AEV 2.5" XT DualSport with SumoSprings bumpstops

steve_r2

steve_r2

New member
Hi all,
As this is my first post please bear with me.
I'm having the AEV 2.5" XT Dualsport fitted soon. However my OEM bumpstops are pretty worn.
Now I know there are bumpstop spacers with the kit but I was wondering whether to completely swap out and fit SumoSpring bumpstop ? These are longer than the OEM bumpstops so would I also need the bumpstop spacers in the kit ? Or would the SumoSprings by themselves be ok ?
Thoughts on this please before I do anything.
Cheers
Steve
 
T

TiciTaci

Banned
How funny, this is the setup I run on my 2DR JK. I've got the AEV2.5 and the SumoSpring bump stops. I talked to them and run the bump stop extensions that came with the AEV kit. The reason is that the SumoStops are very soft initially and while they look a lot longer they compress quite a bit as well.

They don't seem to have hurt my articulation as under full stuff I still get a tiny bit of fender rub but they are fantastic at soaking up massive impacts. The difference is just night and day. I only have the SumoStops at the front but the setup seems to work well and I'm happy with it.

Now, I also run the MetalCloak control arms with the DuraFlex bushings and those made a huge difference in ride quality as well.
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
TiciTaci said:
Now, I also run the MetalCloak control arms with the DuraFlex bushings and those made a huge difference in ride quality as well.
Click to expand...

Really? I'd be interested in knowing in what way and how you're sure that they were what made the "a huge difference in ride quality".
 
steve_r2

steve_r2

New member
TiciTaci said:
How funny, this is the setup I run on my 2DR JK. I've got the AEV2.5 and the SumoSpring bump stops. I talked to them and run the bump stop extensions that came with the AEV kit. The reason is that the SumoStops are very soft initially and while they look a lot longer they compress quite a bit as well.

They don't seem to have hurt my articulation as under full stuff I still get a tiny bit of fender rub but they are fantastic at soaking up massive impacts. The difference is just night and day. I only have the SumoStops at the front but the setup seems to work well and I'm happy with it.

Now, I also run the MetalCloak control arms with the DuraFlex bushings and those made a huge difference in ride quality as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks Tici,
Just the kind of info I was after.
Cheers
Steve
 
T

TiciTaci

Banned
wayoflife said:
Really? I'd be interested in knowing in what way and how you're sure that they were what made the "a huge difference in ride quality".
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Well, it was sort of like a controlled experiment you see, except without the laboratory: :thumb:

1) First, I drove the Jeep with the AEV kit and stock control arms.

2) Next, I had the control arms installed on the Jeep and then drove it some more.

After driving on the same trails (for comparison, mind you) for back-to-back weekends I made the subjective (sorry, no calibrated NVH sensors other that my keister) evaluation and found that was able to drive faster with more control with improved comfort. I'm sure that having the proper caster made a difference on the street but I noticed a marked improvement on both the street and the trail. Significant difference. If I had to be specific: better steering, less high-frequency vibration, better isolation of small bumps and no more squeaks during articulation. I don't think there is any additional articulation but it does feel smoother throughout the range of travel.

Funny thing is that I wasn't really sure it would be worth it and considered just doing a front AEV control arm drop bracket. That would have adjusted the caster but I don't think it would have made much of a difference off-road.

I can't compare them to other control arms directly since I've only run these and stock (although I have driven a few other lifts but those were on other Jeeps) but after doing this I would never go back to running the stock control arms.

Answer your question?
 
JKbrick

JKbrick

Active Member
I purchased Sumosprings front and rear and they were not any longer than my stock bump stops. I felt I wasted my $ on them. If I were you I would just install the extension pieces that bolt to the axle, but that's just my opinion. My next attempt at bump stops will be bottom extensions and the king bumps that are nitrogen filled
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
TiciTaci said:
1) First, I drove the Jeep with the AEV kit and stock control arms.

2) Next, I had the control arms installed on the Jeep and then drove it some more.
Click to expand...

Did you retain the drop brackets with your new control arms? Are you running the same springs, shocks and tires?

After driving on the same trails (for comparison, mind you) for back-to-back weekends I made the subjective (sorry, no calibrated NVH sensors other that my keister) evaluation and found that was able to drive faster with more control with improved comfort. I'm sure that having the proper caster made a difference on the street but I noticed a marked improvement on both the street and the trail. Significant difference. If I had to be specific: better steering, less high-frequency vibration, better isolation of small bumps and no more squeaks during articulation. I don't think there is any additional articulation but it does feel smoother throughout the range of travel.
Click to expand...

Factory Clevite bonded rubber bushings don't squeak and I find it hard to believe that what you have would offer anything better. By design, it should offer better bind free flex but, your total amount of flex will still be limited to your shock length.

Funny thing is that I wasn't really sure it would be worth it and considered just doing a front AEV control arm drop bracket. That would have adjusted the caster but I don't think it would have made much of a difference off-road.
Click to expand...

Actually, the AEV drop brackets would have helped to address both caster and suspension geometry. If you removed them, your ride should technically be a bit off and not for the better. This isn't just opinion but a matter of physics.

