Different Lift Methodology = Different Results?

[RodRecket]

This was originally posted in another thread but I thought it may warrant its own considering I want to talk about many different lifts.

I have decided not to rush into lifting my truck but the end goal is 2"-2.5" w/ 35s on my Sport S 6mt. My truck is my daily driver first and foremost but is also used to haul mulch for my yard in the spring, load up the bed with home depot supplies for house projects, and then....take me off road and camping in places like Imogene Pass CO. Taking all of this into consideration I have found a few lift kits that have caught my eye for my needs and similar in cost (money is also a consideration for me).

1. MOPAR lift: 2" fixed LCAs, no track bars, linear rate springs, comes with Fox 2.0
MOPAR 2"

2. Rusty's 2" Basic: Adjustable LCAs, front and rear adjustable track bars, dual rate progressive springs by Eibach (will pair w/ Fox 2.0)
Rusty's 2"

3. Clayton 2.5" ride right: Adjustable UCAs, adj front and rear track bars, linear front springs and triple rate rear springs (will pair w/ Fox 2.0)
Clayton 2.5"

4. AEV 2.5" Dualsport: Control Arm relocation brackets, track bar relocation brackets, triple rate coils springs, Bilstein shocks, rear driveshaft shims
AEV 2.5"

It's a little bizarre to me that there are so many different ways of achieving the same goal: compliant street ride, more flex offroad, and bigger tires. Not one of these manufacturers take the same approach to making that happen but they all seem fairly high quality.

After actually reading through AEVs site and the install instructions it seems to me there was rational for everything they chose to do (even a small spring spacer for the front right because there is more weight on that side of the vehicle). I had initially wrote off this system but after reading through the product page it may be at the top of my list, even though I am not psyched about their shock choice.

I know this is super long winded but I am hoping for some conversation about the kits listed above as I think they should be a consideration for anyone in the market for a 2" suspension kit for under $2k. I would love to hear from anyone with some expertise that can dissect why some companies choose linear vs double and triple rate springs, adj UCA's vs adj and fixed LCA's vs brackets, etc. Thanks for reading

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[GladiatorCruzen]

I’ve also been considering some of these kits for my Sport. At this point I’m leaning heavily towards the Clayton kit listed above, because it is upgradable with the addition of 6 more control arms. The Mopar kit seems limited to me. While I’m sure it’s a well designed kit, I don’t believe it offers the value the Clayton kit does. I can’t really comment on the AEV or Rusty kit, since I haven’t done much research on them yet.

 

[RodRecket]

I’ve also been considering some of these kits for my Sport. At this point I’m leaning heavily towards the Clayton kit listed above, because it is upgradable with the addition of 6 more control arms. The Mopar kit seems limited to me. While I’m sure it’s a well designed kit, I don’t believe it offers the value the Clayton kit does. I can’t really comment on the AEV or Rusty kit, since I haven’t done much research on them yet.

Mopar was on my list because I figured it's hard to beat the R&D a company like FCA has.
I agree with you that Clayton's kit seems like it has the most upgradable high end parts.
Rustys has the same ability to be upgraded at a great price but not the high end name Clayton carries. They also use eibach springs which is a bonus to me.
AEV must be doing something right if GM and Jeep collabs with them.

So basically I am just going in circles

 

[Silvertruck]

Keep in mind Clayton is really going to give you more than 3 inches of lift. This may or may not be what your goals are. They measure lift at the rear not the front and are conservative on advertised lift height because they have found many of their customers add heavy accessories....they dont want the kit to provide less than what customer paid for.

but dont take my word for it, ask them yourself, I found their sales and service team to be very responsive. I’m really happy with ride quality and parts quality on my 3.5 inch lift, which really gave me a tad over 2 inches over the mopar kit we had originally.

 

[RodRecket]

Keep in mind Clayton is really going to give you more than 3 inches of lift. This may or may not be what your goals are. They measure lift at the rear not the front and are conservative on advertised lift height because they have found many of their customers add heavy accessories....they dont want the kit to provide less than what customer paid for.

but dont take my word for it, ask them yourself, I found their sales and service team to be very responsive. I’m really happy with ride quality and parts quality on my 3.5 inch lift, which really gave me a tad over 2 inches over the mopar kit we had originally.

Thanks for the info. Good to hear they were so responsive and the lift meets expectations. I really only want enough lift to add 35s but I do have a steel front bumper, winch and steel rear bumper.

I will be making some phone calls for sure.

 

[firehog]

I have the Fabtech sport II on my Sport S Max Tow. Its a 3” lift. Very basic. Progressive springs. The shocks are their Dirt Logic with piggyback reservoir. It rides awesome both on and off road. Of course, I don’t have much to compare it to since I’ve only driven one other JT ( dealership with Mopar 2” lift). But, it is so much better than my TJ’s and YJ’s! I paid $1,700. I figured I can add other parts if necessary. So far I don’t see any reason to. What little I know about springs is that they should match the shock so they work together. I know Fabtech does that. However, if I were to do it again I would go with Clayton. It looks like they make a great lift that can be added on to and I have only heard very positive things about them.

