what suspension kit should i get if I'm only doing a 2.5 lift?

[Splenda]

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[professorkx]

I have posted in other threads that I have installed a lot of lifts over the years, including building my own 3-link/4-link systems from scratch on prior jeeps. The last two lifts I installed were Rock Krawler, one of which was a 4 link on a Gladiator, so I have a lot of experience with lifting jeeps. The Rock Krawler on the Gladiator was nothing short of amazing on the Rubicon Trail, so a good option.

However, for my new Gladiator, I went a different direction than with my JK or my son’s Gladiator that is built for extreme trails, as I wanted to try and keep as many stock components as possible so parts are easy to find and cheap to replace on road trips with the motorhome. I also wanted to run the stock wheels with my normal Baja Boss 37 inch tires, which can be an issue with aftermarket lower control arms. Of course, I still need to be able to hit the occasional difficult trail…after all it’s a Jeep.

With that said, I went with the AEV 2.5 Dual Sport. Pretty easy to install relative to some other lifts, as there is no welding and stock control arms are not replaced and don’t require adjustment. A few notes on the AEV lift:

• I swapped the front upper control arms side to side to allow more clearance at the front pinion on the more difficult trails
• I added a Terraflex 1 inch spacer on top of the front springs, and I’m about level. I suspect the front will drop a little more once I install the bumper and winch. I don’t really tow very often, and the heaviest thing I carry is my KTM 690, so my thoughts on the spacer might change after I load the KTM the first time
• I put two washers under the steering stops on each side to keep from rubbing the control arms and front skid with the larger tires on the stock rims.
• my property is remote, which means I drive dirt roads that can get pretty bad. So, I always run lower air pressure to get a better ride. I played with air pressure yesterday from 24-32 pounds, and settled on 26 pounds...yes, this will cause faster wear, which I accept.
• With lifts that retain the stock track bar, the drag link needs to be adjusted to correct the steering wheel. The AEV uses the stock track bar, and the front axle is about 1/2 inch more to the drivers side than the rear axle. I think this will result in more rubbing risk on the front skid since I didn’t replace the rims. Rough Country front track bar is only $149 and will bring the front back into the center, so I might be opting for this change from stock.
• I changed the rear track bar to a Clayton unit that allows me to keep the 37 inch spare tire. I have never worn out a rear track bar, so this might never need replacing.

Finally, how does it ride on the street…where our rigs will spend 90% of their life. Quite frankly, the AEV on the Gladiator is a much better ride than the Rock Krawler on my JK with the same tires and the same pressure in both rigs. Yes, the JK will rock those extreme trails better, but overall, I want this build to be a more general use build, but still be able to rock the occasional more difficult trail that might require use of the winch. The AEV should meet both objectives.

I also wanted to give my impressions of the 4.10 gears with 37 inch tires with the automatic in the Gladiator. While I swapped the gears in my son’s Gladiator to 5.38 for better towing, I never changed gears in my JK from 4.10 with the same Baja Boss tires, so I was very interested to see if there was a notable power loss on the Gladiator with an automatic. I drove at highway speed at normal acceleration to get to speed, tested acceleration as if I were passing and tested acceleration from a standing start. Yes, there is a change, but IMHO, I don’t see a huge enough change with 37 inch tires to swap gears. If I were going to tow more frequently, I could see a gear swap to 4.56 or 4.88 gears, but not planning any gear change at this point.

Sorry for the long post, but I’m not really a fan of just posting “The AEV is a Nice Lift” without providing my perspective on why I selected AEV over other options on the market…of which there are many…

 

[The Baked Bean]

I have posted in other threads that I have installed a lot of lifts over the years, including building my own 3-link/4-link systems from scratch on prior jeeps. The last two lifts I installed were Rock Krawler, one of which was a 4 link on a Gladiator, so I have a lot of experience with lifting jeeps. The Rock Krawler on the Gladiator was nothing short of amazing on the Rubicon Trail, so a good option.

However, for my new Gladiator, I went a different direction than with my JK or my son’s Gladiator that is built for extreme trails, as I wanted to try and keep as many stock components as possible so parts are easy to find and cheap to replace on road trips with the motorhome. I also wanted to run the stock wheels with my normal Baja Boss 37 inch tires, which can be an issue with aftermarket lower control arms. Of course, I still need to be able to hit the occasional difficult trail…after all it’s a Jeep.

