I am in tne process of ordering my lift kit equipment and need a little advice. I am installing a 3.5" lift and will be running 35" tires. 95% of my driving is on road with the other 5% light trails. Looking at the JKS adjustable CA's. Do I really need to spend th money on this upgrade or with me mainly on road driving can I stick with the fixed ones that come with the kit? Thanks for any and all replies....

 

you can stick with the fixed arms that come with your kit but, at that height and with that tire size, you might find that your ON ROAD handling feels flighty at highway speeds. installing a set of adjustable lower control arms so that you can add a bit more positive caster will help fix this. if it were me, i would do it and the jks arms are really nice - i'm running them now on our orange jk.

 

You want the caster adjustment for the 95% of your time spent on the road, not the 5% of your time spent off road. The new 'fixed' arms will get you in the ballpark, and may be fine for your needs. Drive it and see what you think. If it drives ok, then wait on the adjustables. If it is still flighty, or you lose a drvieshaft, then you will need them.

 

Thanks WOL...I was thinking the same as I have read many comments regarding this but was unsure since most of my driving is on road.

 

What kit are you looking at that has aftermarket fixed CA's?? I would not pay for fixed CA's, get a good set of adjustables, that way you don't end up paying for CA's twice. I'd get the lift with no CA's, run the stock ones for awhile. Install it, drive it, then see if you want the improved handling of the LCA's. The front adj LCA's will be MUCH more noticable on road at higher speeds.

 

At 3.5" of lift and 95% of driving on road, i would consider the AEv drop brackets. Will also get a slight handling improvement and at $100 - it does not get much better than that?

 

I would be pi$$ed if I spent money on control arms in a kit and they were not dialed in for proper angles. I mean why would they include control arms if they were set up for that lift height exactly. I would definatly try the control arms before I bought adjustable I would think they would be perfect for kit they come in. Or like previously stated find a kit with adjustables. Just my $.02.

 

Regarding the Aev drop brackets...anyone using these? I have read a few really good things about them and think this may be the way to go.

 

There are some long threads about the AEV lifts, with plenty of info and pro's/con's. Do a title only search on AEV and you'll find several. Most reviews are very positive about the on-road ride quality, but I am not a fan of brackets, so will give my opinion.

It is a bracket. It lowers the ground clearance, and is completely non-adjustable.
-If you drive anywhere that you actually want/need ground clearance, remember that you lowered it by about 4 inches right in the middle of the undercarriage. (when you have to reverse over an obstacle, be sure to lean out and look underneath so you don't catch those brackets).
-If your ride height changes, you have no way of adjusting the caster. (add or remove bumpers/winch/armor/coil spacers/etc, the handling will change).
-If you blow your driveshaft and go with a double cardan, you can't set the pinion angle.

Supposed to give a great on-road ride, though.