I can't compare them to other control arms directly since I've only run these and stock (although I have driven a few other lifts but those were on other Jeeps) but after doing this I would never go back to running the stock control arms.

Answer your question?
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, if you've convinced yourself these are as good as you believe them to be, I'm happy for you. Certainly, there's nothing worse than buying something that doesn't meet or exceed your expectations. However, based on what you've told me, I can't say that any of it makes sense. Of course, that's just my opinion, what do I know.
 
T

TiciTaci

Banned
wayoflife said:
Did you retain the drop brackets with your new control arms? Are you running the same springs, shocks and tires?
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Same shocks and spring. I thought that was pretty clear from the post. Hell, even same tires and tire pressures. No other changes made on the Jeep before and after comparison. I did put in a new battery a few months after, do you think that might have made the difference?

wayoflife said:
Factory Clevite bonded rubber bushings don't squeak
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And yet there was squeaking. I suppose it could have been the control arm mounts being torqued during articulation (which means that any joint with more range of motion than the Clevite would have eliminated it). Not sure, but it's definitely not squeaking now.

wayoflife said:
By design, it should offer better bind free flex but, your total amount of flex will still be limited to your shock length.
Click to expand...

Yes, I believe that I wrote something to that effect. It does too, the articulation is much smoother.

wayoflife said:
This isn't just opinion but a matter of physics.
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I so love it when you say that. It almost makes me believe that you actually understand something about physics.

wayoflife said:
Don't get me wrong, if you've convinced yourself these are as good as you believe them to be, I'm happy for you.
Click to expand...

Me too, I was on the fence on these for a few months after reading the forums but decided that it was worth trying and I'm happy that I did. Didn't really take much convincing, I mean... the ride is noticeably improved. Rarely do you get a product exceeds expectations and, while I can't compare them directly to other control arms on the same vehicle, I have to say that these have made a huge difference and I would easily buy them again.

I'd still love to slap a set of long-arms on and see what the subjective difference.

wayoflife said:
However, based on what you've told me, I can't say that any of it makes sense.
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Sure it does, you just don't want to acknowledge it.

wayoflife said:
Of course, that's just my opinion, what do I know.
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Apparently not nearly as much as you thought it seems. ;)
 
Sharkey

Sharkey

Word Ninja
Wow Tac, your Pen sure is mighty. Aren't you the same douche who tried to argue that all 6061 T6 wheels spacers are of equal quality and meet the specifications for 6061 T6 simply because some advertisement says so? Are you going to start deleting your moronic posts in this thread too?
 
billybob990

billybob990

New member
I don't understand how a set of CA's makes ride quality better? Your ride is all springs and shocks your control arms just keep your diff aligned and allow up and down movement. Unless I am a complete idiot and am wrong.

I'd rather be fishing...
 
Sharkey

Sharkey

Word Ninja
TiciTaci said:
Sharkey, you're such a total moron it takes all the fun and challenge out of arguing with you.
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:cheesy::cheesy: Nice work. I ask you if you are going to delete your moronic posts and you respond by calling me a moron. Pretty much the internet equivalent of the grade school response "I know you are but what am I" or my six year old daughter's favorite "I am rubber, you are glue, what bounces off me, sticks to you", no?
 
Saharaunlmtd

Saharaunlmtd

Caught the Bug
Did a moderator really just jump into this thread with off topic comments and refer to someone as a douche for no apparent reason from the posts above or was something edited that I can't see.
 
Berzerker

Berzerker

Supporting Advertiser TrailJeeps
Saharaunlmtd said:
Did a moderator really just jump into this thread with off topic comments and refer to someone as a douche for no apparent reason from the posts above or was something edited that I can't see.
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1. Yes you missed something.
2. Nothing was deleted.
 
T

TiciTaci

Banned
Berzerker said:
Other making your caster adjustable, what else do these magical control arms do?
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I don't think they do anything magical other than make my wallet lighter (they are shinny gold colored though, I think that alone is worth 10bhp at the rear wheels). In fact, other control arms on the market probably do more or less the exact same thing.

The biggest reason I got these is because they use the Duraflex joints at both ends. I think a Johnny joint will probably be comparable but most of the control arms I saw had heim joints at one end and Johnny joints at the other. I wanted something that had rubber joints at as many of the arm-ends as possible for NVH isolation and they claim that their joints are better at isolating vibration.

I'm not sure how much of a difference the joints themselves make versus having the rubber joints on both ends as opposed to a heim on one end. It might be minimal and like I said, on this Jeep I can only compare them to stock and there's a big difference.

I'd love to compare them back to back with Rock Krawler arms or Tera Flex. That said, I'm quite happy with these.
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Saharaunlmtd said:
Did a moderator really just jump into this thread with off topic comments and refer to someone as a douche for no apparent reason from the posts above or was something edited that I can't see.
Click to expand...

No, a moderator just called a banned member out for what he really is...

tacpen.jpg

:rolleyes2:

For the record:

http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?6701-TacPen-s-Love-for-wayoflife-Thread&highlight=tacpen

TacPen, because I know you are reading this now, please know that you are not welcome here. Do yourself a favor, get a life and go troll somewhere else.
 
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