
I installed the shocks without springs so I could jack the axle full-up and full-down to watch the travel and check the new bump stops. Ended up using the supplied Terraflex bump stop pads on the axle. The taller AEV bump stop pads stayed on the garage floor. Finally, I pulled the bolts off the bottom of the new shocks, slipped the new rear springs into place, re-attached the shocks and sat the rear back down on the tires to torque everything down.
Now the front went up on jack stands. Once the brake lines were loose and the shocks and swabar links were out the springs came out easily. I did NOT need to disconnect the drive shaft. The AEV swaybar link extension brackets were not used because the new JKS discos are the correct length for the new height.
The Terraflex front Speedbumps were next. Cutting off an integral part of the JK suspension makes ya stop and think but I just followed the TF directions and it went great using a cutoff saw and small angle grinder. A Dremmel was used to dress the edges, and a shot of self-etching black paint covered the bare metal. The Speedbumps then slipped right in and look great! Once more, I tested the axle with shocks attached but no springs to check the travel and take some measurements. I did not add the TF bump stop pads to the axle - they are not needed with a 2.5" lift. Detaching the shocks, slipping the springs into place, and re-attaching the shocks completed the AEV part of the installation.
Next the front wheels went back on, the Jeep was let down, and the JKS discos were installed.
Then it was time for the JKS adjustable front track bar. Lining the track bar up with the axle bracket was a cinch with help from a friend who turned the steering wheel a bit. Knowing that a 2.5" lift throws the axle off by around 3/8", I set the new track bar 7/16" longer than the stock bar and it pretty much nailed the axle position. This will be checked again after some miles.
After tightening everything up it was time for a test drive. Apart from re-centering the steering wheel by lengthening the relay rod a bit, there was nothing else needed to drive it away.
This mod used parts from 4 different manufacturers and pretty much replaced the suspension except for control arms. It was a helluva lotta work for a 69 year old fart, but I can't say enough about how well everything fit and worked. It rides nice and looks great. After some break-in miles and a re-torque of everything I'll get to find out how how it acts on the trail.
09-09-2012, 08:11 PM
#3
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Just finished my suspension upgrade. I'm posting these notes while what's left of my mind remembers how it went
This upgrade was done to meet certain needs: A little more ground clearance, more suspension travel, better spring rebound control, and improved action when the suspension bottoms out. Looks and tire clearance were not important for this lift, although both are way better.
The AEV 2.5" Dualsport XT kit and AEV Geometry Correction Brackets were chosen because of the engineered package with a decent reputation for ride and handling. Terraflex front Speedbumps and rear bump stops were chosen to prevent "hard bottoming" of the suspension. A JKS adjustable front track bar was used for control over the front axle lateral position. JKS sway bar disconnects were added because the AEV Dualsport does not include discos. Spidertrax wheel spacers were used so the track would be wider to go along with the extra height.
Installation:
AEV says to install the geometry correction brackets with the wheels on the ground, so these were done first. The install was totally simple. AEV says do one side at a time, but that made it hard to attach both control arms on the first side while the other side was still stock. Think I would re-attach one control arm on the first side, then do both arms on the second side, then come back to do the remaining arm on the first side. None of the bolts were tightened at this point.
Next I jacked up the back, loosened the control arms bolts, then dropped the shocks and springs. The AEV brake line drop brackets are well designed and went right in. Swapping the stock bump stops for the longer Terraflex stops was totally easy. The rear track bar came right out and the new AEV trackbar bracket went on without event. I only torqued the U-bolts to 45 pounds to start after reading how one snapped off trying to get to the spec'd 80 pounds. I'll go back and tighten these gradually. The new AEV rear track bar slipped right in with just a shoulder nudge on the axle.
I installed the shocks without springs so I could jack the axle full-up and full-down to watch the travel and check the new bump stops. Ended up using the supplied Terraflex bump stop pads on the axle. The taller AEV bump stop pads stayed on the garage floor. Finally, I pulled the bolts off the bottom of the new shocks, slipped the new rear springs into place, re-attached the shocks and sat the rear back down on the tires to torque everything down.
Now the front went up on jack stands. Once the brake lines were loose and the shocks and swabar links were out the springs came out easily. I did NOT need to disconnect the drive shaft. The AEV swaybar link extension brackets were not used because the new JKS discos are the correct length for the new height.
The Terraflex front Speedbumps were next. Cutting off an integral part of the JK suspension makes ya stop and think but I just followed the TF directions and it went great using a cutoff saw and small angle grinder. A Dremmel was used to dress the edges, and a shot of self-etching black paint covered the bare metal. The Speedbumps then slipped right in and look great! Once more, I tested the axle with shocks attached but no springs to check the travel and take some measurements. I did not add the TF bump stop pads to the axle - they are not needed with a 2.5" lift. Detaching the shocks, slipping the springs into place, and re-attaching the shocks completed the AEV part of the installation.
