LoneWolf

Thanks for asking this question. While I'm still a ways from being able to lift my '09 JKX, the AEV and TF 2.5-inch lifts are exactly what I'm looking to choose between. I'm leaning toward the AEV due to the excellent on-road ride and factory-like fitment. The TF, though, has a solid reputation for quality and excellent customer service.

Good luck!

Mark Doiron

I've helped install a lot of lifts, and I think that AEV and TF are the two best ones out there. I currently run a TF 2.5" lift (sort of--details below). However, I have some thoughts about each:

1. AEV offers lower control arm brackets. They droop down, may get hung up on rocks and such. So, they may not be the best answer for anyone's particular style of Jeeping. Regardless, I've seen them perform on some very technical terrain. If you watch my YouTube Colorado Campaign, July 2013 Part 1 video (DigitalByDoiron channel), the white JK has that lift with the control arm brackets. Part 1 includes Blanca Peak--some pretty technical terrain. Note that although he doesn't have an overhead rack, he is pulling a trailer. You can't see it, but his cargo area includes the Adventure Trailer JK storage system, with fridge, Cook Partner stove, as well as tools, recovery kit, food, etc. He was pretty weighted down as compared to his normal street configuration (he is a close neighbor and I ride all the time in this, his wife's Jeep) ...



2. The ***current*** TF lift has a significant sagging problem on the rear springs if you run heavy. Since I do lots of expedition/overlanding trips, I run quite heavy. I found it necessary to install OME HD springs on the rear. That fixed the problem. Although I didn't take my Jeep on the trip I mentioned above (rode as photographer), if you look at the dark green (looks black) four door, it has the same lift, but without the OME springs. He was running most of the time on his bumpstops. I rode back with him to Washington state, and we swapped out the rear springs with the OME HD, and the sag is gone and the ride much better. When we installed that lift, David at Northridge recommended repositioning the exhaust system so it cleared the tranny skid, and replacing the front drive shaft so it didn't get damaged. We did these things, but with the AEV lift they are not necessary (this was because my friend's JK is a 3.6 liter, where mine is a 3.8 liter and didn't need any of this--until the DS failed at 115K miles anyway).



The problem with replacing the springs is that if you pull the hardtop with the overhead racks (we both have the rack attached to the top, not the body), then the Jeep will be very high in the rear. So, for me, swapping out the top means also swapping back in the original TF springs. This takes me about 20-30 minutes by myself, so a minor nuisance I perform seasonally. I believe that the TF lift has much more articulation than the AEV with the drop brackets ...



Bottom line: If I had it to do over again, because my load varies a lot on the rear axle, I'd opt for the AEV lift, but with some proper front lower adjustable control arms, not the relocation brackets. The AEV variable rate springs seem to do a remarkable job with great weight changes. At least, what I've seen thus far. I've read rumors that TF is working on an expedition 2.5" lift--perhaps to address this very problem.

EDIT: Oh, one last thing! I would NOT get the Bilstein shocks. They are not properly designed for the Jeep JK. The problem is that they require an Allen wrench in the top of the stud to hold the stud while tightening the top nut. On the passenger side, you have to pull the battery, air box, snorkel (if you have one), TIPM (seven fragile electrical connectors) and battery tray in order to access this Allen wrench hole. If you were to have a shop install this, I bet you nine out of ten times the mechanic doing the install will grab that stud with a pair of Vice-Grips, damaging the threads, rather than doing it properly. And you would be none the wiser until you couldn't get that nut off at some date in the distant future. It's a stupid design and I won't recommend stupid design.

blue project

I have 34's now. They look ok to me but other people like it. They measure 33.5" on the vehicles weight. Personally I would like 35's but what would I really gain an inch maybe. I have the nitto terra grapplers in a 285/75/17. Not so wide they stick out beyond my fenders as if they did the laws here would make me get wider ones.

Jkrolin85

My 4 inch lift on a 2010 before the new top on 33s that measure 32.5

blue_chaser

There is a workaround for the Bilsteins. I installed them with the Teraflex 2.5. You don't need to remove anything. Research it. Nice solid setup.

Mark Doiron

Tried searching, didn't find a good work-around. Closest was cut a hole in the plastic. You still have to pull out other parts to get at that plastic. Other was use a short Allen wrench. Problem with that is getting proper torque as the stud gets near the bottom of the battery tray. I've seen two different times where a passenger side Bilstein shock top came loose--once on Ozark Overland Trail where the shock pulled out of the hole and the securing parts were lost. Other was while helping a friend work on his Jeep. Told him about the OOT shock, and we decided to check his. It was almost completely loose. Regardless of how you get that shock on there, ensure that you have it properly torqued down. It is supposed to be 20 ft-lbs, which isn't all of that tight. Use a crows foot.

BTW: A shock properly designed for the Jeep JK would have two flat surfaces in the thread area of the stud that can be held with an open end wrench. There are plenty of shocks exactly like this. Are Bilsteins so good compared to other options that you would support poor design? That's why I don't recommend them.

Kojack

My thoughts exactly as well Mark. I think there are much better shocks for the jeep. And overrated too. I had a set on a chev truck and it rode like a 2x4. Swapped to a different brand and it was plush.

WARLOCK

AEV dualsport XT is a complete kit with tuned bilstein 5100 shocks and I agree the ride is better than stock JKUR. Teraflex is a good company but does not provide a comparable kit. For the price you can't match the AEV quality IMO. I also use the geometry correction brackets and at the 2.5" position the caster is right on oem specs, nothing else to adjust. With the other kits from other companies, you usualy get caster out of specs at 2.5" lift and above and you need adjustable control arms to correct it. On 2012 up Jk the caster is no longer adjustable with excentric cam bolt. AEV uses triple rate spring with frequency tuning and specific designed bilstein 5100 to match these spring.

pentagon

I just bought a 2013 Moab and was thinking of the AEV 2.5 lift too. What size tires? I was thinking of 33 inch. My 2009 Jeep I had a 4 inch lift with 35. Look great but did not like the way it handle.

irongate

Nothing wrong on running 33's on a 2.5 lift, it does not look bad at all. more room to flex if you need too.