Hello everyone, I know this topic has been beat to death but I come to you the experts before I spend me hard earned money. I have a 2014 Unlimited Rubicon and I want to lift it. I am looking at the 2.5-3" range. I plan to run Cooper ST Maxx or Nitto Ridge Grapplers in 33-35s. I know I can run up to the 35s with wheel spacers or the right back spacing wheels since I have Lund flat fenders but I like the look and stance. It will be 95% on road so good road manners are important. I have been looking at the AEV 2.5, Mopar 2" with driveshaft, JKS 2.5, MetalCloak 2.5 ARB or Fox, or Teraflex S/T3. Future mods planned are Smittybilt XRC Mod 2 front and rear bumpers, Smittybilt winch, Smittybilt SRC side rails with step, Teraflex hinged tire carrier with adjustable tire mount and maybe a Titan auxiliary fuel tank. Be easy on me since I come to you all for advice. Thanks

 

I have the AEV and it does well on road. you dont need new shafts with the 2.5 unless you are really flexing it and even then you can just get the high angle rezeppa joint from TF for like 150 and fix the boot issue.

I have a very close set up to what you have listed there and have had no issues. 2.5 AEV / TF monster track bar / Ranch drop brackets / Rancho extended rear brake lines.
For the wheels i have 35 x12.5 x17 on Rockmonsters 17x8.5 with 4.6 back spacing No rubbin issues. XRC front and rear bumpers with the TF hinge using the stock spare tire holder.

 

My AEV 2.5 just came in this week as did my 35" cooper stt pro, wheels are 17x8 with 4.5 backspace. I can't comment on anything other than the parts included look like great quality and I'm pumped to install everything in the new few weeks. I don't think you will go wrong with AEV.

 

Good luck man, this is going to be stressful lol. I've been researching, asking and going back and forth between 2.5" lifts for about a month now. I'm going to go with the Rock Krawler 2.5" stock mod with Fox 2.0 Adventure sires shocks for $908.00 and add to it as I can.

 

Why did you choose that one?

 

I've been going back and forth between the TF 2.5" and the 2.5" stock mod, going with RK because I've just read way more good reviews than bad. Reading older threads it looks like any issues RK had have been resolved like their joints, but I haven't ran the kit yet so I don't know jack.

 

What ever way you go just don't get a cheap lift it will cost more in the end. I have no experience with the mopar but have knows others that went with AEV and liked them.

 

A basic lift is a basic lift. Difference between brands of spacer lifts or 2.5 in spring lifts isn't enough to really qualify one as the best. When you get into short arm or long arm lifts there big differnces in some of them. I wanted a basic spring 2.5 inch lift. I looked at rough country, superlift, terraflex, and Rubicon express. I went with rubicon express because they were the middle ground on pricing. About all of them came with the same stuff and I'm sure most of them buy springs and don't actally make there own anyway. Keep in mind to do it right I had to add front and rear adjustable track bars because both axles were off a bit. Probably could have went without them. I also added castor correction brackets because guys here recommended it and got my lift without shocks and bought bilsteens but found out after that rubicon express's upgraded mono tubes are in fact the same shock. The basic lifts are just that basic and you will get a lot of brand loyalty predudice here just look at what comes with them and its pretty easy to agree there isn't a lot they can do to make one a whole lot better then the others.

 

As to going cheap and having to upgrade later. Id bet its actually a pretty rare jeep owner that puts a 2.5 inch lift on and feels the need to upgrade to a higher lift or a long arm lift. You can run 37s with your flat fenders and a 2.5. 35s will work great. What do you think the percentage of jeep owners out there is that actually even really see an advantage to 37s or 35 where they wheel at. Maybe one percent of all jks and that's being generous.

 

Tires are the biggest advantage off road and the bigger the the tire easier it is to do obstacles. 35's to 37's are a big advantage and 37's to 40's are a huge increase in off road performance. Lifts do almost nothing vs bigger tires. Problem with big rubber is the axles and power to push them. Running 35's with 2.5" of lift and thinking that running 3.5" of lift with 35's somehow going to be better off road is just wrong.

If you are buying a budget boost just get the cheapest thing you can find and throw it on there.