Define expensive. The 4.5" Premium kit goes for $1,600 and is a complete system. If you were to add a complete set of adjustable control arms for $1,000 you are right at the same price point as competing products. I know this to be true as I had a quote for a complete Teraflex kit which came in at right around $2,700 (full kit plus adjustable track bar).

Not true. The OEM control arms are perfectly fine for this specific set up. Maybe if one wanted to go taller or there were extenuating circumstances then adjustable control arms MIGHT be needed but for the system that AEV is marketing and selling the OEM arms do the job and do it well.

I don't think any manufacturer includes drive shafts with their kits so why should AEV? Before I decided on the Nth Degree product I researched Teraflex and Rubicon Express and I don't recall seeing anywhere in their literature that drive shafts are included.

In my opinion a lift kit should be a well thought out and precisely engineered system. It should also be a system that I can install and never have to worry about upgrading because it doesn't perform or handle how I thought it would (unless of course I decide to turn my JK into a trailer queen).

AEV offers a complete and well thought out solution that greatly improves the on road handling characteristics of the JK. Additionally, due to the improved balance of the Jeep it handles surprisingly better in off road situations as well. Does this mean that we will never find any issues with the kit? No, it doesn't mean that at all. It just means that from an engineering standpoint the AEV team addressed what they determined to be the key issues and tried their best to eliminate them. Time will tell if their kit holds up to the stresses of off road driving but given the fact that they've been testing this kit for quite a long time I think the odds are that it will.

There are companies out there that offer kits for half of what AEV is selling theirs for. The difference between those budget friendly kits and the complete kits on the market is that they only include coils, shocks and brackets. These kits are truly budget friendly, both in cost and application. They work and they work well but they aren't the solution that any of the top tier manufacturers offer.

 

Maybe, maybe not. I do think it's fair to say that at some point the stock drive shafts will go bad with a lift taller then 3" so it would be prudent to plan for that expense. Also, in the case of the AEV kit, if new drive shafts are needed then adjustable control arms may be needed as well.

 

theres no maybes about it..

if he has auto, he definetly needs a new front shaft..


If he has a two door, he should invest in a rear shaft, or start saving for when his explodes.

 

I disagree. There are circumstances that will prevent the drive shaft from coming into contact with the tranny or exhaust or skid plate. What if he never disconnects the front sway bar? What if he uses shocks that limit his downward travel? What if he never maxs out his suspension?

The point I was making is that at some point, it's safe to say that new drive shafts will be needed so planning for that expense is warranted. But if you're trying to tell me that just because at some point I'll need new shafts is reason enough to buy them without running the JK for awhile is bogus.

Install the lift, drive it, if new shafts are warranted replace them. It's that simple.

 

MALOCS do you work for aev or something? trying to figure out why you are so defenseive about the lift... figure you are on payroll or trying to justify the money you blew

damage to driveshafts because of a lift is NOT covered by warranty... you are sure giving a bunch of false info here.

a 2 door with 3.5" - 4" of lift will MOST LIKELY need FLCAs and possible RUCAs. For you to say OEM arms are just fine is stretching it. I have a 4 door with 2.5" of lift (more like 3") and I am borderline on caster

 

this may seem out of left field, but with 33s on my 4 dr, i ran stock with no issues at full stuff. 35s should only need another 1" or so of clearance. you could do a 1" - 1.25" body lift and keep the suspension stock. the control arms are very beefy compared to the TJ stamped arms, so you shouldn't have any issues. the body lift is also the least expensive.

just my .02

 

your logic is a little off. 35s are 1" higher from the center BUT they are still 2" more in diameter. Height is not the only issue when it comes to larger tires. I am running a 2.5" lift that gets almost 3" and I rub (Full turn lock or discod) with 35s

 

rub where? if you rub at full lock, are you rubbing on the sway bar or the plastic air dam? those are the only places I rubbed when i was running stock wheels. I got 17x9s with 4.5" backspacing and no rubbing since. i also removed that plastic air dam with a big rock (along with removing the plastic crush can cover on my mopar winch bumper )

 

air dam has been gone for a while. I rub rear in well and upper mid fender.

 

No... I AM NOT ON AEVs PAYROLL! I'm just a concerned consumer that tries my hardest to uncover ALL of the facts concerning my JK and the upgrades that I want to partake in.

When a company spews marketing literature I tend to not believe what I read until I've had enough time to research the facts and the situations. When it became apparent that I was in the market for a new lift I researched ALL available options from Rubicon Express to Teraflex to Currie to Rancho to Old Man Emu to AEV, so on so forth. From this list some products were immediately discarded while others remained.

From the remaining products I spent countless hours on the internet reading customer testimonials and marketing literature. In the case of AEV I studied the theory and application of center of gravity in relationship to roll center just so I could verify that AEV wasn't blowing smoke up my ass. When I determined that Jim/AEV wasn't lying to me I started to accept his word on various other explanations he offered. Ultimately, I decided on the AEV lift because in my specific situation it offered what I wanted.

If you go back and read this thread from the beginning there were those that doubted the effectiveness of the AEV lift in off road situations. I was lucky enough to have at my disposal some photos of various lift kits in action all doing the same thing. From these photos it's obvious that the AEV kit performs AS WELL AS it's competition and that the claims that it lacked off road prowess were unfounded.

As far as the cam bolts are concerned arguments can be made for or against the effectiveness and reliability of using them. I try not to base my decisions on hear say so when someone starts off their argument by saying "I knew a guy once..." I just dismiss it because unless it's first hand experience it's just hear say. Additionally, since I already verified that AEV/Jim wasn't blowing smoke up my ass about the whole center of gravity / roll center issue I did tend to believe him when he said they conducted extensive testing on the kit without any issues with the cam bolts. Regardless, Jim has stated that adjustable control arms will work with this kit (at the expense of vibration damping due to the inferior bushings) so if you feel more comfortable with a set of arms then go for it. After all, we do live in America and these choices can be made without the fear of the off road police kicking down our door and placing us under arrest. Just so you know, I did opt to install a set of adjustable front lowers in my kit instead of the cam bolts just because of the added peace of mind.

What I find tiring is the endless criticism of the AEV kit. Not because I own it but because most, if not all of the claims are unfounded. If it's not the cam bolts it's the control arms or the articulation or the price point or the track bar. Sheesh! Give it a rest. As a community you would think that we would applaud a company that puts as much engineering into a suspension system as AEV did, not just try and find ways to belittle it and steer people away from using it.

Yes, the other top tier companies make great products. Yes, the other top tier companies have great customer support. Yes, the other top tier companies have kits that deliver on marketing spiel. You know what? So does AEV. Maybe instead of resisting the idea that what AEV is doing is wrong we ALL could spend a little more time to find out if what they are saying is true.

As far as the drive shafts go I'm agreeing with you, not only in this post but in my previous posts. The point I'm trying to make is pretty simple, there are more circumstances involved in making a drive shaft go bad then just the amount of lift height. This being the case it is perfectly feasible that a drive shaft will not go bad but I do agree that the odds are against this once certain heights are reached. In my opinion, the best course of action is to utilize the OEM shafts until they go bad and then replace them. Why replace a perfectly good part if you don't have to? Again, if they're bad, replace them. Whether it's today, tomorrow, next month or next year, if they're bad then replace them. Simple.