got bit by the AEV bug! ha ha!

[m(a)ce]

I'd hands down rec AEV.

2.5" lift is the best ride on road (better than a few OME coil setups I tried) and off road does exceptionally well. 35 KM2s are no problem/no rub on Pintlers.

Speaking of pintlers - I've wheeled them through serious rocks and no issues. Ever. I'd buy AEV wheels again in a second.

Snorkel has been great. I've had a few friends/jeep club members hydro on very small water crossings. For the Pine Barrens or any Jeep that sees water it's cheap insurance that also looks cool. I run the prefilter & I feel my regular air filter lasts longer.

AEV hood- for the 3.8 it serves a purpose. Engine runs cooler and of course it looks good.

Between my experiences & those in my club/circle of Jeep friends that run AEV gear - nothing but positive feedback.

 

[kojackJKU]

after reading more and more, 33's make more sense. I don't really need the bigger tire as I have not hit anything out trail running yet. I want some springs that can take some extra weight of bumpers/gear. If my stockers had the capability I would keep them. Im 100% happy with how it rides and drives. I am swapping in true tracs for sure, and may goto a 4.10 gear. just to make the jeep happy on 33's. better milage, can still run my 265 studded dedicated winter tires, can fit in my garage etc.

thanks for the information.

 

[aristobrat]

Yes I know what they say. I'm just saying I went that way and it didn't work, same set up with Pintlers and 35's.

Is the lift that you're talking about not working the one below?

I had the 2" Mopar on my 2010, but with Bilstein shocks. I cannot recommend this lift. It was way too stiff and handled poorly off-road. There are way better lifts for the money. I ripped it out and installed the AEV 3.5" lift and could not be happier. I did, however, re-use the Bilsteins on my son's 2-dr with an AEV 2" spacer lift and that turned out great as well.

 

[NMBruce]

Great, I suggest you get it in writing. I like AEV products because of their innovation. However, their implementation is not always great. I've spent many thousands on their products and have them on both of my JKs so I think I speak with some experience. As you have the bug to use a lot of their stuff, I'll give you some first hand experience:

1. Their Hemi kit I installed has gone through 3 leaky radiators. They said this never happened on any of their rigs, yet I've come across many with this issue. The supplied cat converters with this kit also went bad after 10K miles. Others have had the same problem yet Dave at AEV claims it doesn't happen and doesn't warranty them despite the EPA rule that says that even aftermarket vendors must warranty for minimum 50K miles.
2. Their Tire carrier I had installed rattles. I've had 2 different AEV installers look at it and have played with it myself. The other one I have works fine. Many have experienced this problem yet AEV claims their carrier is rattle free. The upper locking bolt strips real easily too. Happened on both of mine.
3. Their Pintler wheels crack easily. There is a whole thread on this on the AEV forum. I have purchased 12 of these wheels (5 on my main rig plus matching 2 on my trailer and 5 on my other rig). and have had 2 fail on minor trails. AEV denies this is a problem, but does warranty them.
4. The AEV fuel caddy is a pain. If anyone wants it, I have one used only twice that I will sell for half price.
5. The AEV hood is great, but really doesn't do much to reduce heat. Looks good though.
6. The Bilstein 5100s provided with their 3.5" lifts are terrible...get the remote reservoirs instead. I replaced mine with adjustable Kings and you should feel the difference...night and day. Same can be said with the Bilstein steering stabilizer; replaced mine with Fox. On the other hand, the progressive springs provided with their kits are great, I've had no issues with them. I also like the fact that I was able to order Dynatrac axles with their bracketry attached as the have great relationships with other suppliers.
7. Their CHMSL has been trouble free, I like the fact that the attachment bolt spacing is the same as most aftermarket rear view cameras so you can stack it with them.
8. Does anyone really use the water container in their rear bumper? I can't imagine. Rear bumper originally didn't work with Gobi rack, but Gobi fixed this with a bracket so no longer an issue.
9. One of the two Procals I received went bad. Crippled the vehicle until a replacement was obtained. I hear this is rare.

I encourage others to speak with good AEV install shops that have a lot of experience before purchasing a lift. Mine has done hundreds of builds. They recommended the 2.5" lift for 33s, the 3.5" for 35's, and the 4.5" for 37"s. My experience confirms this. The OP seems to have made up his mind, and that is fine. I only mention here for others who are debating which lift to go with.

Vince, where in CO, I am up in Pagosa Springs a lot, would like the caddy at 1/2 price

 

[Vince1]

Is the lift that you're talking about not working the one below?

No, that Mopar one was worse as it handled terribly. I hear they changed manufacturers and are better now. I have a 2010 Unlimited Rubicon that I installed the 2.5 lift. It handled great with my 33's, but rubbed when I went to 35's. All good with the 3.5, but I swapped the shocks for King adjustables. I'm a firm believer in lowering your center of gravity if you can get away with it. The 2.5 and 33's is a great combo. My son has since replaced his spacer lift with this set up in his 2 dr, and wow, it is a great ride. Plus, there is very little I can do that he can't off-road.

 

[Vince1]

Vince, where in CO, I am up in Pagosa Springs a lot, would like the caddy at 1/2 price

Pm sent!