Jeep to 4Runner. Suggestions?

[RobS10]

Just FYI, to the OP and ROBs10, Our 2019 has KDSS and a Dobinsons 2.5-3.0” lift made for KDSS equipped vehicles. It also uses Treaty Oak KDSS spacers. Been perfectly fine for about 8000 miles with lots of road miles and 4 offroad trips including Moab.

Worked directly with [MENTION=148378]Crikeymike[/MENTION] @ExitOffroad on our setup. He took care of us and we’ve been really happy with our setup in many different terrains.

Like I said, just had heard about complications, but since I don't intend to lift ours, never researched it beyond the anecdotal stories here. It's good to know it can be done though. I think KDSS is a great system (so far) and pretty well tested by Toyota in Lexus and Totota Land Cruisers and 4Runner TRD Off Roads over the last 18 years. Not sure why they skipped it on the Pro, maybe cost or Marketing to give the Offroad trim an exclusive?

 

[Pedro367]

Like I said, just had heard about complications, but since I don't intend to lift ours, never researched it beyond the anecdotal stories here. It's good to know it can be done though. I think KDSS is a great system (so far) and pretty well tested by Toyota in Lexus and Totota Land Cruisers and 4Runner TRD Off Roads over the last 18 years. Not sure why they skipped it on the Pro, maybe cost or Marketing to give the Offroad trim an exclusive?

Yes and the Fox shocks are a pretty great OE shock that offers already much improved on road and offroad manners than the crap soft factory Tokico shocks on everything else. KDSS isn't really necessary and would probably hinder their performance offroad by introducing a much bigger swaybar at speed. You'd want the Fox shocks to work as they're designed going over 12mph and it's why the KDSS on/off switch is a great option for those that have it.

 

[RobS10]

Yes and the Fox shocks are a pretty great OE shock that offers already much improved on road and offroad manners than the crap soft factory Tokico shocks on everything else. KDSS isn't really necessary and would probably hinder their performance offroad by introducing a much bigger swaybar at speed. You'd want the Fox shocks to work as they're designed going over 12mph and it's why the KDSS on/off switch is a great option for those that have it.

Sounds plausible. I haven't driven ours off road much yet. We have 17 miles of dirt Forest Service road to get to our remote cabin in the mountains. So far I haven't noticed much harshness yet, but will definitely look into Dr. KDSS kit if so.

 

[bigdaddy2021]

Like I said, just had heard about complications, but since I don't intend to lift ours, never researched it beyond the anecdotal stories here. It's good to know it can be done though. I think KDSS is a great system (so far) and pretty well tested by Toyota in Lexus and Totota Land Cruisers and 4Runner TRD Off Roads over the last 18 years. Not sure why they skipped it on the Pro, maybe cost or Marketing to give the Offroad trim an exclusive?

I agree wholeheartedly.

We live in a semi-rural area and my daily kid drop-off consists mainly of canyon carving. I'm consistently surprised how hard I can throw it into the turns, with VERY minimal body roll, compared to how much flex I get our of our Dobinson's kit off-road.

Good question on the Pro, not sure on that one.

 

[Humble Leader]

Like I said, just had heard about complications, but since I don't intend to lift ours, never researched it beyond the anecdotal stories here. It's good to know it can be done though. I think KDSS is a great system (so far) and pretty well tested by Toyota in Lexus and Totota Land Cruisers and 4Runner TRD Off Roads over the last 18 years. Not sure why they skipped it on the Pro, maybe cost or Marketing to give the Offroad trim an exclusive?

TRD PROs are already expensive, and KDSS would only increase that price tag, plus the lift on the TRD PROs likely create some issues with the KDSS (or at least issues when it comes to the toyota engineers' view of what's acceptable).

The PRO is a good vehicle with minimal to no upgrading out of the box for MOST people. it can kind of do it all, including higher speed dune or desert runs where KDSS isn't ideal

 

[Ripper238]

Don't get kdss unless you need to track the car or it's going to be a pavement car. It's extra cost, hash on washboards (need that disconnect thingy) and if it breaks/leaks good luck. There's a kdss cult here, my non kdss drives great and with the money saved my king 2.5 lift was basically free. Fwiw Im prone to car sickness and have no issues with my wife driving 4+ hours.

How tall are you? Moon roof really limits head room for front and back seats.

Hahahah. No...

KDSS is for off roading, not Track racing and its been super reliable for most.

Its not a cult, people like it for what it can do for articulation and handling even if its just a little enhancement. But that doesn't mean a standard suspension isn't fine, especially since a Non KDSS can be lifted easer/higher like you did.

