AEV NTH Degree Dualsport SC 3.5" lift versus Teraflex 3" Full 8 Flexarm lift
#11
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#12
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Well, I am looking at this too. I have experience with modding suspensions on track cars, but this will be my first foray into 4wheel mods so take my comments with a grain of salt. Here are my observations: The AEV kit does lower the control arm mounting points, but if you look at any long arm kit from the side, they hang down lower still. So I am not sure that it poses that much more of a target. Stuff gets bashed when rock crawling. With a top of the line long-arm kit you could easily roll off of a rock, smash the LCA, slide on up to the mounting point and impact it as well.
The reason AEV has dropped the mounting points is so that when you hit a bump, the axle only needs to travel up. If the points were not lowered, the axle would have to travel forward on an arc to travel up, thus making the "hit" rougher.
Another point about the AEV that seems well thought out is mounting the drag link from the top. The excessive articulation required on the joint to function with a 3"+ lift seems jerry-rigged, but then again, with AEV, you have to drill out the knuckle. Teraflex is nice as well. As a starting point, I don't think you can go wrong either way. For me, I am leaning AEV since my Jeep is 90% if not more on road. If I were lucky enough to get out and off-road twice a month I would feel like I was stealing something.
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As to brackets somehow being bandaids, don't all kits relocate the mounting points? Otherwise, you would still have a stock rig. I guess some brackets weld on versus bolt on, but I'm not sure how you could fault the AEV kit for using brackets. I sort of sense reading through this and other threads that there is some "loyalty" coloring the opinions.
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but I'm not sure how you could fault the AEV kit for using brackets.
I sort of sense reading through this and other threads that there is some "loyalty" coloring the opinions
Last edited by wayoflife; 05-17-2011 at 08:13 AM.
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Things I'm looking for feedback on:
-Ride (versus one another or stock) and what to expect-- Rides as good as stock.
-approximately how much lift to expect--depends on how weighted down you are with bumpers and winch, cargo, etc.
-warranty/support info---second to none.
-install difficulty (probably be doing this myself....)--easy, that is if you have patience.
-Ride (versus one another or stock) and what to expect-- Rides as good as stock.
-approximately how much lift to expect--depends on how weighted down you are with bumpers and winch, cargo, etc.
-warranty/support info---second to none.
-install difficulty (probably be doing this myself....)--easy, that is if you have patience.
#16
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Brackets, not arms.
As for bind-free flex, not sure how your are encountering binding on the stock bushings. This is actually a fairly maintenance free solution. Low tech is not always a bad thing. The "upgraded" joints offer more parts to fail in an extreme environment. I'm sure that properly maintained and serviced they afford a measure of improvement, but I do not think that Jeep has produced an utterly substandard part here.
On the cost side, the AEV kit with shocks and PRoCal is $1700 and the TF kit the OP referenced costs $2,200, so it seems disingenuous to rant about the cost of AEV when the kit being considered (1451302) cost $500 more and, while including control arms, includes no steering solution and no ProCal. I don't have a dog in this fight, but I do feel there are merits to the AEV system. Is there a better one? I will stipulate that there is, but I will also say, you get what you pay for.
As for bind-free flex, not sure how your are encountering binding on the stock bushings. This is actually a fairly maintenance free solution. Low tech is not always a bad thing. The "upgraded" joints offer more parts to fail in an extreme environment. I'm sure that properly maintained and serviced they afford a measure of improvement, but I do not think that Jeep has produced an utterly substandard part here.
On the cost side, the AEV kit with shocks and PRoCal is $1700 and the TF kit the OP referenced costs $2,200, so it seems disingenuous to rant about the cost of AEV when the kit being considered (1451302) cost $500 more and, while including control arms, includes no steering solution and no ProCal. I don't have a dog in this fight, but I do feel there are merits to the AEV system. Is there a better one? I will stipulate that there is, but I will also say, you get what you pay for.
