Finally finished “tweaking” my AEV XR 392…

[Tree]

Love the AEV bumper! My only concern is that it blocks a lot of the grill. Any issue with engine temps?

Love the AEV bumper! My only concern is that it blocks a lot of the grill. Any issue with engine temps?

The Jeep on the right is my 2014 JK with 5.7 HEMI. I NEVER had an issue with airflow after 60K miles AND a sealed snorkel. It has traveled Black Bear Pass, Imogene Pass and the rest of the major “passes” in Colorado at elevations at or above 12,000 feet. I’ve had the Colorado river literally flowing across the hood splashing off the windshield on numerous occasions depending on the depth of the river itself during spring snow melt.
The 2014 JK has a very large oil cooler and it sounds like a jet when it activates. It has plenty of airflow and is not in any way an issue.
My AEV 392 has even more airflow and I don’t expect it will have any issues either. Someone else on “The other jeep forum” stated that AEV bumpers are terrible because they block too much air to the radiator etc. this simply is not the case.
If you visit AEV’s website, you will see this bumper on every JL, Gladiator and RAM truck they sell with these bumpers. Some of the RAM trucks, mostly diesels have a very similar bumper and I have never heard of any complaints with airflow issues on them either.
AEV has been around for quite sometime and their products have been “real world” tested for many years. The “rumors” are just that… rumors.
I have heard a lot of bs about AEV over the years, and I just wanted to put this “rumor” to rest once and for all. There are plenty of equal quality options out there available that will suffice everyone.
I have had three AEV Jeeps since 2012, the first being a V6… and my only complaint with the 2012 was, it was the exact same setup as these two pictured, but it wouldn’t get out of its own way.
I sold it and bought the 2014 5.7 HEMI and NEVER looked back.
This 6.4L in my 2021 is the shit! Period.
I apologize for being so long winded with this response, but felt it necessary to clear this up once and for all.
In my humble opinion… AEV makes the finest components available, at least for my money.
Again, there are plenty of other fabulous options available on the market, but I haven’t experienced anything that matches the fit, functionality, factory look, longevity and quality of AEV.
I am in no way connected to AEV in any way, and I’m not really a “fan boy” of AEV.
I am of the belief that you get what you pay for, and I only want to pay for it ONCE!
If you have any other questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask them.
Take care.
Tree

Love the AEV bumper! My only concern is that it blocks a lot of the grill. Any issue with engine temps?

 

[thexr6]

View attachment 4286
The Jeep on the right is my 2014 JK with 5.7 HEMI. I NEVER had an issue with airflow after 60K miles AND a sealed snorkel. It has traveled Black Bear Pass, Imogene Pass and the rest of the major “passes” in Colorado at elevations at or above 12,000 feet. I’ve had the Colorado river literally flowing across the hood splashing off the windshield on numerous occasions depending on the depth of the river itself during spring snow melt.
The 2014 JK has a very large oil cooler and it sounds like a jet when it activates. It has plenty of airflow and is not in any way an issue.
My AEV 392 has even more airflow and I don’t expect it will have any issues either. Someone else on “The other jeep forum” stated that AEV bumpers are terrible because they block too much air to the radiator etc. this simply is not the case.
If you visit AEV’s website, you will see this bumper on every JL, Gladiator and RAM truck they sell with these bumpers. Some of the RAM trucks, mostly diesels have a very similar bumper and I have never heard of any complaints with airflow issues on them either.
AEV has been around for quite sometime and their products have been “real world” tested for many years. The “rumors” are just that… rumors.
I have heard a lot of bs about AEV over the years, and I just wanted to put this “rumor” to rest once and for all. There are plenty of equal quality options out there available that will suffice everyone.
I have had three AEV Jeeps since 2012, the first being a V6… and my only complaint with the 2012 was, it was the exact same setup as these two pictured, but it wouldn’t get out of its own way.
I sold it and bought the 2014 5.7 HEMI and NEVER looked back.
This 6.4L in my 2021 is the shit! Period.
I apologize for being so long winded with this response, but felt it necessary to clear this up once and for all.
In my humble opinion… AEV makes the finest components available, at least for my money.
Again, there are plenty of other fabulous options available on the market, but I haven’t experienced anything that matches the fit, functionality, factory look, longevity and quality of AEV.
I am in no way connected to AEV in any way, and I’m not really a “fan boy” of AEV.
I am of the belief that you get what you pay for, and I only want to pay for it ONCE!
If you have any other questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask them.
Take care.
Tree

….Echoing Trees comments. Have a 2007 JK w AEV build. Backcountry Montana snow and single track trails. Have broken a Warn but not a single temp issue to date. Their process is so rooted in solid engineering, I just can’t see that ever being an issue.