With that said, I went with the AEV 2.5 Dual Sport. Pretty easy to install relative to some other lifts, as there is no welding and stock control arms are not replaced and don’t require adjustment. A few notes on the AEV lift:

• I swapped the front upper control arms side to side to allow more clearance at the front pinion on the more difficult trails
• I added a Terraflex 1 inch spacer on top of the front springs, and I’m about level. I suspect the front will drop a little more once I install the bumper and winch. I don’t really tow very often, and the heaviest thing I carry is my KTM 690, so my thoughts on the spacer might change after I load the KTM the first time
• I put two washers under the steering stops on each side to keep from rubbing the control arms and front skid with the larger tires on the stock rims.
• my property is remote, which means I drive dirt roads that can get pretty bad. So, I always run lower air pressure to get a better ride. I played with air pressure yesterday from 24-32 pounds, and settled on 26 pounds...yes, this will cause faster wear, which I accept.
• With lifts that retain the stock track bar, the drag link needs to be adjusted to correct the steering wheel. The AEV uses the stock track bar, and the front axle is about 1/2 inch more to the drivers side than the rear axle. I think this will result in more rubbing risk on the front skid since I didn’t replace the rims. Rough Country front track bar is only $149 and will bring the front back into the center, so I might be opting for this change from stock.
• I changed the rear track bar to a Clayton unit that allows me to keep the 37 inch spare tire. I have never worn out a rear track bar, so this might never need replacing.

Finally, how does it ride on the street…where our rigs will spend 90% of their life. Quite frankly, the AEV on the Gladiator is a much better ride than the Rock Krawler on my JK with the same tires and the same pressure in both rigs. Yes, the JK will rock those extreme trails better, but overall, I want this build to be a more general use build, but still be able to rock the occasional more difficult trail that might require use of the winch. The AEV should meet both objectives.

I also wanted to give my impressions of the 4.10 gears with 37 inch tires with the automatic in the Gladiator. While I swapped the gears in my son’s Gladiator to 5.38 for better towing, I never changed gears in my JK from 4.10 with the same Baja Boss tires, so I was very interested to see if there was a notable power loss on the Gladiator with an automatic. I drove at highway speed at normal acceleration to get to speed, tested acceleration as if I were passing and tested acceleration from a standing start. Yes, there is a change, but IMHO, I don’t see a huge enough change with 37 inch tires to swap gears. If I were going to tow more frequently, I could see a gear swap to 4.56 or 4.88 gears, but not planning any gear change at this point.

Sorry for the long post, but I’m not really a fan of just posting “The AEV is a Nice Lift” without providing my perspective on why I selected AEV over other options on the market…of which there are many…

Thank you so much I know I said I was getting the Clayton kit but I was looking around and realized that I didn’t need to swap everything out. I decided to do the aev kit and it’s getting put on in two weeks! I also like how you mentioned that it keeps everything stock so you can get repaired quickly if needed. Thank you I’m going to take your suggestion and get the Clayton track bars!

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Thank you so much I know I said I was getting the Clayton kit but I was looking around and realized that I didn’t need to swap everything out. I decided to do the aev kit and it’s getting put on in two weeks! I also like how you mentioned that it keeps everything stock so you can get repaired quickly if needed. Thank you I’m going to take your suggestion and get the Clayton track bars!

Clayton has their Ride Right kits that do not swap everything out, but they do include front and rear track bars.

You can't go wrong with AEV though. They make nice stuff.

 

[professorkx]

Thank you so much I know I said I was getting the Clayton kit but I was looking around and realized that I didn’t need to swap everything out. I decided to do the aev kit and it’s getting put on in two weeks! I also like how you mentioned that it keeps everything stock so you can get repaired quickly if needed. Thank you I’m going to take your suggestion and get the Clayton track bars!

To install the larger spare tire in the rear, you will also need to remove the exhaust shield. Not sure why it’s even on the rig, as the exhaust isn’t very close to the tire, but it had to go to fit my 37 Baja Boss tire. Might be able to bend it to fit the tire, but I just took it off to make it easier. My oldest son had his 37 inch Baja Boss under his Gladiator when we did the Rubicon trail, and other than the tire getting scuffed, no issues.

I’m also building my own hitch skid, as I want the top step even with the stock bumper step and I want it tucked up close to the receiver on the bottom. Since I have a lot of scrap 1/4” plate and square tubing, as well as a well equipped shot, it will be an easy project for zero dollars.

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