andy2008
New member
In between Huntington and charleston little town of culloden.
Is KDSS really worth it?
- Thread starter Vwright14
- Start date
In between Huntington and charleston little town of culloden.
Resurrection
2014 was a long time ago. How do you guys feel about your KDSS choices?
I'm shopping around for one but I can't find it in the Northeast. There's like *one* TRD Off Road (not looking for ORP) within 700 miles of my house. Thinking about biting the bullet and just getting a regular TRD OR. I've read all the threads on KDSS and it seems like a nice option to have.
How is it for you long-term? How are your KDSS trucks holding up?
2014 was a long time ago. How do you guys feel about your KDSS choices?
I'm shopping around for one but I can't find it in the Northeast. There's like *one* TRD Off Road (not looking for ORP) within 700 miles of my house. Thinking about biting the bullet and just getting a regular TRD OR. I've read all the threads on KDSS and it seems like a nice option to have.
How is it for you long-term? How are your KDSS trucks holding up?
I had a 4Runner Trail edition with KDSS & Toytec BOSS lift along with SPC Upper's. I loved the KDSS on the roads and even saw some benefit off-roads but learned that it would be a 'wash' on certaiin lift kit setup. Glad at the time I didn't go to ICON lift like I wanted with KDSS. I remember doing my overland trip wtih my son and was amazed how well it soaked up all the bumps like we were floating across the ground.
I read you got it with KDSS, just don't overdue the suspension and you will love it. After a few years than go higher on suspension
. I do recall that you AREN'T supposed to go over 3" with KDSS, I didn't attempt it but heard it's not good. Can't say if its true as I only had my 5th gen 4Runner a few years 
I read you got it with KDSS, just don't overdue the suspension and you will love it. After a few years than go higher on suspension
. I do recall that you AREN'T supposed to go over 3" with KDSS, I didn't attempt it but heard it's not good. Can't say if its true as I only had my 5th gen 4Runner a few years SirWilliamGoes
New member
No. It's nice but you loose ground clearance, hard to find skids when it goes bad it's 3k, get regular and upgrade suspension
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Jetboy
New member
This is just factually wrong. You do not lose ground clearance. It's a bit of an optical illusion because it is further forward - but it's still higher than the cross members. KDSS fits under the TRD Pro skid plate. Every skid manufacturer has an option for the KDSS cutouts in the side plates. It's a non-issue.
I think there are maybe 3 instances of anyone ever having to repair KDSS that I'm aware of. It's no more or less reliable than your brakes. It's just a hydraulic system. It is expensive to repair depending on what may fail. But failures are practically zero - so we really don't know much about them.
Jetboy
New member
I've taken mine all over Moab, run the Rubicon, blasted down a lot of dirt roads at high speed, and put a lot of regular daily driver miles on it too. KDSS works great for me. I view it more as a highway benefit than offroad. Mine is a '15 Trail Premium with Fox 2.5 coilovers up front and Fox 2.0 rears with 2" lift. I have also run GX460 rear air suspension in a custom configuration in the rear but removed due to issues with dampening and a few other things. I still have the whole gx suspension that I may put back in at some point, but I've been ridiculously busy this past year.
My only issue with KDSS is that it does effectively increase spring rates for individual corner bumps - mid speed bumps on rough trails at 15-20mph are rougher than it would be without it. In a perfect world KDSS would be paired up with an additional disconnect function for those conditions. In slow speed it's better than a disconnect - it actively manages body sway. You can watch the youtube videos of a side by side. It's a significant improvement in the rocks.
But ultimately it's a daily driver. And highway handling is where KDSS really shines. Why it's not standard on a limited I have no idea. I would have bought a limited if it were an option. Just my .02. I wish we had the more complex KDSS from the LC200, but it works great on the 4runner for improving highway manners.
RockyMountainT4R
New member
Agree with Jetboy as far as on road handling of our less than agile tanks (was used to a WRX, etc.):
We had a Trail with KDSS which had much less body roll than the SR5 or Trail w/o KDSS. No aftermarket suspension upgrades.
We also had a 2011 and now a 2016 Limited. No aftermarket suspension upgrades. Both with factory Cross Linked Relative Absorber System (X-REAS) and they also handle turns in the road with less body roll than SR5 or Trail w/o KDSS. KDSS and X-REAS make the 4R feel more stable on the highway and negotiating changes of direction when compared to factory stock shock suspension.
We had a Trail with KDSS which had much less body roll than the SR5 or Trail w/o KDSS. No aftermarket suspension upgrades.
We also had a 2011 and now a 2016 Limited. No aftermarket suspension upgrades. Both with factory Cross Linked Relative Absorber System (X-REAS) and they also handle turns in the road with less body roll than SR5 or Trail w/o KDSS. KDSS and X-REAS make the 4R feel more stable on the highway and negotiating changes of direction when compared to factory stock shock suspension.