 

[NewJeepGuy]

My fog lights are ppf’d as well. The thickness on the LLUMAR ppf is 13 mil thick… it is literally a protective coating to prevent rocks, road debris etc from damaging or cracking your lights.
One other thing… let your insurance company know you’ve had it ppf wrapped.
Hopefully it never happens, BUT… if you have an accident, your ppf is included in the replacement cost of repair… this was mentioned to me by my agent and it’s not something any of them will voluntarily tell you.
Just thought it’s worth mentioning.View attachment 4274

I had a good talk with my insurance agent about aftermarket parts. As long as I have receipts, they are covered, provided I’m not doing competition racing

 

[NewJeepGuy]

I like the AEV bumpers, probably going with the rear w/tire carrier as I can’t find another one that checks all my boxes. The front one… I just can’t justify the 3k price tag on it. Plenty out there will do the same job, just as well, for half the price or less.

 

[NewJeepGuy]

Nothing wrong with your choice… you will LOVE what it does for your Jeep, and the ease of cleaning etc. you will NEVER have to use soap etc again. Mine is literally guaranteed for 10 years and if I still have it then… the original paint will be there!
Congratulations on your new badass 392!
Enjoy!

Facebook heard us talking. An ad showed up on my feed today about a company closer to me that uses Llumar Valor PPF. I may check them out. Just wish the valor had a matte version. They do have a matte PPF, just a lower tier.

 

[Tree]

I like the AEV bumpers, probably going with the rear w/tire carrier as I can’t find another one that checks all my boxes. The front one… I just can’t justify the 3k price tag on it. Plenty out there will do the same job, just as well, for half the price or less.

Get what makes YOU happy. You shouldn’t have to “justify” anything.
like I said, AEV is a little pricier than most, BUT… you get what you pay for.
It’s kinda like this… if you invest $2500 into a hunting rifle and put a $200 scope on it…
You essentially now have a very expensive $200 rifle.
My advice to you is this, “half price” isn’t always a bargain… if the quality isn’t there, you’ll spend it again!
Take care.

 

[NewJeepGuy]

Get what makes YOU happy. You shouldn’t have to “justify” anything.
like I said, AEV is a little pricier than most, BUT… you get what you pay for.
It’s kinda like this… if you invest $2500 into a hunting rifle and put a $200 scope on it…
You essentially now have a $200 rifle.
My advice to you is this, “half price” isn’t always a bargain… if I the quality isn’t there, you’ll spend it again!
Take care.

Oh I totally agree. I’m not skimping anywhere for this. The bumpers I’m going with are very well made, they just don’t charge extra for every little thing. It kills me that with the aev front, you either pay for having a winch mount, or not having one lol. There are definitely cheap bumpers that are just that.

 

[Tree]

Facebook heard us talking. An ad showed up on my feed today about a company closer to me that uses Llumar Valor PPF. I may check them out. Just wish the valor had a matte version. They do have a matte PPF, just a lower tier.

The LLumar Valor ppf is an awesome product. It’s exactly what’s on my hood. The rest of my entire Jeep has the Platinum.
The only difference in the Valor vs the Platinum is that the “Platinum” is “hydrophobic”, which causes water to shed off of your vehicle and is amazing, BUT it’s hydrophobic and will NOT allow any graphics, stickers etc to adhere strong enough without literally coming off when driving down the road due to wind friction. The Valor is just as thick and expels water very well. Most people would never notice the difference, I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t told.
One other thing I learned which you might be interested in…
I was going to do the “matte finish” as well but… I was advised that if I was going to use it as my daily driver, the matte finish will show more scratches from rocks, bugs, road debris etc due to the matte finish vs the clear. The clear ppf is “easier” to correct with a heat gun vs the matte finish.
This is what swayed me to go with clear ppf, although I LOVE the matte finish look!
All of this is unsolicited advice, I know you’ll make the right choice for your baby.
Make sure to include some pics for us whatever you wind up doing.
Good luck.

