For some time I have been very impressed with what AEV has been doing with Jeeps. Once I had made the decision to get a JK in the States, going to AEV was the only thing to do. What they do, they do well and I didn’t want any compromises, nor did I want to be at the bleeding edge of suspension and other aftermarket technology. I knew AEV was going to do an excellent job. And they did! The Rubicon gave me Dana 44 axles front and rear, electronic lockers and an electronic sway bar disconnect, rock sliders as well as some other niceties. AEV added a great front bumper, beautiful beadlock wheels, a fancy hood, Warn winch, snorkel and a 2.75” suspension lift that I knew was going to work. I have always believed in the lowest possible suspension lift to accommodate the tyre size of choice. Kent Klein had been very helpful and was careful not to oversell (which wouldn’t have been a problem!). Unfortunately, AEV wasn’t able to deal with my need for Rockhard skids for protection of the petrol tank, oil pan, transfer case and EVAP canister. That was fitted by a company in Sacramento. See the JK's features here.
Experience to date.
The Jeep has been terrific! On road it rides as well as my 1999 WJ did...but without the power! On road the JK’s performance is very disappointing. This had to be addressed. During Easter Jeep Safari I met with the AEV guys who let me test drive a JK with a Hemi. Ohh my, that thing was just beautifully responsive to drive. The price tag of that Hemi was out of my league so I decided to have a RIPP Super Charger fitted by my friend Mike. I haven’t driven it yet so I really can’t wait for the JK to arrive in the UK (not long now hopefully!)
Off Road the JK drives like a dream. The auto box helps make light work of Moab slickrock and the 4.88 R&P ratio works wonderfully well and the engine’s capacity off road is totally adequate. The suspension works equally well giving you the feeling of sure-footedness which is just what you want on Moab trails and the Rubicon. When I dropped the JK off at the shipping company in LA, she had done 5,500 miles. That was in early April 2009.
The Jeep has been terrific! On road it rides as well as my 1999 WJ did...but without the power! On road the JK’s performance is very disappointing. This had to be addressed. During Easter Jeep Safari I met with the AEV guys who let me test drive a JK with a Hemi. Ohh my, that thing was just beautifully responsive to drive. The price tag of that Hemi was out of my league so I decided to have a RIPP Super Charger fitted by my friend Mike. I haven’t driven it yet so I really can’t wait for the JK to arrive in the UK (not long now hopefully!)
Off Road the JK drives like a dream. The auto box helps make light work of Moab slickrock and the 4.88 R&P ratio works wonderfully well and the engine’s capacity off road is totally adequate. The suspension works equally well giving you the feeling of sure-footedness which is just what you want on Moab trails and the Rubicon. When I dropped the JK off at the shipping company in LA, she had done 5,500 miles. That was in early April 2009.
