My New (AEV) American Expedition Vehicles Jeep!!

[TroutSafari]

Very Nice Jeeps! Congrats

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

First earthquakes now this... what could be next?

Seriously though I would have thought that it was one of their better selling colors.

My understanding- so successful the too colors, that they temporarily stop releasing trucks in those colors so that they can sell off some of the other colors.
Just what I am told however.
D

 

[Stumpalump]

Some pigments are sourced from Japan so blame the lack colors on their earthquake.

 

[Beowulf]

When did Smittybilt change their Gear seat covers? Also, I don't see a bottom cushion cover. Did you remove it or are they now separate?

 

[ryancrouch]

A AEV JK 2 hours from me??? I might have to come visit and pay you to take me for a ride sometime, i promise I will wipe the drool off afterwards. lol

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

When did Smittybilt change their Gear seat covers? Also, I don't see a bottom cushion cover. Did you remove it or are they now separate?

Beowulf- The dealer misunderstood which seat covers I wanted. The complete seats are enroute. These are just the seat back version.

Unfortunately, G.E.A.R is not available for the 2011 60/40 split seats, so I may take two of the full bench seats to a canvas shot to have them altered to fit.

D

 

[Frank]

A AEV JK 2 hours from me??? I might have to come visit and pay you to take me for a ride sometime, i promise I will wipe the drool off afterwards. lol

That's what I did! I left the drool though


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[JPK]

James: They did an initial run of Sahara Tan in 2012, but now have stopped offering it as well as Natural Green (for a while- I am told).
They are still out there. A super nice 2012 AEV listed at a dealership in Illinois on AEV's website- new trucks for sale.

D

The closest AEV dealer here has searched the entire east cost for a Sahara tan Rubicon with one found, but it lacked a couple of features my wife wants. Jeff from AEV has had AEV searching too, without success.

I hope they resume building them.

JPK

 

[Jeep or Tacoma]

very nice/ a few questions

So if I understood you correctly you went with 5:13s and a procal and get a lot more feeling of power? Is that right because that is what I want to do to. so if you would please elaborate.
As for what ever you had before. I suspect that many of us here love all sorts of 4 wheel drives. i find my self admiringly looking at old fj -65? wagons, and landrovers all the time. to me any well built truck is a thing of beauty and any not yet built truck is a blank canvas. All of them have one thing in common: the potential to take you where you have never been before, even if it just for the moment in my mind. But since Jeep was my first it will likely always have that special first love feel.

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

So if I understood you correctly you went with 5:13s and a procal and get a lot more feeling of power? Is that right because that is what I want to do to. so if you would please elaborate.
As for what ever you had before. I suspect that many of us here love all sorts of 4 wheel drives. i find my self admiringly looking at old fj -65? wagons, and landrovers all the time. to me any well built truck is a thing of beauty and any not yet built truck is a blank canvas. All of them have one thing in common: the potential to take you where you have never been before, even if it just for the moment in my mind. But since Jeep was my first it will likely always have that special first love feel.

I don't pretend to be an engineer. So, I am going to ask Christopher to come on and explain the mechanics. The 5:13 is a "tall" gear. Think chain gears on a 12 speed bicycle.
Additionally, you don't necessarily need a Rubicon to build an AEV truck, as in my case, the truck started out as a Sport model with some add-ons.
But, now done, it actually exceeds what a rubicon will do. I added e-lockers, Atlas 4to1 T-case, which will allow you to run in 2 wheel Lo. (something you can't do in a Rubi). Also, I went with manual release sway, as there are limitations with the e-release sway.
I'll defer to Christopher to answer the gearing ratio, but can tell you I spent a good deal of time on the phone with Jeff (aev) and Christopher explaining what I did not want and what I did. Originally the talk was 488's, but when towing was taken into considerations, 513's were explained as the perfect match. Had I gone with 37's tires (which I think are just too much- but that is totally an opinion), the right gears would have ben 538s
Hope that doesn't just confuse you more!?!