I personally prefer having KDSS for my off roading and the slightly better highway handling.

Just because most men like boobs, that does not mean they are part of a cult. LOL

 

[Meat Head]

As they say, “Well this escalated quickly”. I stopped by a dealership on the way home from work to ask if they charge market adjustments, and if they had something coming in. As luck would have it, they have a 2022 Nautical Blue TRD Off Road Premium not spoken for coming in a week or two. I put a deposit on it, and it will be in the family soon. Wife is starting a list of things to do to it. Pretty excited.

On a side note, do the Toyota Trail Rails offer enough protection, or is aftermarket sliders a necessity?

 

[Ripper238]

As they say, “Well this escalated quickly”. I stopped by a dealership on the way home from work to ask if they charge market adjustments, and if they had something coming in. As luck would have it, they have a 2022 Nautical Blue TRD Off Road Premium not spoken for coming in a week or two. I put a deposit on it, and it will be in the family soon. Wife is starting a list of things to do to it. Pretty excited.

On a side note, do the Toyota Trail Rails offer enough protection, or is aftermarket sliders a necessity?

Congratulations!

If its the Toyota "Rock Rails" should be okay, just not the others.

I am planning on getting real sliders for additional strength and protection.

 

[Pedro367]

On a side note, do the Toyota Trail Rails offer enough protection, or is aftermarket sliders a necessity?

Congratulations! The Trail Rails offer better protection than the normal side steps, but are still pretty weak. Fine if you don't plan to do anything hard, but fairly light duty. They also offer minimal stepping area to be a side step. They are tucked in pretty tight. It's best to go aftermarket for a stronger slider with more surface area to step on.

 

[bigdaddy2021]

As they say, “Well this escalated quickly”. I stopped by a dealership on the way home from work to ask if they charge market adjustments, and if they had something coming in. As luck would have it, they have a 2022 Nautical Blue TRD Off Road Premium not spoken for coming in a week or two. I put a deposit on it, and it will be in the family soon. Wife is starting a list of things to do to it. Pretty excited.

On a side note, do the Toyota Trail Rails offer enough protection, or is aftermarket sliders a necessity?

Nice, Congrats! Personally, I think armor should be at the top of everyone's list. The type is completely up to your perceived use.

We decided to cover ourselves (literally) all the way up to extreme off-road trail use, so that we didn't have to buy things twice.

We use our sliders almost daily as steps for our 3 kids and I kid you not, our steel bumpers make our 4runner almost impervious to dents in parking lots either from cars, shopping carts, or the occasional parking bollard.

 

[Meat Head]

We are used to building for the extreme. Our trails have trended towards more mild and scenic as we age. My old TJ, stretched and on 40’s, F-350 axles, full hydro steering, Atlas 5/1.

 

[bigdaddy2021]

We are used to building for the extreme. Our trails have trended towards more mild and scenic as we age. My old TJ, stretched and on 40’s, F-350 axles, full hydro steering, Atlas 5/1.

Nice!

That looks like a fun trail. love the fall colors, too.

 

[Toffees]

So after a year of hemming and hawing (and another new Jeep), the wife and I have finally decided to get a 4Runner. We just got back from a Moab/Ouray trip and realized, we just do not need the capability (or daily driver compromises) of a modified Jeep. The only trail we ran the entire trip that was somewhat challenging, was Seven Mile Rim, but a lightly modified 4Runner would have been fine.

So, all that said, we are going to test drive a slightly used TRD Off Road tomorrow morning. If the wife likes it, we are going to “order” one, or find one in the pipeline closest to her desires. The dealership will sell a TRD Off Road Premium or a TRD Pro with no market adjustment, but the Pro would be a 8-12 month wait. So, we will go with the Off Road Premium. Flexible on color, no black, no Lime Rush, moonroof required, but what else should we get? Is KDSS a must have? How about the sliding rear cargo tray, worth it, or not necessary? Any advice is appreciated.

Get the OR, the Pro isn't worth the cost difference. Advice: get good tires and add sliders, but add nothing else for minimum 6 months or until you find a serious failure you need to address.

 

[Meat Head]

Our ORP will be here next week! Now, I gotta figure out a lift. Wifey has picked out her wheels/tires. Would a -12 or +1 offset be better to avoid rubbing? 17x9 Fuel.

 

[baldrik78]

KDSS is great. Sort of. Except in certain situations. And mostly after you modify it.

I'll explain.