Next the front wheels went back on, the Jeep was let down, and the JKS discos were installed.
Then it was time for the JKS adjustable front track bar. Lining the track bar up with the axle bracket was a cinch with help from a friend who turned the steering wheel a bit. Knowing that a 2.5" lift throws the axle off by around 3/8", I set the new track bar 7/16" longer than the stock bar and it pretty much nailed the axle position. This will be checked again after some miles.
After tightening everything up it was time for a test drive. Apart from re-centering the steering wheel by lengthening the relay rod a bit, there was nothing else needed to drive it away.
This mod used parts from 4 different manufacturers and pretty much replaced the suspension except for control arms. It was a helluva lotta work for a 69 year old fart, but I can't say enough about how well everything fit and worked. It rides nice and looks great. After some break-in miles and a re-torque of everything I'll get to find out how how it acts on the trail.
This upgrade was done to meet certain needs: A little more ground clearance, more suspension travel, better spring rebound control, and improved action when the suspension bottoms out. Looks and tire clearance were not important for this lift, although both are way better.
The AEV 2.5" Dualsport XT kit and AEV Geometry Correction Brackets were chosen because of the engineered package with a decent reputation for ride and handling. Terraflex front Speedbumps and rear bump stops were chosen to prevent "hard bottoming" of the suspension. A JKS adjustable front track bar was used for control over the front axle lateral position. JKS sway bar disconnects were added because the AEV Dualsport does not include discos. Spidertrax wheel spacers were used so the track would be wider to go along with the extra height.
Installation:
AEV says to install the geometry correction brackets with the wheels on the ground, so these were done first. The install was totally simple. AEV says do one side at a time, but that made it hard to attach both control arms on the first side while the other side was still stock. Think I would re-attach one control arm on the first side, then do both arms on the second side, then come back to do the remaining arm on the first side. None of the bolts were tightened at this point.
Next I jacked up the back, loosened the control arms bolts, then dropped the shocks and springs. The AEV brake line drop brackets are well designed and went right in. Swapping the stock bump stops for the longer Terraflex stops was totally easy. The rear track bar came right out and the new AEV trackbar bracket went on without event. I only torqued the U-bolts to 45 pounds to start after reading how one snapped off trying to get to the spec'd 80 pounds. I'll go back and tighten these gradually. The new AEV rear track bar slipped right in with just a shoulder nudge on the axle.
I installed the shocks without springs so I could jack the axle full-up and full-down to watch the travel and check the new bump stops. Ended up using the supplied Terraflex bump stop pads on the axle. The taller AEV bump stop pads stayed on the garage floor. Finally, I pulled the bolts off the bottom of the new shocks, slipped the new rear springs into place, re-attached the shocks and sat the rear back down on the tires to torque everything down.
Now the front went up on jack stands. Once the brake lines were loose and the shocks and swabar links were out the springs came out easily. I did NOT need to disconnect the drive shaft. The AEV swaybar link extension brackets were not used because the new JKS discos are the correct length for the new height.
The Terraflex front Speedbumps were next. Cutting off an integral part of the JK suspension makes ya stop and think but I just followed the TF directions and it went great using a cutoff saw and small angle grinder. A Dremmel was used to dress the edges, and a shot of self-etching black paint covered the bare metal. The Speedbumps then slipped right in and look great! Once more, I tested the axle with shocks attached but no springs to check the travel and take some measurements. I did not add the TF bump stop pads to the axle - they are not needed with a 2.5" lift. Detaching the shocks, slipping the springs into place, and re-attaching the shocks completed the AEV part of the installation.
Next the front wheels went back on, the Jeep was let down, and the JKS discos were installed.
Then it was time for the JKS adjustable front track bar. Lining the track bar up with the axle bracket was a cinch with help from a friend who turned the steering wheel a bit. Knowing that a 2.5" lift throws the axle off by around 3/8", I set the new track bar 7/16" longer than the stock bar and it pretty much nailed the axle position. This will be checked again after some miles.
After tightening everything up it was time for a test drive. Apart from re-centering the steering wheel by lengthening the relay rod a bit, there was nothing else needed to drive it away.
This mod used parts from 4 different manufacturers and pretty much replaced the suspension except for control arms. It was a helluva lotta work for a 69 year old fart, but I can't say enough about how well everything fit and worked. It rides nice and looks great. After some break-in miles and a re-torque of everything I'll get to find out how how it acts on the trail.
So i read the entire other thread, AEV2.5 xt lift. I saw that you posted this link, and thanks for that.
Did you notice if the factory brake lines are long enough at full flex.?
I am truly torn between this and the Rock Krawler 2.5 max flex.. But its another $600.00 when you add shocks.