hayde89
New member
I am confused what kind of hassle other than lifting did you have?
Kdss better ride?
- Thread starter elemint
- Start date
I am confused what kind of hassle other than lifting did you have?
Misterquad
New member
1) All my trucks get lifted. All of them are on Icon Stage II.
2) At 25,000 miles the KDSS front end clunked going over speed bumps.
3) None of the shops or dealerships understand KDSS.
3.5) The idiots at the shop bled the rear cylinder when swapping out the rear springs. That stunt cost me $600 buying the high pressure pump to recharge the system.
3.75) I had to correct it myself because none of the dealerships understood the system. They either wanted to replace the entire system for $3,000 or they confused it with X-Reas.
4) None of the 8 San Antonio Dealerships had the high pressure pump to recharge the system.
5) The Lexus dealership understands it but won't work on Toyotas.
sandcrawler
Senior Member
time and time again, this right here has proven to truly be the absolute #1 most prevalent issue that arises with KDSS: the ignorant meddling with it.
I think it's been well established here on the forums that if you have intentions of lifting your T4R, don't get one with KDSS. I've read nothing but nightmares from folks who had KDSS and lifts, so it makes sense to avoid it.
For the rest of us, KDSS has some benefits you won't find anywhere else. I went ahead and opted for the MPP when I bought my '16 so that anything like what happened to quad is handled by the factory with no out of pocket on my end.
For the rest of us, KDSS has some benefits you won't find anywhere else. I went ahead and opted for the MPP when I bought my '16 so that anything like what happened to quad is handled by the factory with no out of pocket on my end.
Misterquad
New member
I am not a fan of lifting with KDSS. I studied the whole system after my front end started clunking. I think the way Lexus connects the sway bar to the lower control arm is superior to the Toyota method.
I believe the Toyota sway bar/lca connection actually binds up on lifted trucks.
You can see it in the bushings.
sandcrawler
Senior Member
the nightmare, however, is invariably due to precisely this scenario:
so while i understand the conclusion you've drawn (KDSS + lift = problems) it doesn't accurately tell the true story (KDSS + lift + ignorant, incurious installer = problems).
classic correlation ≠ causation.
furthermore, no Toyota dealer is going to cover the shoddy workmanship of the shop that screwed up your lift install and your KDSS. so i'm sorry, but the factory isn't going to "handle that" and it most certainly is going to cost you out-of-pocket.
sandcrawler
Senior Member
what's an MPP anyway?
Jetboy
New member
With the lift I think it's all a question of whether you want an off the shelf small lift or a more custom setup. KDSS isn't impossible to lift. In fact it offers some things no set of coils and shocks can. Like body stabilization. You can have lots of flex and poor performance if the body isn't stabilized. But it's gonna take more than 12 bolts per side to install so it's less likely to see aftermarket bolt on suspension kits for KDSS. And most people aren't going to want to pay the cost or really have use for of more complex suspension that may require cutting, welding, etc.
I've been considering ideas on how to integrate a KDSS system in the next suspension of my trail rig.
This is a good idea of what it does offroad in stock form:
<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xv9cRqI6Df0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I've been considering ideas on how to integrate a KDSS system in the next suspension of my trail rig.
This is a good idea of what it does offroad in stock form:
<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xv9cRqI6Df0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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So, in the example in the video, instead of a wheel lifting 12 inches off the ground, it only lifts 4 inches off the ground...
but it's still in the air and doing nothing.
(just stirring the pot, I fully understand the concept of the video)
Misterquad
New member
And if droop is important to you then you can get the same result by using longer sway bar links and LC 80 series shocks. Or even get a long travel set up. There are numerous suspension setups the FJ guys use to get better results for a lot less money than a KDSS.
That is the rule of thumb I go by and tell anyone who asks me. I got my KDSS because I do not intend to modify the suspension, so I wanted the best factory performance possible. If I intended to mod, then I would not have went out of my way and pay more to get KDSS.
K9trainer
New member
So you compared a 2wd with a Trail 4wd with KDSS and felt no difference?:heh:
I drove both 4wd with and without KDDS before I bought my Trail, for me it was night and day in the turns. I prefer with KDSS. I'm not planned on lifting my Trail, and I'm very pleased with it.
And I'm not worried that the KDSS might fail someday, if it does I'll have it fixed or sell it and get something else.
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carlomagne
New member
Even with mods (except for going long travel), a vehicle with kdss will still have an advantage over vehicles without it if both vehicles have the same mods (advantage might not be as noticeable as stock but still noticeable).
1engineer
Moderator
Depends on how heavy you go with the springs. Some guys have hung a lot of weight on and put heavy springs to counter. Heavy enough to do away with swaybar.
I have no plans to lift my ride, so if anything doinks with the KDSS during servicing, it's covered.
wfo9
New member
It's not that clear cut. Depends on what modifications are done and how the swaybars are setup on the non KDSS truck...and what the conditions are.
Bottom line, there is not one perfect answer for everyone. Each individual should make a decision on their own based on much more than a test drive (although that is one factor to consider). Most are happy with whatever they get, although I do know a few KDSS owners who plan to rip it out, most are very happy with it.
Not easily. The non-KDSS truck won't have the correct mounting points on the frame, axle, and lower control arms.