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As for bind-free flex, not sure how your are encountering binding on the stock bushings. This is actually a fairly maintenance free solution. Low tech is not always a bad thing. The "upgraded" joints offer more parts to fail in an extreme environment. I'm sure that properly maintained and serviced they afford a measure of improvement, but I do not think that Jeep has produced an utterly substandard part here.
On the cost side, the AEV kit with shocks and PRoCal is $1700 and the TF kit the OP referenced costs $2,200, so it seems disingenuous to rant about the cost of AEV when the kit being considered (1451302) cost $500 more and, while including control arms, includes no steering solution and no ProCal. I don't have a dog in this fight
but I do feel there are merits to the AEV system.
Is there a better one? I will stipulate that there is, but I will also say, you get what you pay for
Last edited by wayoflife; 05-17-2011 at 08:36 AM.
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WOL,
I appreciate your zeal for TF and appreciate that they are a sponsor here and AEV is not. My responses to the OP were simply to point out what I liked about AEV having researched the same question on this and other forums. You are much more expert on all things Jeep than I am. I do not have either of these kits and am unbiased in my review of the information available and acknowledge the pros and cons outlined here and elsewhere. I think we can agree that each of these (as well as others) have their particular merits. In the end, each user determines what is right for THEM.
Dave
I appreciate your zeal for TF and appreciate that they are a sponsor here and AEV is not. My responses to the OP were simply to point out what I liked about AEV having researched the same question on this and other forums. You are much more expert on all things Jeep than I am. I do not have either of these kits and am unbiased in my review of the information available and acknowledge the pros and cons outlined here and elsewhere. I think we can agree that each of these (as well as others) have their particular merits. In the end, each user determines what is right for THEM.
Dave
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My responses to the OP were simply to point out what I liked about AEV having researched the same question on this and other forums.
You are much more expert on all things Jeep than I am. I do not have either of these kits and am unbiased in my review of the information available and acknowledge the pros and cons outlined here and elsewhere.
I think we can agree that each of these (as well as others) have their particular merits.
In the end, each user determines what is right for THEM.
Last edited by wayoflife; 05-17-2011 at 09:42 AM.
#20
JK Newbie
I also have 3 2010 JKs in the family, but only 1 is lifted at the moment...
Cannot comment on AEV...
Cannot comment on Teraflex 3"...
...but having owned 7 Jeeps over the last few years, I have been in the same quandry as the OP: Which is the better lift?
I'm running a teraflex 4" short arm lift, my 3 kids and I put it on over a weekend.
It rides nice, I am very happy with it, and would recommend it to others.
Bottom line, it is hard to say what is bad or what is good until you have experienced it for yourself. It is nice to have someone's firsthand evaluation of a specific lift that you are interested in versus a bunch of answers like "it's good," it's great," "it sucks" or "get it, you'll like it."
Talk to the person that has driven the lift you are interested in, ask what they specifically like and don't like about it, right down to the little things, and then see if that's what you want. It will be rare that you get a "lemon" for a lift kit, but it could happen.
The only thing I'm paranoid about on my lift is making sure everything stays tight and keeping all the joints properly lubed.
Cannot comment on AEV...
Cannot comment on Teraflex 3"...
...but having owned 7 Jeeps over the last few years, I have been in the same quandry as the OP: Which is the better lift?
I'm running a teraflex 4" short arm lift, my 3 kids and I put it on over a weekend.
It rides nice, I am very happy with it, and would recommend it to others.
Bottom line, it is hard to say what is bad or what is good until you have experienced it for yourself. It is nice to have someone's firsthand evaluation of a specific lift that you are interested in versus a bunch of answers like "it's good," it's great," "it sucks" or "get it, you'll like it."
Talk to the person that has driven the lift you are interested in, ask what they specifically like and don't like about it, right down to the little things, and then see if that's what you want. It will be rare that you get a "lemon" for a lift kit, but it could happen.
The only thing I'm paranoid about on my lift is making sure everything stays tight and keeping all the joints properly lubed.
Last edited by membrain; 05-17-2011 at 09:52 AM.