[lank]

I've got the AEV 3.5" springs. They seem to be very stiff. They handle great on well-paved roads and are great at taking corners... but I spend most of my time driving on rutted-up backroads and dirt roads and they just seem a bit too harsh. Wheeling can be pretty jarring. Sometimes I miss the weak, bouncy stock springs.

I'm going to be doing bumpers soon but I don't think the extra weight is going to make that much difference.

Anyone got any suggestions for softer springs? I'm okay with shitty cornering and some sagging when carrying a heavy load.

Anyone had springs you didn't like because they were too soft?

 

[M&M's]

I love Currie progressive springs. They ride super smooth but I can only recommend their front springs as the rears on a 4" lift are still getting major sag issues worked out at the factory.

I am currently running Synergy 4.5" progressive rear springs and although they are a little stiff at first, they do seem to settle down pretty nicely. I don't run a heavy duty rear bumper so I'm probably not putting as much weight on them as they might like to soften them up a bit but truthfully I have absolutely no complaints at all. Love the ride on and off road.

Cornering also has a lot to do with shocks and swaybars. If you have removed your swaybar then you may have a little looser cornering. I run Currie AntiRock swaybars front and rear and I can haul the mail through any corner on the street with way more confidence than the factory swaybars. Others have way different opinions on this but for me it's night and day from factory setup.

I also have adjustable shocks (Rancho 9000's) and when on the street I run them stiff but while offroad I soften them up. Fox makes a great shock, better than Bilstein imho and definitely better than the Rancho's.

Other springs to consider are Clayton, they are super nice offroad and not too bad on the street. Then there's Rubicon Express, not a fan of their stuff but every jeep I have ridden in with them is really comfy and very smooth.

My suggestion is get out there and see if you can ride in other jeeps with different springs to get an idea of how they ride but also keep in mind there may be other factors affecting that ride at the same time so take a good overview of all the different things that might be required to match a ride you end up liking.

 

[Goodysgotacuda]

What shocks are you running?

A shitty shock can make a good spring ride bad, or vice-versa.

 

[lank]

What shocks are you running?

A shitty shock can make a good spring ride bad, or vice-versa.

Shocks are bilstein 5100s... AEV tuned. I bought an AEV lift back when I didn't know any better. Actually it's not a terrible lift or anything... I just think I've learned a few things about it after owning it and it just doesn't really suit my needs that well.

I was thinking I might have to change the shocks as well... but that I'd see how it rides with softer springs and then worry about damping.

I realize it's never gonna ride like a cadillac... it just seems the AEV kit was not optimized for very rough roads.

 

[lank]

I love Currie progressive springs. They ride super smooth but I can only recommend their front springs as the rears on a 4" lift are still getting major sag issues worked out at the factory.

I am currently running Synergy 4.5" progressive rear springs and although they are a little stiff at first, they do seem to settle down pretty nicely. I don't run a heavy duty rear bumper so I'm probably not putting as much weight on them as they might like to soften them up a bit but truthfully I have absolutely no complaints at all. Love the ride on and off road.

Cornering also has a lot to do with shocks and swaybars. If you have removed your swaybar then you may have a little looser cornering. I run Currie AntiRock swaybars front and rear and I can haul the mail through any corner on the street with way more confidence than the factory swaybars. Others have way different opinions on this but for me it's night and day from factory setup.

I also have adjustable shocks (Rancho 9000's) and when on the street I run them stiff but while offroad I soften them up. Fox makes a great shock, better than Bilstein imho and definitely better than the Rancho's.

Other springs to consider are Clayton, they are super nice offroad and not too bad on the street. Then there's Rubicon Express, not a fan of their stuff but every jeep I have ridden in with them is really comfy and very smooth.

My suggestion is get out there and see if you can ride in other jeeps with different springs to get an idea of how they ride but also keep in mind there may be other factors affecting that ride at the same time so take a good overview of all the different things that might be required to match a ride you end up liking.

Thanks for all the suggestions and info.

I don't really drive that fast or hit corners hard for the most part so I'm willing to deal with some body roll and loose handling... I just want my suspension to be a little better at absorbing bumps so it doesn't feel like the wheels are mounted directly to the frame.

At this point it seems like the springs are so stiff it's difficult to cycle the suspension hard enough to even assess the shocks... if that makes any sense. Rancho adjustables sound like they might be a good choice if I decide I need to do the shocks too.

 

[Rock Krawler Suspension]

I've got the AEV 3.5" springs. They seem to be very stiff. They handle great on well-paved roads and are great at taking corners... but I spend most of my time driving on rutted-up backroads and dirt roads and they just seem a bit too harsh. Wheeling can be pretty jarring. Sometimes I miss the weak, bouncy stock springs.

I'm going to be doing bumpers soon but I don't think the extra weight is going to make that much difference.

Anyone got any suggestions for softer springs? I'm okay with shitty cornering and some sagging when carrying a heavy load.

Anyone had springs you didn't like because they were too soft?

What tire and wheel combo are you running? What tire pressures are you running as well?

