funny, i used to ask myself, "why is there so much love for aev?" i can't speak for wecf but i'm just offering a descenting opinion regarding a very expensive kit that offers very little product and compare it to a better option that is a lot more affordable. i challenge you to drive both the rancho and aev kits and tell me that i'm wrong.

as a matter of fact, no, the 2.5" kit of theirs is priced about right and that's why you never see me commenting on it. this thread is in regards to their 3.5" kit and that's a different story. please note that i have no issues with aev and love their procal, their bumpers, their hoods, their conversion kits and snorkels and advocate them all the time.

LOL!! you fanboys are all alike - so eager to get your toes stepped on over nothing. here's a newsflash for you - opinions are just that, opinions. having said that, here are some FACTS to educate you on what is true - the rancho kit is very similar to the aev kit only it has drop brackets that are designed/constructed much better and will not bend the way the aev brackets DO when articulating. the rancho kit costs significantly less than the aev kit and is still less even if you were to add a drag link flip kit to it. just because you spent way more money that you could have doesn't mean that others should too and really, that's all i'm really trying to do here - help others make better decisions and save some cash. but hey, that's just me.

 

And that's a fair question also.

I have never driven a Rancho kit. Obviously you have and are you saying the Rancho kit is equal or superior to the handling and ride of AEV kits on road and light trails?

If so I wish they made a 2.5-3 kit. I don't want to go 4in with this JK.

I'm not an AEV fanboy. I have used one of their kits before, but right now I'm leaning to the RK max 2.5 kit.

 

Thank you for the info. You all make a great point. I am going to look into the Ranchero kit.
Since this is my first jeep and i'm learning things as i go i figured i would ask.
I just wanted to make sure the local guy wasnt taking me for a ride.

 

if you look at them carefully, you will see that both kits are very similar in design only the front control drop down brackets on the rancho kit are boxed in and welded together. the aev brackets are thin and designed as 2 separate pieces that are bolted together. you don't have to be on a hardcore trail to articulate your jeep's front axle and, if you've never seen what the aev brackets look like when articulating, i can tell you that they bend... A LOT. and, you don't have to be an engineer to know that metal brackets that bends back and forth a lot is not a good thing.

as i had stated above, i have no issues with the aev 2.5" and think that for what you get, it is priced reasonably. why not just get that?

 

if your local guy was also the one who would be selling you the kit, then yeah, he might of been trying to sell you on something he either has in stock or gets a better profit margin off of. this isn't uncommon and i understand their reasons. like i said, i'm just trying to point you to a better product and save you some money.

 

In an effort to maintain an appropriate level of respect can we abstain from calling people "fanboys" on this thread?
Those of us that have aev lifts have commented on our firsthand experience. We own aev products, and we are not pimping. I think making a blanket reference paints us and our decisions in an unflattering light.

 

If you are referring to my post, I hardly consider a response on an internet forum as "getting my toes stepped on" so no hard feelings. You are absolutely correct, though. That was just my opinion from my first hand experiences with each kit on a JK as the OP requested and I apologize if I came off as if I actually worked for either company and had the facts. However, that’s where my apology stops as I specifically said I did not have knowledge or experience with the Rancho kit and never claimed that anything I said was a fact.

 

you'll forgive me but, the term "fanboy" really only applies to those people who would be quick to sing praises for the decisions they've made and be equally quick to get offended by the opinions of others who would question them.

don't know what gave you that idea as i never even took your post into consideration. if i had, i would have quoted you like this.

 

I'm leaning towards RK just in case I change my mind and get the itch to run 37's or 38's again. I like that I can easily upgrade the RK kit which isn't really possible with the AEV.

 

Fair enough.

I am interested how well this lift will do offroad. As I said, I just installed it so I haven't had experience offroad with this lift yet. I'm leaving for Moab tomorrow morning and will be there all next week (I know, I'm a week early for EJS). I'll have to look and see if my drop brackets bend when articulating. The Rancho's do look to be much beefier so that is definitely a consideration if the OP goes that route. As WOL said, the brackets bending generally isn't a good thing; however, if the elastic yield point of the material is not surpassed, it will have zero impact as to the life of the part. There are countless designs that allow bending of the material including aircraft wings. But, it is probably not what you want to see when offroading especially since the drop brackets are not ideal when compared to control arms and a rock to the side of one of the brackets would likely permanently bend it.