 

[Silvertruck]

Also you may want to think about overall long term goals. If you want a good overlanding rig, AEV apparently focuses in on performance in that arena. The mopar lift is a good middle of the road lift with good articulation for just good all around use. Some say the mopar lift needed track bars. I agree and added them and also LCA’s to get the alignment right...but this stuff is rig and install specific and really I dont have anything negative to say.

i live in Alabama and Rusty’s has a rep for hit or miss customer service. They have, in the past, had quality control issues. That said some of their builder parts and XJ kits are top notch. They have been in the game a long time and seem to be adding a lot of content for our platform. This tends to be good if you want a manufacturer with a component list that can grow with you as your build grows. Clayton is similar in that regard with some of their newest budget minded kits.

 

[firehog]

3” lift, Steel bumpers and winch on 35s. I wouldn’t want to go any shorter. I’m pushing it when flexed out

 

[LostWoods]

Lifts impact three main things aside from height because the arms are different lengths and move on different arcs: caster, pinion angle, and tire position. As it pertains to the JL/JT front, UCAs pretty much only correct caster and pinion angle, LCAs correct for a lift moving the wheel rearward in addition to lesser correction for caster and pinion angle. Having both allows for full correction.

Articulation will come from the arm ends. Stock arms are designed for longevity and firmness for on-road manners but they don't allow for much twist. Something like what Clayton or Metalcloak use will give more articulation at a slight cost of on-road manners.

Determine your endgame before choosing. If you want a plug and play that will still be somewhat capable off road, the Mopar kit will be great on road and still allow you to play a little. If you want future expansion or want to seriously off road, you want something like Clayton or Metalcloak's kit with the UCA and expand later.

 

[Silvertruck]

Also its good AEV is pushing their kits out with carrier bearing spacers/shims. I am trying to order one of those stand alone and the whole country seems to be on backorder for these for the JT.

i dont have any vibes or clicks yet but i think my pinion side cv shaft will eat the housing under the right flex. You can kinda see what i am talking about in this pic top left of the imagw

 

[RodRecket]

Lifts impact three main things aside from height because the arms are different lengths and move on different arcs: caster, pinion angle, and tire position. As it pertains to the JL/JT front, UCAs pretty much only correct caster and pinion angle, LCAs correct for a lift moving the wheel rearward in addition to lesser correction for caster and pinion angle. Having both allows for full correction.

Articulation will come from the arm ends. Stock arms are designed for longevity and firmness for on-road manners but they don't allow for much twist. Something like what Clayton or Metalcloak use will give more articulation at a slight cost of on-road manners.

Determine your endgame before choosing. If you want a plug and play that will still be somewhat capable off road, the Mopar kit will be great on road and still allow you to play a little. If you want future expansion or want to seriously off road, you want something like Clayton or Metalcloak's kit with the UCA and expand later.

Thats great info.

How would you rank the AEV kit then since they go about adjusting those arcs in a completely different but seemingly more complete way?

I tried articulate my goal for a lift in my first post but ultimately this is my DD, not a dedicated trail rig.

 

[RodRecket]

Also its good AEV is pushing their kits out with carrier bearing spacers/shims. I am trying to order one of those stand alone and the whole country seems to be on backorder for these for the JT.

i dont have any vibes or clicks yet but i think my pinion side cv shaft will eat the housing under the right flex. You can kinda see what i am talking about in this pic top left of the imagw

It's those details that have made AEV a top contender for me even though I was initially turned off by the relocation brackets

 

[LostWoods]

Thats great info.

How would you rank the AEV kit then since they go about adjusting those arcs in a completely different but seemingly more complete way?

I tried articulate my goal for a lift in my first post but ultimately this is my DD, not a dedicated trail rig.

I personally wouldn't bother at that price when Clayton/Metalcloak have competitive options with room to grow. It would be fine for a daily on road truck because they're basically using brackets to get the axle back into stock position.

IMO if you really plan on playing in the dirt, those are the two to go with because they have room to expand should you find the need. You'll sacrifice a little on-road manners but as long as you get quality shocks to go with it, it will likely be better than stock.

 

[GladiatorCruzen]

Speaking with my local shop today. He said that he has seen Clayton arms hold up extremely well to abuse. He mentioned taking apart the Overland+ joints after several years of use and they were almost like new. He also said good things about Metal Cloak, but that he’s been surprised just how well the Clayton joints hold up to extreme off-roading over a long period of time.

 

[Silvertruck]

Relocation brackets are probably fine. Ultimately all these kits have compromises. Example, getting a near horizontal lca angle from a relo bracket helps to maintain stock or near stock ride quality because less of the road force (bump) is transferring into your frame because the fulcrum of the lever that is your LCA allows the axle to travel up more easily.

that said, you will be using stock control arms which, as someone said, are maximized more for road performance and not offroad flex. That and if you decide to take on more tough obstacles the lca’s and brackets can get dragged and banged around by being so low. But this isnt really a huge threat for more mild offroading and trekking....unless you want to keep building the rig beyond this kit and then its time to chuck those brackets. At some point they limit you.

my goals were a bit different as i wanted to build a little more flex to explore and build it to last. Mine is probably a little over built for my needs but am loving it.

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