RK

 

[lank]

What tire and wheel combo are you running? What tire pressures are you running as well?

RK

Stock rubi wheels and tires. 32s. My plan was to wear them out before getting 35s.

I run them with 38 psi on the road but the ride is still very harsh even when I'm on trails with 15-18 psi in them.

 

[Cod]

I'm going to be doing bumpers soon but I don't think the extra weight is going to make that much difference.

I would wait for this then see how they do...

 

[Rock Krawler Suspension]

35's would help as well as they probably tuned the suspension for greater unsprung weights which will make a difference too!

RK

 

[mountainjk]

I'm heavy with bumpers and winch, I run OME springs with 5100's and 35" Goodyears. I have a smooth ride just about right, the hwy with the swaybar handles great, mostly I drive on dirt disconnected handles even better. I do find hours of running at speed on rough my shocks get hot.

 

[lank]

I'm heavy with bumpers and winch, I run OME springs with 5100's and 35" Goodyears. I have a smooth ride just about right, the hwy with the swaybar handles great, mostly I drive on dirt disconnected handles even better. I do find hours of running at speed on rough my shocks get hot.

Good to know... for some reason I hear very little about the OME springs.

 

[UnlimiDozer]

. . . They seem to be very stiff. . .

Had the same initial reaction when I installed my AEV 4.5". Called AEV and here's the scoop: springs and shocks are tuned for BFG KM2s specifically, 35s, (at 22 PSI, as I recall), also loaded down with their bumpers, tire carrier, armor, etc.

Recommendation: reduce tire pressure to 21-22 PSI, and wait until you have added your bumpers, fenders, armor, or whatever your end plan involves, before doing anything drastic with your suspension setup. And for you, that would also include adding whatever tire you plan on ending up with.

I'm going to be doing bumpers soon but I don't think the extra weight is going to make that much difference.

In my experience, you would be making a mistake to underestimate the impact of the extra weight. Just adding a 37" spare to mine softened the ride, even after reducing tire pressures. And there is a very noticeably smoother ride when it's loaded up for a trail run vs. tooling around town empty. No armor whatsoever on mine just yet, but I think once it's all in place, the ride will be perfect.

The problem you and I both are having is that we bought part of a complete package that was engineered to work together as a harmonious whole (the AEV Conversions "conversion", not just the suspension). Then we expected it to behave as if we had bought the whole package. Problem is it doesn't work that way. Part of that package is the additional weight of the other parts we don't yet have. Add the weight and I think you'll (finally) get what you were expecting from AEV's advertisements about ride quality.

 

[2k2wranglerx]

springs and shocks are tuned for BFG KM2s specifically, 35s, (at 22 PSI, as I recall), .

 

[2k2wranglerx]

the evo off road 4" coils ride AWESOME...

just fyi

 

[glomb23]

:lol:

 

[glomb23]

I've found that metalcloak coils ride awesome btw!

 

[UnlimiDozer]

Sorry 2k, guess I'm just not cool enough to even understand the reference.

That is what they told me though.

 

[lank]

Had the same initial reaction when I installed my AEV 4.5". Called AEV and here's the scoop: springs and shocks are tuned for BFG KM2s specifically, 35s, (at 22 PSI, as I recall), also loaded down with their bumpers, tire carrier, armor, etc.

Recommendation: reduce tire pressure to 21-22 PSI, and wait until you have added your bumpers, fenders, armor, or whatever your end plan involves, before doing anything drastic with your suspension setup. And for you, that would also include adding whatever tire you plan on ending up with.



In my experience, you would be making a mistake to underestimate the impact of the extra weight. Just adding a 37" spare to mine softened the ride, even after reducing tire pressures. And there is a very noticeably smoother ride when it's loaded up for a trail run vs. tooling around town empty. No armor whatsoever on mine just yet, but I think once it's all in place, the ride will be perfect.

The problem you and I both are having is that we bought part of a complete package that was engineered to work together as a harmonious whole (the AEV Conversions "conversion", not just the suspension). Then we expected it to behave as if we had bought the whole package. Problem is it doesn't work that way. Part of that package is the additional weight of the other parts we don't yet have. Add the weight and I think you'll (finally) get what you were expecting from AEV's advertisements about ride quality.

Thanks. Good info and advice. It's nice to have input from another AEV owner.

I view tire pressure as a fine adjustment to a suspension, and I don't like the idea of dropping it way down to compensate for a suspension that's way too hard. But in my case maybe it's the right thing to do if it'll hold me over for now and possibly save me $400.

I think that's the way I'm going to go.

 

[offroader613]

Sorry 2k, guess I'm just not cool enough to even understand the reference.

That is what they told me though.

It's just that 2k happens to be the biggest fan of almost everything besides AEV components....

If all their suspensions are specifically tuned to run a certain KM2 at a certain pressure...why do all of their own rigs usually have Iroks?

 

[john]

2 cents

I would consider changing the shocks, the AEV/Bilstein shocks are very stiff.

I have a friend that changed out the Bilsteins for Elka's and WOW this jeep handles like a dream now...

AEV springs - I think they are the best!


my 2 cents