AEV 3.5"- 4.5" SC DualSport Suspension for JK Wrangler

AEV chose not to let traditional suspension norms drive the content of its JK DualSport kits. A good example of this would be control-arms. On the older Jeep TJ the arms were weak and short. So it was desirable to replace them with something stronger and often longer. But with the JK, the factory control arms are plenty strong right out of the box. They are also substantially longer, which improves geometry. And finally, they come with very high-quality rubber bushings which outperform the typical aftermarket urethane units in just about every meaningful way. So you wont see custom control arms in AEVs DualSport Suspension Systems. What you get instead is a tour-de-force in engineering and attention to unusual details.

No, that was a critical requirement in our design process. We know that many of our customers will use their JKs for significant off road and overland trips, but the reality is that most of the vehicles miles will be racked up on the freeway. It wasnt acceptable for us to produce a suspension that performed beautifully off road, but that was either uncomfortable or unsafe in on-road driving conditions. The first key is that our frequency tuned springs are also progressive rate both front and rear so they get stiffer as the loads increase. This helps keep the frequencies closer to constant, generating consistent ride and handling across a wide range of loads and speeds. But to truly make our suspension dual sport for your type of use, our proprietary shock tuning was developed specifically to match our unique springs, further enhancing the ride vs. load balance. This is another place where traditional expectations are based on the fact that most of the suspensions available in the aftermarket rarely accomplish the feat of adding capability without compromising ride and handling. Its a shame to throw away all of the original factory tuning of the stock vehicle for the sake of adding some increased off-road ability, but thats what normally happens. The nice reality is that capability can be added without compromise, it just takes some additional knowledge and investment in testing, development and higher-grade components.

In simple terms: OE-style tuning. With the benefit of a former Chrysler suspension engineer on staff, we began by optimizing all of the JKs control-arm, track-arm and steering geometry to accommodate a lifted ride height. We then proceeded to develop custom coil springs and custom-tuned shocks. All of this development followed factory engineering methodology. The overall goal was to not only build a lift, but to create a fully tuned suspension that would enable a lifted JK to outperform a stock one in all driving environments. We think we succeeded as AEV-equipped JKs not only have more wheel travel than stock ones, but can out corner them as well and all without compromise to safety, practicality or comfort. In the 4WD suspension aftermarket this is truly a high water mark given that for decades the focus has primarily been on looks and wheel travel.

The Jeep JK has two spring masses: the front axle and the rear axle. It is essential that these two masses work in harmony with one another when they are disturbed by bumps in the road. To illustrate this, when the JK is driven quickly over something such as a speed bump, the front spring mass (axle) is disrupted and it responds by compressing, extending and eventually settling. If the vehicle is traveling fast enough, the tail will hit the same bump before the front has settled. The objective in Frequency Tuning is to get the rear spring mass to equalize with the front as rapidly as possible after the rear has been disrupted. When this is done correctly the vehicle remains manageable and it exhibits none of the tail bouncing and fishtailing many drivers have experienced with other suspensions. To make this happen in AEVs DualSport Suspension Systems, AEV began at the front of the JK where we conducted bounce testing. In this test, coils of various spring rates were installed on a shock-less JK and bounced under the load of the nose of the vehicle. Following OE formulas, the goal was to find the spring rate that delivered the known ideal number of oscillations (bounces) per minute. With this complete, attention was turned toward the rear of the JK. To find the spring rate that delivered the ideal number of oscillations there, OE formulas were again followed. But rather than also utilizing bounce testing, the rear spring rate was achieved strictly through mathematics. This formula took into consideration the front spring oscillation rate, the JKs wheelbase, weight and speed of travel. With harmonious oscillation rates fore and aft, AEV is able to get the tail of DualSport-equipped JKs to settle within approximately 1.5 oscillations of the front.

AEV cannot guarantee that the lift height you get will exactly match the height we advertise. This is simply due to the fact that AEV designed its suspensions to carry the weight of additional accessories and loads, but no two JKs will ever be accessorized or loaded in exactly the same way. Ultimately the weight of your vehicle will influence your final lift height and this could vary by +/- -inch or more.