 

[NewJeepGuy]

The LLumar Valor ppf is an awesome product. It’s exactly what’s on my hood. The rest of my entire Jeep has the Platinum.
The only difference in the Valor vs the Platinum is that the “Platinum” is “hydrophobic”, which causes water to shed off of your vehicle and is amazing, BUT it’s hydrophobic and will NOT allow any graphics, stickers etc to adhere strong enough without literally coming off when driving down the road due to wind friction. The Valor is just as thick and expels water very well. Most people would never notice the difference, I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t told.
One other thing I learned which you might be interested in…
I was going to do the “matte finish” as well but… I was advised that if I was going to use it as my daily driver, the matte finish will show more scratches from rocks, bugs, road debris etc due to the matte finish vs the clear. The clear ppf is “easier” to correct with a heat gun vs the matte finish.
This is what swayed me to go with clear ppf, although I LOVE the matte finish look!
All of this is unsolicited advice, I know you’ll make the right choice for your baby.
Make sure to include some pics for us whatever you wind up doing.
Good luck.

Mine will spend more time in storage vs the road. I’m on the road in a semi 350 days a year. Well, that’s what it’s been. I plan on more time off to go wheeling now, so maybe closer to 320 I’m the future lol. I thought you had decals and badges other places on your jeep? Are those not staying?
And unsolicited advice my arse lol. I’ve learned a lot from you and a couple others on here, so it’s all very welcome. Granted, I’m still doing my own research, but what a company claims, and what people who are actually using the product say, are not always the same. As far as the PPF goes, this may be a problem for me if I want to still do matte. I can’t very well do a matte everything else, and a valor hood lol. Definitely going to have to look hard at this.

 

[Tree]

Mine will spend more time in storage vs the road. I’m on the road in a semi 350 days a year. Well, that’s what it’s been. I plan on more time off to go wheeling now, so maybe closer to 320 I’m the future lol. I thought you had decals and badges other places on your jeep? Are those not staying?
And unsolicited advice my arse lol. I’ve learned a lot from you and a couple others on here, so it’s all very welcome. Granted, I’m still doing my own research, but what a company claims, and what people who are actually using the product say, are not always the same. As far as the PPF goes, this may be a problem for me if I want to still do matte. I can’t very well do a matte everything else, and a valor hood lol. Definitely going to have to look hard at this.

The ONLY area I have Valor ppf is the hood. Every where else on my Jeep is the Platinum with ceramic/hydrophobic ppf.
Yes, I have AEV badging but they are two sided tape badges which are much more adhering due to the two sided tape. Decals, stickers… such as the RUBICON graphics don’t have near the adhesive properties as two sided tape badging. The “wrangler HEMI XR decals on side quarter panels are adhering fine due to the fact it’s not actually facing the wind such as the graphics on hood.
I do know LLUMAR makes a matte ppf, it just wasn’t going to work for me due to my OCD-ness with showing “blemishes” vs the clear… all that being said, I SERIOUSLY LOVE THE MATTE FINISH!
If I ever decide to go with the matte look, I’ll most likely LINE X the whole damn thing!
There are a few badass looking Jeeps on here that look fantastic with the matte ppf!
I am a pilot and have several friends who have actually put the matte ppf on their aircraft, and a few who have applied the clear to their plane. The difference is very noticeable with blemishes on the matte finishes vs the clear… this is where I did a lot of my research and opted for the clear.
With the clear ppf, if you get a blemish… it literally will disappear in front of your eyes with a little heat.
The matte finish will still show flaws where the damage occurred. It’s replaceable, but time consuming none the less.
I hope you are able to enjoy your jeep more in the near future!
Thank YOU for what you do OTR and keeping America “stocked” and happy, you drivers are the backbone of America and I for one appreciate YOU!
Stay safe!

