Everything about modding a Jeep is some kind of compromise. Its good to check out the pros and cons of every detail so's to not have any unpleasant surprises.

I put the 2.5 XT in last summer and got great ride and handling. Now I've logged a few hundred off-road miles and can say that the springs, shocks, and geometry are a great match for the kind of desert areas I run.

The geometry brackets work fine for me but probably aren't the best setup for hardcore rock crawling. On the other hand, brackets set the geometry up very well for running off-road at speed and they correct the castor for better steering action along with reducing front-end dive under hard braking.

As far as cost, it depends on whether you think you get more when you pay more. Break any kit down into the parts and then price the parts individually to check out the value of the kit. I think the worth of Bilstein shocks and the rear track bar setup goes unnoticed when the 2.5 XT is compared to other kits.

To do much off-road, a set of front sway bar quick disconnect links should be used instead of the link brackets supplied with the kit.

 

Lotta comments on this already...

The AEV brackets are not just drop brackets -- but geometry correcting brackets.

Aftermarket control arms alone wont correct the geometry that these brackets change.


I think the deciding factor is how much you desire good on road ride, vs, the chances of hanging up on a bracket.


Also, I believe AEV did some slight redesign work with the brackets. I don't believe they are truly boxed, but I think they are 'mechanically' boxed once assembled.

 

They did indeed change them. The first gen had two sets of holes, for 3.5" and 4.5" lift. The newer ones are drilled for 2.5" lifts as well.

 

Well for those who are saying I should go with AEV... which on this thread seems like a good amount of you, which lift 2.5 XT or the 3.5 SC ?

Also, one thing I may not like is the idea that once I go with AEV kit, I can't really "upgrade" it to a bigger lift, like you can with RK, later on down the road... for now this is my daily driver, but it'll eventually solely be "vacation" vehicle (10 years down the road or so). Although...10 years down the road or so, I could probably just switch lifts out completely...

 

Based on your original post...

The 2.5 is perfect for that.
10 years is a long time. Don't over think it.

 

Ha Ha true, I say ~ 10 years because if I didn't put a time on purchasing a new Jeep, I'd buy one every year!

 

I just did the 3.5 with remote Bilstein shocks, high steer kit, etc. Rolling on 35". Love it!!! Great ride quality! I did play with the tire psi and found that 30psi was good for me.

Good luck!

 

Some thoughts on 2.5 -vs- 3.5

2.5 Kit Pro

- Lowest Cost
- Fewer parts and lower overall lift are going to help you when it comes warranty time at the dealer
- Easier to get your family in and out
- Lowest center of gravity you can get with 35s

2.5 Kit Cons

- Would need flat fenders to run 37s, but even then the cost of the 2.5 kit plus the cost of flat fenders is probably less than the 3.5 kit


3.5 Kit Pro

- Some reports say the 3.5 kit handles better due to the raised roll center brackets / high steering kit.
- More clearance under the belly helps off-road, particularly on a 4 door
- Can easily move to 37s with little to no rubbing as the bump stops can be setup for either 35s or 37s
- Could upgrade to the 4.5 kit with just a simple spring swap
- I think the 3.5 kit looks the best, but that's subjective

3.5 Kit Cons

- Expensive
- More install cost
- More height than you need for 35s
- The higher center of gravity makes rollover more likely

 

I don't disagree with what you said at all. I think for the vast majority of people out there, geometry correcting brackets are not going to be a problem off-road from a clearance standpoint.

What has not been talked about a lot in this thread is the advantages to replacement control arms in comparison to brackets. Like I said in previous posts, there are always advantages and disadvantages to every solution.

Aftermarket control arms will bind less and flex freely more off-road improving off-road performance. Aftermarket control arm joints can be re-built when they wear out, a clear advantage over stock. And most importantly, replacement control arms add strength in an area you need more strength when going off-road as these parts do regularly make contact with obstacles. When is comes to critical suspension components strength is a very good thing, and weakness in critical suspension components is a very bad thing.

My main objection to brackets is that instead of adding strength in an area where more strength is needed, AEV instead introducing a point of weakness where weakness was already a problem. And to add insult to injury, geometry correcting brackets are clearly not as strong as they could be if they were properly boxed, so in a way AEV compromised strength twice. It is fair to point out that other designs add strength where AEV compromises it. AEV could have, and in my opinion should have made the brackets as strong as possible to minimize the impact to strength. This is an off-road vehicle after all not a street car.

But I do concede that the non-horizontal alignment of aftermarket control arms will impact on-road handling, so your point is also very well made.

It is also fair to point out that long arm lifts reduce the impact on on-road handling due to lifts by making the control arms more horizontal. But then again long arms also introduce clearance issues of their own. So the debate over pros and cons on every possible modification drives ever increasing numbers of threads on JK forum and we all get to talk to each other and hopefully learn a thing or two, and possibly make a friend or two in the process.

 

Soooo aev 2.5 with brackets, aev with LCAs, or RK 2.5 .....