I am debating and purchasing today. Torn between Rubicon Express 2.5 with mono shocks or AEV 2,5 kit. Aev is more expensive, but told quality cannot be beat. 2013 Sahara Unlimited. Almost all street usage.

 

AEV has good quality... but for your application, im pretty sure either would work fine. The RE is not bad at all. Parts are about the same it looks other than a new rear track bar... that isnt adjustable (so worthless). RE has a TB drop bracket that keeps the geometry correct.

If you plan on upgrading... keep that in mind as well. Both kits are upgradeable but may serve different purposes for you. For example I just installed the RE 2.5" kit with mono shocks (bilstein 5100's which are the same as the RE mono shocks). I plan on upgrading the lower CAs and adjustable track bars next. Then beef it up some more before I upgrade the lift even further. Pricewise... its perfect and cheap if the parts arent meant to be on for the life of the vehicle. That being said... if this kit was a lifetime kit and I wasnt going to upgrade, I would get a higher quality part at the start... which in those kits is really just a difference in springs.

 

Like CoreyZ said, now is the time to put some for thought into what you are going to do with your JK in the future. If you plan on upgrading everything, no big deal. If you plan on building upon what you have, then buy a system with high quality components that you can build upon. If you have any questions, feel free to give us a shout.

RK

 

Are you unsatisfied with the Teraflex kit you currently have? If so, what problems are you experiencing? A new kit of the same height might not solve the problem. We need more info.

 

Honestly, for mostly all street use - I'd sway you more towards the AEV. I've ridden and drove a few jeeps on the 2.5" AEV lift with the geometry correction drop brackets, and the jeep rode and handled as good as if not better than stock on the road. I was very impressed.

Else, if you plan on upgrading in the future, or changing your habits to do more heavier trail use; I'd consider other options.

 

AEV for this reason!

 

I also would recommend AEV for your use of the two you mentioned.

 

I actually just installed an AEV 2.5" with correction brackets on my 2013 JKU this past weekend. First off, it gave me nearly 3.25" of lift at the middle of my side step bar. As for the ride, I dont have a ton of jeep experience so can only compare to my stock jeep. The overall ride is a bit softer on bumps, but not a big difference. The handling is the same as stock. Corners at normal speeds with all the stability it ever had. I drive on a 2 lane side road that has alot of curves and hills and I easily maintain the same speeds as stock. There are times where I think it is even a bit better. Overall I could not be happier with it for a daily driver that my wife and kids are frequently in.

 

One other thing. I attached a pic of the correction brackets after install. I was concerned about how far they would drop down for loss of clearance. However, as you can see it isnt much. It will never be a concern for me.

 

2.5 RK max travel all the way, drives like a caddi.