So KDSS is awesome on road. You can take corners like a car that is half the weight. Clover interchanges and the like are a blast. And you can add a 100 lbs roof top tent and barely notice the extra weight up top.

Off-road its a mixed bag, but still mostly good. At 10 mph or below, it basically functions as an automatic sway-bar disconnect. You'll get more droop more easily than the stock sway-bar system will allow, letting you keep more tires on the ground in more situations. The downside is that when you hit 11 mph, the sway-bar re-engages and it will definitely stiffen the ride. Uneven wash-board roads will be especially jarring.

But! There is a fix for that! DrKDSS makes a switch that will allow you to manually turn the KDSS system on and off. I got one about a year ago and it has really reinvigorated my love for the KDSS system. Now it just takes the push of a button to just disengage my sway-bar whenever I want. I use it all the time on-road too. That pot-hole fill stretch of road on the way to work? Disengage the sway-bar. That quadruple railroad crossing on the way to my kid's daycare? Disengage the sway-bar.

The only scenario where KDSS is absolutely a hinderance is if you plan to do a long-travel front suspension.

 

[bigdaddy2021]

Our ORP will be here next week! Now, I gotta figure out a lift. Wifey has picked out her wheels/tires. Would a -12 or +1 offset be better to avoid rubbing? 17x9 Fuel.

Nice!

BTW, consider putting a note on your original post, for folks too lazy/busy to read the whole thread. They’re missin’ the update that you picked one out and are crackin’ me up with the continued advice on what to get.

Can’t help you on wheels. We’re runnin’ 33” bfg’s on our stock rims for light weight, ease of replacement, protected valve stems, etc. Also, check out the attached pic of us (left) versus a stock TRD OR. We love that we still have somewhat of a “super-stock” look. Just a preference, but it’s why we went with a low-pro winch mount and no front “viper” cut, too.

 

[Meat Head]

Well, it seems our 4Runner is scheduled to arrive at the port on the 25th, not the dealership. My misunderstanding. Oh well, another week or two is better than waiting several months. In the meantime, it has given me time to research parts and mods. The search works good here and this forum is a wealth of knowledge. We now have almost all parts picked out, with the exception of wheels. Wife is torn between Fuel Zephyrs, or the ‘21-‘22 TRD Pro wheels. I think they are too narrow though for a 285/70.

 

[Meat Head]

Might be premature since we don’t even have the 4Runner yet, but I ordered the lift last night. Bilstein 6112 with 600lb springs, pre assembled on the 6/4 clip setting. About 2” of front lift. Added the SPC upper control arms as well. For the rear, ordered the 5160 rear shocks and 1” Bilstein rear coils. Should be a good compromise for a daily driver and occasional off road use.

 

[Meat Head]

Well, we are still waiting on the arrival of the wife’s new 4Runner. Estimated arrival at the dealership is December 10. In the meantime, I picked myself up a 2023 Tacoma SR 4x4 for daily duties. Will leave this one stock.

 

[fkheath]

So after a year of hemming and hawing (and another new Jeep), the wife and I have finally decided to get a 4Runner. We just got back from a Moab/Ouray trip and realized, we just do not need the capability (or daily driver compromises) of a modified Jeep. The only trail we ran the entire trip that was somewhat challenging, was Seven Mile Rim, but a lightly modified 4Runner would have been fine.

So, all that said, we are going to test drive a slightly used TRD Off Road tomorrow morning. If the wife likes it, we are going to “order” one, or find one in the pipeline closest to her desires. The dealership will sell a TRD Off Road Premium or a TRD Pro with no market adjustment, but the Pro would be a 8-12 month wait. So, we will go with the Off Road Premium. Flexible on color, no black, no Lime Rush, moonroof required, but what else should we get? Is KDSS a must have? How about the sliding rear cargo tray, worth it, or not necessary? Any advice is appreciated.


*EDIT* Got lucky and found a ORP inbound in about a week.

I have owned several Jeeps over the years, and also rented them a couple of times. I now have a 4Runner. My experience is that the 4Runner can do everything a Jeep can do (unmodified of course).

The real beauty of the 4Runner is it is so much smoother ride in really bad off road situations; the Wrangler, in particular, is really brutal in what it does to your body.

I have an SR5 (no KDSS) and only a leveling kit (Rough Country, 3" front, 1" rear) and KO2 tires and have no problems with most off road trails.

You speak of only having a challenge on the Seven Mile Rim trail. May I suggest Mineral Creek just south of Ouray next time you are in that area.