D

 

[JPK]

With e-lockers and a 4:1 case you have almost the same set up as a Rubicon, but the Rubicon comes with a substantially stronger New Generation D44 up front compared to non-Rubicon D30 [same tube thickness and ends but thicker, higher spline count axles and larger u-joints,] and a different, higher spline count New Generation D44 in the rear too.

My wife's current Jeep is an essentially stock 2008 Rubicon; she has needed the lockers but once, the D44's superior strength never, e-disco never.

On the other hand, I am sure that I have tested the Rubicon D44's in my Jeep along with the lockers, and I find the e-disco an unexpectedly nice feature - but it is no neccesity.

I am thinking of finding a tan non-Rubicon AEV Jeep for my wife. Then swapping in my New Generation D44's from my AEV Jeep if/when I swap in a Dynatrac ProRock D44 up front and maybe eventually a PR D60 in the rear. Or alternatively, waiting for a second hand, cherry 2012 tan Rubicon to come along. The only reason we are looking to swap is that my wife's Jeep has been her second vehicle for the beach and for fun, and it has a soft top and half doors, no hard top or full doors. After selling her RR it's now a DD and the hard top and full doors, electric windows are nice features for a DD.

Most fellows who run D30's get fine service from them, and should it end up giving trouble, it can always be swapped out for a Rubicon D44 or a Dynatrac PR D44.

I think my Jeep may be headed back to AEV for their double cab kit next spring, it has a Hemi, and I think the Hemi might be all but essential to the double cab.

JPK

 

[Ranger Steve]

Great looking jeep. Ive been checking out their pre done jeeps for quite some time and would enjoy not having to install the parts myself as ive done enough to many jeeps of my own and friends jeeps haha.

Again nice jeep and enjoy it.

-Steve

 

[Hilldweller]

Most fellows who run D30's get fine service from them, and should it end up giving trouble, it can always be swapped out for a Rubicon D44 or a Dynatrac PR D44.

JPK

The stock 44 is just as likely to bow as the 30; just sleeve & gusset it. Then add an Antirock swaybar to the front and no need to disco.

 

[JPK]

The stock 44 is just as likely to bow as the 30; just sleeve & gusset it. Then add an Antirock swaybar to the front and no need to disco.

Yes, in the full text of my post I noted that the JK's D30 and D44 front axles share the same tubes and ends. However, as I also noted, the axle shafts in the D44 are substantially stronger because of greater shaft diameter and spline count and because the u-joints are larger as well. And the rear Rubicon D44 is stronger too.

Some like the front Antirock, but some who have tried it report that it doesn't provide the ride or articulation of a disconnected sway bar of road and that it doesn't provide the stability or handling of a connected sway bar on the road either. Here is a qute from Currie: "The Currie Antirock® sway bar does not need to be disconnected for off-road use. CAUTION: Jeeps will have more body roll than stock. This sway bar may be used on the street, however, it will not provide the same handling characteristics as the stock setup."

It's also $450, which seems a lot for a little, especially when compared to a set of manual dicos.

Have you tried an Antirock?

JPK

 

[Ryanc]

Yes, in the full text of my post I noted that the JK's D30 and D44 front axles share the same tubes and ends. However, as I also noted, the axle shafts in the D44 are substantially stronger because of greater shaft diameter and spline count and because the u-joints are larger as well. And the rear Rubicon D44 is stronger too.

Some like the front Antirock, but some who have tried it report that it doesn't provide the ride or articulation of a disconnected sway bar of road and that it doesn't provide the stability or handling of a connected sway bar on the road either. Here is a qute from Currie: "The Currie Antirock® sway bar does not need to be disconnected for off-road use. CAUTION: Jeeps will have more body roll than stock. This sway bar may be used on the street, however, it will not provide the same handling characteristics as the stock setup."

It's also $450, which seems a lot for a little, especially when compared to a set of manual dicos.

Have you tried an Antirock?

JPK

Not a fan of the antirock. Teraflex does make a dual rate system, that IMO feels better on the street. I have pretzeled two sway links now using various sway link lengths. Now , I just JKS quick discos. Cant get much easier than that, and you get the benefit of complete disconnection.