kdss with a controller and kings= rowdy offroad.

theres a new sway bar in development that will bolt up to the stock piston/hardlink as well that should be an even better improvement.

most manufacturers have a KDSS specific lift kit.

the front can only be lifted 2.5" before you start having geometry issues. they make kdss spacers (treaty oak off road) for the front but it's debatable whether or not you need them (they're used to address KDSS lean if you have it).

the rear can be lifted up to 1", more than that and you'll have to use rear kdss spacers to prevent the trackbar from hitting the sway bar brackets at full articulation

We have a stock 3rd Gen and drove our nephew's 5th Gen SR5P...definitely felt our '99 handled better on the pavement, a bit of a shock. Since then have discovered KDSS and buying a 2022 with it. But am curious as to how comfortable it will be on our 17 mile, twisty dirt Forest Service road that leads to our cabin in the Sierras. It has it's share of ruts, large bumps, runoff whoop-de-doos, and washboard sections. We usually drive over the 12 mph KDSS cutoff speed but at least there is the Dr KDSS disconnect switch if the rides too harsh. I would definitely trade some occasional off road harshness for on road stability since that's 90% of our driving.

Rob, I just installed the DR KDSS switch and it’s a night and day difference to me on ruff roads around town and on fire roads. It’s really nice to have the option to switch it off. Like what other reviewers mentioned it feels like my tires are aired down. It didn’t feel unsafe at all just a bit more body roll and nose dive when coming to a stop. I do have a mild lift about 1.5 front and rear which stiffened up the ride more so from stock.


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Sounds great! How easy was the off switch install?

Trying to keep out of this but can’t. A couple things.

First off is confirmation bias. I’ve seen a lot of people here talk about how the thing they bought is the best choice. I really hope that’s true for everyone. It doesn’t mean the other thing is a horrible choice for someone else.

I owned a 2015 off-road premium with KDSS and also owned a GX 470 with KDSS. I now own a limited with x- and recently put a couple hundred miles on a bone stock SR5 as a rental.

I posted this separately but the SR5 was a delight on the trip. We didn’t do any serious off roading but went from highway to actual Southern California canyons to fire roads to city. The SR5 did great. People are implying that it’s going to flop over and fall off the road. I think they’re being a little bit extreme. Does it drive like our 911 or Macan? No, it needs to be driven like a big comfortable, slow truck.

If you’re staying on the road in my experience the limited handles better than either of them. But you’ve got to be honest with yourself about how much time you’re really gonna be spending offroad.

And by the way if you pop up to the 30,000 foot view, all of these trucks are horrible on pavement. You guys are talking like KDDS turns it into a sports car. These things are tanks and borderline dangerous on the road compared to most modern cars. The first thing most of the people in this form do is LIFT their trucks which makes them even more dangerous :-) So it’s all relative.

PS I love that they are big lumbering trucks. Don’t get me wrong

All 4Runners are awesome.


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The part in bold, you seem to be doing what you're accusing others of doing...

At any rate, I see most people only saying that they prefer KDSS or not. Not shaming anyone else for their choices.

My advice to any prospective 4Runner owner, is to try all the different models, and buy what you like.

Install was fairly easy. There are a few videos online. The kit comes with everything minus tools. You ll need a wire stripper and a heat gun or lighter for shrink sleeving.


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Really? I own a 97 and a 5th gen withOUT kdss. The 5th gen felt better , and with King 2.5s it's more better.

A large portion of my driving offroad is 20-45mph forest roads. Kdss would beat me up and would itself get beaten up.

I also drive 75mph in the mountains as needed. No handling problems.

I've said it before but the KDSS perceived problem is overblown here. If your 4runner is a pavement princess vehicle it's a good option, but why buy a 4runner for that use case lol. A 1800$ markup that's 4k$ to fix. But I'd also buy manual windows if I could.

To be fair, I only drove the SR5 for a half an hour or so, but that was my first impression driving the 5th Gen after literally just getting out of our '99 4R. My nephew's dad even commented and warned us it leaned more than he would have expected from a modern vehicle. He is a car driver, though not a sports car.

Sounds like the Dr KDSS Off switch might be the best of both worlds. I don't know how common failure of the hydraulics on the KDSS are, but asked our trusted mechanic (former Toyota Factory mechanic), who's done all the work on our '99 since we bought it in 2004, and he said he rarely sees a problem with the system, mostly from folks that don't keep the accumulator clean under the shield, so they get corroded.

Yup, nor is anybody saying their KDSS 4R handles like a 911. It just handles better than one without. I really enjoy having KDSS and this Dr. KDSS switch looks perfect. Easy install and seems like a no brainer even if you don't off road much. Having the control seems almost necessary and I wish Toyota did that from the factory, but I understand why they didn't. Adding this to the short list.

I've been reading this forum for years even though I just created an account recently.
Not necessarily on this thread but I have seen a considerable amount of times, some implying anyone who chose not to have KDSS is downright wrong. Similarly, those who bought a TRD Pro are stupid for doing so (despite not knowing how much it was bought for, the reason of the purchase, etc...)

I have no issue with anyone giving their opinion, but it's mind blowing how certain people judge without knowing. Shouldn't we all be happy with what we have? Why care about what others have?

I couldn't agree more.

How do you know a 4Runner has KDSS? Simple, the owner will tell you

super easy. i think dom has instructions now on his site. his IG also has pointers in the highlights section.