 

[dblplay1212]

View attachment 4286
The Jeep on the right is my 2014 JK with 5.7 HEMI. I NEVER had an issue with airflow after 60K miles AND a sealed snorkel. It has traveled Black Bear Pass, Imogene Pass and the rest of the major “passes” in Colorado at elevations at or above 12,000 feet. I’ve had the Colorado river literally flowing across the hood splashing off the windshield on numerous occasions depending on the depth of the river itself during spring snow melt.
The 2014 JK has a very large oil cooler and it sounds like a jet when it activates. It has plenty of airflow and is not in any way an issue.
My AEV 392 has even more airflow and I don’t expect it will have any issues either. Someone else on “The other jeep forum” stated that AEV bumpers are terrible because they block too much air to the radiator etc. this simply is not the case.
If you visit AEV’s website, you will see this bumper on every JL, Gladiator and RAM truck they sell with these bumpers. Some of the RAM trucks, mostly diesels have a very similar bumper and I have never heard of any complaints with airflow issues on them either.
AEV has been around for quite sometime and their products have been “real world” tested for many years. The “rumors” are just that… rumors.
I have heard a lot of bs about AEV over the years, and I just wanted to put this “rumor” to rest once and for all. There are plenty of equal quality options out there available that will suffice everyone.
I have had three AEV Jeeps since 2012, the first being a V6… and my only complaint with the 2012 was, it was the exact same setup as these two pictured, but it wouldn’t get out of its own way.
I sold it and bought the 2014 5.7 HEMI and NEVER looked back.
This 6.4L in my 2021 is the shit! Period.
I apologize for being so long winded with this response, but felt it necessary to clear this up once and for all.
In my humble opinion… AEV makes the finest components available, at least for my money.
Again, there are plenty of other fabulous options available on the market, but I haven’t experienced anything that matches the fit, functionality, factory look, longevity and quality of AEV.
I am in no way connected to AEV in any way, and I’m not really a “fan boy” of AEV.
I am of the belief that you get what you pay for, and I only want to pay for it ONCE!
If you have any other questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask them.
Take care.
Tree

Appreciate the long answer. And yea I'm a huge fan of the AEV styling and had never heard of any issues with it. I saw one of the 392 engineers on the fb group question if the 392 engine would get enough air so that's why I asked. Doesn't seem to be an issue so I appreciate you answering.

 

[c4ifford]

Hello Turboencabulator,
Thank you so much!
I did ppf the entire Jeep top to bottom with LLumar Hydrophobic Ceramic ppf. Water/Rain literally beads up and off of the Jeep like tiny BB’s…
It is THE BOMB! We had an issue with the hood due to the “Bulge” so it took about a month to get it right, but the guys at “The Tint Guy” in Acworth GA finally came through and worked it out.
They are the most polite and customer service friendly related shop I have ever been to and I have been around the block a few times! I would highly recommend them if you are in the area!
Yes, Black vehicles are a bitch… but I am extremely OCD about keeping them clean so… it makes it a pleasure to detail daily.
Thanks again for the kind words.

Interesting I'll check them out, I'm in Alpharetta

 

[392OVRLND]

Love the AEV bumper! My only concern is that it blocks a lot of the grill. Any issue with engine temps?

Man, this topic is my hot button. If I had $10 for every armchair automotive engineer that commented on Facebook or forum posts over the past decade about AEV bumpers and engine temps, I would have paid off my Jeep, the AEV build, and my previous Jeep with the earnings.

Despite living in Colorado, driving our high mountain passes all the time (both in the 392 and the 2.0T), wheeling all over this glorious state at slow speeds in high altitude where the air is less dense, and wheeling in the Utah desert (which still has plenty of altitude, though not the same as some of Colorado's high country trails) where temps at night can be over 100F, alongside friends that have AEV JKUs and JLUs with the 3.6L Pentastar and AEV JLUs with the EcoDiesel, none of my Jeeps or my friends many Jeeps with AEV bumpers have ever had a temperature issue.

People really should read up on fluid dynamics (of which, aerodynamics is a sub-discipline, since air moves like a fluid). Bumper hoops and lights don't block air and prevent it entirely from entering the grille. Air is certainly displaced (not blocked) by them, but wraps around them, and a turbulent wake is created behind them.

