KDSS 2" Lean
- Thread starter dahorst
- Start date
History:
2010 - 4Runner brand new, bought by Pawzitif (Arie) - you probably remember him from the forum
2010-2012 - I'm guessing this is when we installed the suspension (Radflo coilovers with OW package). He had a lean at that time and tried calibrating and ended up opening up the valves too much. Brought it to the dealer to recharge the system. Problem solved.
2014 - I purchase the vehicle with 27000 km on it. Slight lean probably but within tolerance.
2014-2015 - Lean got worse. Seems really bad sometimes and maybe corrects itself slightly from time to time. Right now it seems like 2" lean is quite consistent.
2015 - I performed a calibration. Backed out the valves 10-12 mm per the instructions. Bounced the suspension. There was a 1/2" temporary correction. It appears that the driver side sway bar is extending the strut and makes the strut a lot stiffer. When my buddy stands on the passenger side rock rail, I can observe a ~1/8" downward strut movement. When he stands on the driver side rock rail, no movement whatsoever (stiff as a brick). I also notice this while driving - when I hit a bump with that side, almost feels like the tire hops. Binding issue in that strut? Maybe. Is that the cause of the major lean? Difficult for me to rationalize...
For lean, measuring from the ground to the fender. In any case though, it is extremely obvious without measuring. I can fit my head between the tire and fender easily on driver side but cannot on the passenger side...
cjacob316
New member
Should be going from the center of the hub to the fender. I occasionally see what I think is a lean, sometimes when I measure I get an equal measurement even though it looks to lean to the drivers side, sometimes i measure a half inch lean to the drivers side, it makes me wonder if the KDSS locks me into a lean when I kill the engine that's why it seems to change...
Back to your case though, if you measure from the ground, some of the difference could be a result of tire pressure or tread differences, especially that extra 3/4 inch you have.
Ok so I put the front of the truck on jack stands. Both wheels drooped to the same level. I disconnected the driver side sway bar. I then put a jack under the lower control arm to test the travel of the strut...it only compressed ~1" before the whole truck started lifting! I did the same test on the passenger side and the strut seemed to compress as expected. So this is what I'm thinking: The driver side strut is binding in an extended state - why? I have no clue. I think because of that, this causes a lean which maybe the kdss amplifies or at least transmits to the rear as well.
My plan will be to either buy a new strut or a rebuild kit. My worry is that if the strut is binding, a rebuild will need more then just new seals. I find it awfully strange that the strut is an issue with only 20-30,000 km on them. What do you guys think?
My plan will be to either buy a new strut or a rebuild kit. My worry is that if the strut is binding, a rebuild will need more then just new seals. I find it awfully strange that the strut is an issue with only 20-30,000 km on them. What do you guys think?
Speedy Gomez
Banned
Wow! Went I get the 2016 4Runner Trail Edition I am going to make sure it doesn't have KDSS.
Looking for some wisdom. Any of you ever experienced a binding strut? Does it typically happen in the compressed state or extended state? Do you think I can rebuild my radflo coilover or will it need some machining? What causes a bind? In my experience the most common issue is a leak which removes most of the compression from the strut..ive never seen a strut become super stiff!
AlthauserRunner
New member
They recommend that you strap the kdss shock with a ratchet strap when unhooking the swaybar to keep the adjustment in the system correct.
wfo9
New member
A slightly time consuming test... but
Pull coil over. Use spring compressor and remove spring. Test dampening and movement.... You might find other broken parts while taking it off (like spherical bearings).
Radflo and ICON are not that durable. Somewhat high maintenance... They perform great, but..... For reliability, ARB/OME.
Pull coil over. Use spring compressor and remove spring. Test dampening and movement.... You might find other broken parts while taking it off (like spherical bearings).
Radflo and ICON are not that durable. Somewhat high maintenance... They perform great, but..... For reliability, ARB/OME.
TheWraith
New member
I just noticed today that my 4runner now has a lean. The passenger side is 0.5" lower than the driver side. I'm about to rip this KDSS out and slap a regular sway bar in there.
The driver side is
front 38.75"
Rear is 41"
Passenger side is
Front 38.25"
Rear is 40.50"
Ohh how I wish I never bought into this KDSS bullshit.. this happened because I took it thru some trails ?!?! Don't tell me I have to deal with this shit every time we go to the trails.
The driver side is
front 38.75"
Rear is 41"
Passenger side is
Front 38.25"
Rear is 40.50"
Ohh how I wish I never bought into this KDSS bullshit.. this happened because I took it thru some trails ?!?! Don't tell me I have to deal with this shit every time we go to the trails.
Last edited:
Lexusbstrdchild
New member
Mine has leaned to the passenger side since day one before I touched anything. I followed an FJ yesterday that was leaning, my 08 4 runner leaned, if you actually look at body on frame trucks, most lean one way or another. I wouldn't worry about it. Obviously except for if it was over 3/4-1" off or more then maybe worry about that...
TheWraith
New member
Problem was ... I measure when the suspension was newly installed and after the 4 wheel alignment.
Front 38.25"
Rear 41"
I was planning on trying to do the radflow instructions. But when I parked my Rig on the most level part of my small drive way ( basically the nose was half way in my garage). I re- measured before I started and everything was back to normal. 38.25" in the front and 41" in the rear...
I usually park my car on an uneven surface because I don't have a wide enough driveway. So driver side tires are on the grass and the passenger side is on cement. Looks like letting it sit that way reseted the KDSS system.
Intruder
New member
Or you burned a bit of gas between measurements. Gas tank is on driver's side so it'll lean more that way when the tank is full and less when empty.
Lexusbstrdchild
New member
Exactly. My point was mostly that it's not limited to KDSS vehicles. So regardless of if you reset it or not, it may still lean.
K9trainer
New member
I've brought this up before, but had no response, it appears that the Pro front suspension is off set by the factory (port). One of the front shocks is set at a lower clip setting. So I would have to assume it's to help correct the lean. So if this is the case shouldn't everybody set the front end up the same?
Attachments
Sounds like a plan. I'll try to yank it out tonight! 1 thing awesome about living it fort McMurray, it stays light out till 11:00pm!!
Btw, I hope my contribution to this thread thus far isn't the nonsense you speak of in your post.
This post was never meant to be a kdss bashing forum. It's a great system...but like all things, like power locks, power steering, it adds complexity to diagnosis!
Intruder
New member
Some people have installed a small spacer with their suspension to correct for the lean. All I did was adjust my driver's side coilover when the gas tank was about half full to make it as level as possible. That way I have minimal lean one way or the other. Otherwise I just don't sweat it.
Nah, I wasn't talking about this thread though there are a couple posts above that are ridiculous. Some people just go over the top instantly for no reason.
Yeah, IFS has a lot of moving parts so it can be tough to diagnose stuff especially over the internet. I think one of the best things you can do is pull the coilover so you can assess each moving part independently - lower control arm, upper control arm, and the coilover itself. Hopefully it's something simple like a seized bushing somewhere that needs to be replaced.
