BigMoe

As anyone used these yet, I'm installing a 3in lift next week and was wondering if these brackets would be better than adjustable control arms. I haven't seen any reviews on it yet, but in theory it seems to be better than the adjustable CA's.

wayoflife

yes, there are plenty of people who run them and are happy with them but, to suggest that they might somehow be "better" than adjustable control arms is misguided to say the least. if you don't do any real off roading, you'll be fine with them.

BigMoe

Thanks for the reply, I'm not professing to know a thing about suspension geometry, that's why I post questions on here. When I looked at both set ups it seems the brackets lessen the angle of the control arm which would seem to put more stress on shocks and springs( up and down), where it belongs vs stress on lengthened control arms at a steeper angle than stock.

JPK

ct that guys The AEV front control arm brackets provide many benefits, and a couple of draw backs too. By reducing arm angle they provide a better ride, on and off road. They retain the factory oem rubber/clevite bushings, which cannot be beat for ride and road isolation provide a long life and require no maitenance. They greatly reduce beake dive and they help reduce body roll/lean in turns. In addition, so long as you stick with shocks the same length for lift that AEV recomends, or otherwise limit droop, they allow the retention of the oem front drive shaft, which, unlike double cardan shafts, is NOT prone to vibration issues (which can lead to transfer case blow ups) and which is NOT pinion angle sensative - though over all shaft angle must remain within the Rzeppa tolerances. A rather remarkable feature of AEV's front control arm barackets is that they reverse pinion angle changes at stuff and droop, compared to oem, longer fixed length or adjustable length arm set ups in the oem mounts, by changing the relative positions of frame side upper and lower control arm mounts. And that is how AEV front comtrol arm brackets allow the retension of oem front DS's.

The plusses are many, but there is the negative of a lower control arm mount too. In my experience, the tires do a good job of shielding the brackets, and the larger the tire the better job they do, but the brackets still hang an inch or so lower. They are very strong when it comes to front on or rear on impact too, but side impact is a weakness, though not often encountered.

Better? Maybe, maybe not. Depends on the mix of uses your Jeep sees, imo. Don't overlook the fact that guys have run JK Extreme with AEV brackets without issues.

JPK

BigMoe

Thank You for the info.

JPK

You are welcome.

One other point, the brackets are $100/the pair. Control arms, even fixed length arms, cost much more.

JPK

wayoflife

your vision of things is far exaggerated and nowhere what the reality is. with just 3" of lift, the position of your control arms are fine where they are but, your caster will be off a bit and adding adjustable lower control arms will allow you to add a bit more back. that will help you to address problems with things like flighty steering. in fact, AEV used to sell their kits with god aweful cam bolts to make this correction but, they finally wised up and came out with these brackets instead. they work and are for the most part fine but honestly, a set of adjustable control arms are a better solution. their biggest drawback is that they are more expensive.

wow... you've been a member here since feb 2008 and your very first 2 posts are made on this thread?

SH0RTBUS

I use them with my Teraflex 2.5" coil lift. They did make the steering feel more solid, but the biggest difference I noticed was the improved braking. The front no longer dives when braking. They work well for my pavement pounder. I hit dirt trails every now and then and thats about it. I can't afford to break my JK as its my daily driver. I also enjoy driving a vehicle in good condition. They do hang down though as seen in my pic.

I went with the brackets because they were cheaper than control arms, require no maintenance, and worked for my needs. Not really sure why I chose the AEV brackets over other brands. I guess I did so based on good luck with their hood, wheels, and tire carrier. I would just go with the cheapest brackets you can find if going the bracket route. There is nothing special about them.

whiterhin0

I put them on mine with 2.5" coils and 1" coil spacers. Was good at first but has been wandering on the freeway for a few weeks. I'm going to get aligned and see what my caster is at. I have a feeling I'm starting to sag and pushing my caster too forward. I'm thinking adjustable control arms soon if it can't be corrected and someone will get these brackets for cheap.

JPK

Excessive caster, which would be hard to achieve with your set up, leads to dead feeling steering and too much directional stability, which is the opposite of what you describe. Assuming you used the bracket holes for the 3.5" lift your caster angle will be right around 4*.

Might want to check for anything loose in the front end, or even the rear end, especially the rear trackbar.

JPK