Analogy: Since air moves like a fluid, if one were able to drive the Jeep completely submerged underwater, do people actually think the bumper hoop and lights would block a significant amount of water from entering the slats in the grille? Dollars to Donuts, I think plenty of water would be getting through those grille slats in this scenario.

More food for thought... Do people think Jeep would have "endorsed" the AEV front bumper (by putting it on the 20th Anniversary Level II Edition) if there was an airflow issue that was going to affect engine temps, knowing full well they will have to honor their warranties on those Jeeps?

Last bite of thought-burger: The 392, in particular, has a functional hood scoop which helps it breathe and is not impeded by the AEV bumper or lights in any way.

 

[4R73M15]

AEV is a class act for sure. Awesome rig. I like the Wrangler XR Hemi stickers

Same on the XR Hemi sticker! Also Underground OP?

 

[SSinOH]

This one looked a lot like my first 392, a 2021 which was done the same at AEV. My second 392 I kept mostly stock but went with the same changes to the trim and removed all bronze and silver from the Jeep from antenna to door locks to lug nuts. It’s the Stealth edition. Lol

 

[dblplay1212]

Man, this topic is my hot button. If I had $10 for every armchair automotive engineer that commented on Facebook or forum posts over the past decade about AEV bumpers and engine temps, I would have paid off my Jeep, the AEV build, and my previous Jeep with the earnings.

Despite living in Colorado, driving our high mountain passes all the time (both in the 392 and the 2.0T), wheeling all over this glorious state at slow speeds in high altitude where the air is less dense, and wheeling in the Utah desert (which still has plenty of altitude, though not the same as some of Colorado's high country trails) where temps at night can be over 100F, alongside friends that have AEV JKUs and JLUs with the 3.6L Pentastar and AEV JLUs with the EcoDiesel, none of my Jeeps or my friends many Jeeps with AEV bumpers have ever had a temperature issue.

People really should read up on fluid dynamics (of which, aerodynamics is a sub-discipline, since air moves like a fluid). Bumper hoops and lights don't block air and prevent it entirely from entering the grille. Air is certainly displaced (not blocked) by them, but wraps around them, and a turbulent wake is created behind them.

Analogy: Since air moves like a fluid, if one were able to drive the Jeep completely submerged underwater, do people actually think the bumper hoop and lights would block a significant amount of water from entering the slats in the grille? Dollars to Donuts, I think plenty of water would be getting through those grille slats in this scenario.

More food for thought... Do people think Jeep would have "endorsed" the AEV front bumper (by putting it on the 20th Anniversary Level II Edition) if there was an airflow issue that was going to affect engine temps, knowing full well they will have to honor their warranties on those Jeeps?

Last bite of thought-burger: The 392, in particular, has a functional hood scoop which helps it breathe and is not impeded by the AEV bumper or lights in any way.

You quoted an over a year old post to say all of this.

 

[392OVRLND]

You quoted an over a year old post to say all of this.

Was browsing the forum (for other AEV builds), and this thread was recently bumped because someone replied to it in March... but, the timing between posts somehow makes my response invalid / irrelevant?

Over a year after your post (and OP's reply), and keyboard engineers that probably couldn't build a winning Pinewood Derby car are still making the same comments on Facebook and in the forums.

 

[dblplay1212]

nm

 

[392OVRLND]

Everyone doesn't do daily research and praising of AEV like you do, therefore some people have random questions. Shocking, I know.

Despite your edit, my email notifications tell me you're still salty about our last interaction.

 

[dblplay1212]

Despite your edit, my email notifications tell me you're still salty about our last interaction.

hahaha good lord you're a weirdo. Easily the most insufferable person on this forum.

Fwiw you can take it up with Scott Blum. He's the one that posted on fb that prompted my question a year go. I'm sure you feel like you know more than that keyboard engineer though.

Appreciate the long answer. And yea I'm a huge fan of the AEV styling and had never heard of any issues with it. I saw one of the 392 engineers on the fb group question if the 392 engine would get enough air so that's why I asked. Doesn't seem to be an issue so I appreciate you answering.