IMA4X4
New member
I have KDSS on my 4Runner
I spent 6 months researching and preparing before I bought my 2017 Trail Off Road with KDSS. I drove several 4Runners with and without KDSS over several months, including the Limited (which uses a different set up).
I felt that KDSS handles way better on-road than other stock suspensions - and that's what it's designed to do. Since I drive on-road more than off-road and my offroading is not extreme, KDSS makes sense for me.
The main consideration is whether or not you plan to lift your 4Runner. With KDSS the max you can really do is 2-3 inches - I used a leveling kit to add 2.5 inches. More than that and you'd have to remove KDSS, which is just a waste of money. Since I have no plans to do big suspension changes, KDSS with a little lift is plenty for my goals. My offroad adventures are in easy to medium level offroad trails and snow when heading to the lifts.
Sounds like you already bought the KDSS... are you liking it?
I spent 6 months researching and preparing before I bought my 2017 Trail Off Road with KDSS. I drove several 4Runners with and without KDSS over several months, including the Limited (which uses a different set up).
I felt that KDSS handles way better on-road than other stock suspensions - and that's what it's designed to do. Since I drive on-road more than off-road and my offroading is not extreme, KDSS makes sense for me.
The main consideration is whether or not you plan to lift your 4Runner. With KDSS the max you can really do is 2-3 inches - I used a leveling kit to add 2.5 inches. More than that and you'd have to remove KDSS, which is just a waste of money. Since I have no plans to do big suspension changes, KDSS with a little lift is plenty for my goals. My offroad adventures are in easy to medium level offroad trails and snow when heading to the lifts.
Sounds like you already bought the KDSS... are you liking it?
LandCruiser
New member
drives and handles better than 4Runner models without it.
Since they don't have that much grip to begin with, you're not going to get exuberant with handling either way.
I probably wouldn't get one again because now I'm worried road salt may ruin mine and set me back too much damn money to fix it and most dealers have no clue how.
Thanks for your feedback (and also to everyone I did not quote). For what it's worth... I ended up going with a non-KDSS model. I owned a 4th gen SR5 for five years... did everything from off-roading to doing 100+ in it on the highway, albeit only once. Then switched to sedans and now switched back. That was my baseline... and I flat out could not find a good enough deal on one in my NE region. I think the ultimate dream would be to buy the Land Cruiser eventually, so I will get to experience KDSS... but for now I went with a very standard variant, a basic white TRD Off Road. For me, even the basic model is comfortable enough, and I hope to have more flexibility in swapping components... I do about 50/40/10% highway/city/offroad driving.
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I opted not to get it. I did a lot of research and some had problems while others loved it. Also have to modify things to install them on KDSS models like the skids and sliders, etc. So I opted to not have another system that I could potentially have issues with. I like the ride on my SUV.
Polytech47runner
New member
I enjoy driving our 4runner on the beach here in the Pacific Northwest. I too am worried about salt. More for rust though. I’m a little worried now since I read you’re worried about salt ruining yours (kdss). After a beach drive I always wash underneath it.
Overall I like how it handles on the road but I really hate how it nose dives when I hit the brakes.
Agree. On road handling on my 2016 Trail with KDSS is night-and-day to the non-KDSS models I️ test drove.
Brake nose dives suck. I️ did reduce significantly the nose with 6112/5160 combo set to level truck on the 2nd circlip if that is an option available to you... Even the wife had noticed and thinks it’s a different truck now when she brakes.
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Muzzle of Bees
New member
Did anyone notice that the KDSS option increased in cost by $450 for 2018? Now it is $2200, it was $1750. Did anything change about the way it functions, or just an increase because they can?
LimeLED
New member
It’s still $1750. I have a 2018 ORP and it says $1750 for KDSS right on my window sticker.
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Muzzle of Bees
New member
Interesting, the Toyota website lists it at $2200 when building a 4Runner.
Angonemoto
New member
+1 on the KDSS. I drove 2 2017 TRD Off Roads with and without and not only was the one with KDSS ready to go out the door that day, I liked the way it went around the corners better, it didn't feel like the rear outward corner of the truck was squatting as much as without on the same tires and suspension components. We will be taking this rig off road more in an overlanding way so for now it's the best of both worlds.
Muzzle of Bees
New member
Incidentally, I asked my sales guy about getting a 4Runner equipped with KDSS here in Austin. He said 7 were allocated to the area and all were accounted for. He responded a couple of days ago and asked if I wanted to pursue getting a KDSS equipped 4Runner. I thought it was almost impossible to get one in our area. He said its an order, not regular stock. I thought that was odd.
