AEV 2.5" lift added
The instructions provided by AEV were pretty good. The install was easy with a few exceptions, even when doing this with a floor jack and jack stands.
The problems I ran into were as follows:
The Bilstein front shocks use a threaded stud for the upper mount (like the OEM) but instead of the threads have flats milled in on which to put a wrench to keep the rod from turning when tightening the nut, they use a 5mm hex socket in the end of the stud. This proved tough to get to on the driver's side and impossible to get to on the passenger side. In addition, the bushings make it so that only a few threads protrude through the shock tower on which to try and get the nut started. Using the floor jack I was able to raise the axle on the side I was working on enough to force more threads to reveal.
On our 2012 the driver's side has barely enough room to get a wrench on the upper nut. Trying to then get a 5mm Allen key on top of that was a no-go. I read where some folks cut down the short end of the key and were able to get it in, but that didn't work for me. There is a small access hole from under the hood (right below the ABS unit) that you can put a key through if you have a long enough key, which of course I did not. I also couldn't find one locally so I jury rigged one.
First pictures (if I remember how to do this) are of the location of the access hole, the Allen key positioned in the hole, and the next picture is of the home-made key. I took a 6mm coupling-nut, 2 6mm x 60mm socket-head screws and a couple of lock washers and assemble them as in the following pictures. I cut the "L" off of one 5mm Allen key and taped it into one end. I used locked washers because the torque to hold the rod from turning would otherwise loosen the coupling-nut.
The passenger side was worse.
There is no access hole for the Allen socket and no clearance to even get a wrench on the upper nut from underneath. I had to take a Dremel tool and cut away some of the plastic that is the under side of the battery and fuse-box tray. Still no access for the Allen, but the final picture shows that I just pulled the boot down from its retaining ring and put a small pipe wrench (Vise-Grips would work) on that area so as not to mar the rod. It was a pain getting the boot back around the retainer but I eventually got it. In hind-sight I could have done this on both sides, but I think it was easier making the extended Allen key than getting that boot back right.
The only other area that caused frustration was removing the front right upper control arm bolt at the frame. An exhaust component made it very tough to remove. I'd have cut it but I figured I was going to have even more trouble getting one back in even if I used (or cut) a slightly shorter bolt. Turns out that when installing the Geometry Correction Brackets this bolt initially has more side-to-side play. I would have cut the old bolt and put in a new one had I known.
The instructions, and the guy at the shop I got it from said to not torque any control arm or track bar hardware until the vehicle is flat on the ground on it's tires. This might be too far for common sense given that putting the axles (not chassis) on four jack-stands of equal height should be the same thing, but I didn't second-guess and put it on the ground. Torquing to 125 ft-lbs under the Jeep is tough access for lots of the hardware, but I lowered the tires onto 4x4's all around and those plus the extra 2.5-3.0" of lift sure came in handy!
I am very, very pleased with this kit.
I'm not sure if the exhaust spacers were necessary (AEV said no, others said yes, shop guy said it's a good idea) so I put 'em in anyway. It was easy and they were $50 of cheap insurance and piece of mind.