Have a 2013 4dr Rubicon. Looking at ordering the 4.5 AEV SC lift with 37" tires. The AEV website states you do not need to upgrade your drive shaft with their lift, along with the shop that will be doing the work for me. When I was researching lifts, almost every source stated that a new drive shaft is required(1310). Can anyone answer this question for me. And if driveshafts are required/reccomended, what driveshafts would you go with Thanks in advance!

 

Front DS are recommend for 2012+ JK's because of the new exhaust/skid.

WOL:
Q: What are all the components that I will need with a 4" lift?
A: For a 4" lift, you should have a set of 4" coils, bump stop extensions, longer shocks, extended brake lines, longer sway bar links, adjustable front track bar, adjustable rear track bar, front and rear track bar relocation brackets, dropped pitman arm, adjustable upper and lower control arms front and rear and new double cardin u-joint style drive shafts.

On a 2012-Up, you will want to install a new front drive shaft regardless if you have an automatic or manual transmission. Assuming you install new, longer shocks with your lift, the extra droop you will see at a flex will cause the slip shaft boot on the drive shaft to tear. However, that is just one problem you will encounter. Even if you install exhaust spacers or relocate the cross over, the CV boot at the output shaft will be sitting at a significant state of pinch and this will cause it to fail prematurely.

 

I'm running AEV's 4.5" lift with 37's and just replaced both my driveshafts. Do you have to immediately, no. But its probably a smart idea to be the next thing that you upgrade. I believe I ran my lift and tires on the stock shafts for probably 10K before I had to replace them.

 

Assuming you install exhaust spacers, you don't absolutely have to replace your drive shafts immediately. The rear drive shaft on the 4DR should be OK since the drveshat is longer and the angle isn't as severe. The front angle from a 4"+ lift may cause the rubber cv boot at the transfer case to get pinched and tear which will let grease out and dirt in and will cause a failure within a couple hundred miles. The info on WOL saying the angle causes the slip boot to fail isn't exactly complete. The slip boot actually tears because it contacts something such as the evac canister skid or the transfer case skidplate which is in turn caused by the droop increasing (as WOL states). Most of the guys I know with lifts and stock shafts have thousands of miles on torn slip boots, so you don't have to buy an aftermarket shaft just because of that. The 1310 refers to the Spicer 1310 U joints typically found on medium duty driveshafts. Coast, JE Reel, Tom Woods, Tatton and others make custom shafts using these joints or others. A 1350 joint would be a good idea for a Jeep with upgraded axles, shafts, etc.

 

How are you replacing driveshafts on an AEV lift with no upper control arms to adjust pinion angle to prevent vibrations in the driveshaft?