Is AEV worth the money?
#81
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this thread again???
honestly, i saw them and while your front end stuff looks decent, you also have rock krawler control arms. i have no doubts that your ride is smooth being you have dual rate coils but, the drawback to them is that by design, they do limit stuff. if you were still running factory arms with their bonded rubber bushings on both ends of the control arms, that would cause bind and limit flex as well. these are a couple of shots of what a full-traction 3" ultimate lift and 35's look like at a full stuff...
you just can't take a coil purposefully meant to resist compression at a certain point and control arms with bonded rubber bushings on both ends and expect them to flex anymore than they can. as you yourself said "AEV markets their lifts as overland driving not rock crawling" - just sayin
the parts you get are for the most parts just coils, shocks (which are nice) and a whole bunch of brackets. maybe if this kit were selling at about $300 less, i would agree with you but, for me, i have a hard time seeing this as a value but that's just me - certainly, you can get something like a rancho 4" sport kit that comes with a bunch of bracket too and for a fraction of the cost. i do have to take issue on one point you made though and that's in regards to your four other jeeps. unless they were all JK's, i find it a strecth at best to even try to make the comparison.
you just can't take a coil purposefully meant to resist compression at a certain point and control arms with bonded rubber bushings on both ends and expect them to flex anymore than they can. as you yourself said "AEV markets their lifts as overland driving not rock crawling" - just sayin
The value in the AEV kit is the engineering and quality of parts. The Bilsteins and progressive rate coils are what sold me on it. Add $300-400 to any advertised kit price if you want Bilsteins. The progressive coils make a huge difference in ride quality and load capacity. It rode rough with stock bumpers, but as soon as I added the extra weight of front and rear bumpers, winch and tire carrier, it rides like a dream -- just as it was designed. Not knocking anyone else's lift, but I've had at least four different brands on four different Jeeps and this one it outstanding for what I need it to do - which is realistically 90 street/commute and 10 off-road (just like 99% of people who own a JK). I would get a different brand or build my own for hard-core trail use, but that's not what most kits are for.
Last edited by wayoflife; 12-14-2010 at 06:47 AM.
#82
JK Junkie
When it comes to buying a lift for your Jeep everyone has different needs, desires, so there is no one size fits all answer. The best answer is to find someone close to you with the lift you are looking at and go for a ride with them. For my tastes the AEV lift worked out very well (after I had tried 2 other lifts).
#83
Yes, but I wasn't trying to make a direct comparison. Just making the point that I knew what I wanted in a lift and have seen the quality and results from several manufacturers. There's really no right or wrong here. For instance, there's no way I would've lifted my LJ without replacing the flimsy stock control arms, but the JK's are plenty stout for moderate wheeling. I also didn't want it to ride like a buck-board on-road to get that last 10% of off-road performance that I don't need. I also tend to load the rig down with the family and assorted crap. I needed a combination of load capacity, quality on-road performance and good off-road capabilities. AEV delivers on all of this with proper geometry, progressive rate coils and bilsteins. And the premium kit isn't just brackets (which are really nice, btw) -- it includes a drag-link flip and rear track bar. Granted its not all adjustable, but it doesn't need it to be. It all works together quite well. Is it the best deal? No. Does it offer the best off-road performance? No. (But I have a dedicated trail rig for that.) Does it work really well for its intended purpose - meaning a combination of on road civility, good performance for moderate off-roading and load capacity for expedition travel? Absolutely! And it is civil enough that my wife can drive it without complaining. That's worth the extra $$$ right there.
#84
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Yes, but I wasn't trying to make a direct comparison. Just making the point that I knew what I wanted in a lift and have seen the quality and results from several manufacturers. There's really no right or wrong here. For instance, there's no way I would've lifted my LJ without replacing the flimsy stock control arms, but the JK's are plenty stout for moderate wheeling. I also didn't want it to ride like a buck-board on-road to get that last 10% of off-road performance that I don't need.
I also tend to load the rig down with the family and assorted crap. I needed a combination of load capacity, quality on-road performance and good off-road capabilities. AEV delivers on all of this with proper geometry, progressive rate coils and bilsteins. And the premium kit isn't just brackets (which are really nice, btw) -- it includes a drag-link flip and rear track bar.
Granted its not all adjustable, but it doesn't need it to be.
It all works together quite well. Is it the best deal? No. Does it offer the best off-road performance? No. (But I have a dedicated trail rig for that.) Does it work really well for its intended purpose - meaning a combination of on road civility, good performance for moderate off-roading and load capacity for expedition travel? Absolutely! And it is civil enough that my wife can drive it without complaining. That's worth the extra $$$ right there.
#85
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The $880 OME "kit" the OP was looking doesn't come with bumpstops, rear sway bar links, control arms, or brake lines. Adding those missing pieces raises the cost of the OME lift to $1475 (making it ~$175 more than the AEV Standard lift, using Northridge prices).
Adding the $300 EVO drag-link flip that that you recommended earlier in this thread brings the cost of the OME lift to $1775 (making it ~$25 more than the AEV *Premium* Lift).
#86
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Other lifts may prove that point, but for those following this thread, the OME lift that the OP was looking at doesn't make for a good pricing example.
The $880 OME "kit" the OP was looking doesn't come with bumpstops, rear sway bar links, control arms, or brake lines. Adding those missing pieces raises the cost of the OME lift to $1475 (making it ~$175 more than the AEV Standard lift, using Northridge prices).
Adding the $300 EVO drag-link flip that that you recommended earlier in this thread brings the cost of the OME lift to $1775 (making it ~$25 more than the AEV *Premium* Lift).
The $880 OME "kit" the OP was looking doesn't come with bumpstops, rear sway bar links, control arms, or brake lines. Adding those missing pieces raises the cost of the OME lift to $1475 (making it ~$175 more than the AEV Standard lift, using Northridge prices).
Adding the $300 EVO drag-link flip that that you recommended earlier in this thread brings the cost of the OME lift to $1775 (making it ~$25 more than the AEV *Premium* Lift).
#87
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For me, "bang for buck" is a lift that adds off-road capabilities while retaining (or enhancing) stock on-road performance.
The list of issues that heavy-duty adjustable components solve [perfectly centered axles, reduced ground clearance, flex with bind] aren't issues that I run into with the way that I use my JK.
And the issues I do encounter the most [my JK feeling like it's going to roll over when I take a banked interstate exit at the speed of normal traffic, being jarred out of my seat from the bumpy roads out here, and the front end diving like a submarine when I hit the brakes because some idiot cut me off] aren't solved by heavy-duty adjustable components.
AEV's brackets address the issues I have, so for me, while they definitely don't offer the most material for a buck, the finished solution they offer (which is how my JK rides) gives me the biggest bang for my buck.
#88
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the issues I do encounter the most [my JK feeling like it's going to roll over when I take a banked interstate exit at the speed of normal traffic...
being jarred out of my seat from the bumpy roads out here...
and the front end diving like a submarine when I hit the brakes because some idiot cut me off] aren't solved by heavy-duty adjustable components.
AEV's brackets address the issues I have, so for me, while they definitely don't offer the most material for a buck, the finished solution they offer (which is how my JK rides) gives me the biggest bang for my buck.
#89
Dear Lord, we are gathered here today put an end to this thread. All have made valid points, arguments and retorts. All have come short of the glory of AEV, Old Man Emu, Teraflex and Full Traction, but let us acknowledge everyone's opinions as that and agree to disagree. Let's all meet up in the heavenly offroad trails and pass the tacos and beer...Amen!