Long Travel Rear with KDSS Issue

adam2562

adam2562

New member
I've wanted to get my way to long travel since i bought the truck.. learning that as of now that i can't because of KDSS, sucks.. There's gotta be a way without getting rid of the system.. or if we must get rid of it.. what does it take.

I figure i'd start a thread so we could gather what info we can about the issue with going long travel in the rear for those of us who have KDSS. maybe it will help pave the way for a solution. There's a few of you out there who have long travel and have temporarily bypassed it to help. You guys are where we could start. :bowl:
 
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Pretty sure [MENTION=77684]WarnerD9[/MENTION] had his rear sway bar detached but tucked out of the way somehow. Might want to start by checking his build thread to see if he's got a write-up or pics.
 
adam2562 said:
I've wanted to get my way to long travel since i bought the truck.. learning that as of now that i can't because of KDSS, sucks.. There's gotta be a way without getting rid of the system.. or if we must get rid of it.. what does it take.

I figure i'd start a thread so we could gather what info we can about the issue with going long travel in the rear for those of us who have KDSS. maybe it will help pave the way for a solution. There's a few of you out there who have long travel and have temporarily bypassed it to help. You guys are where we could start. :bowl:
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Sway bar is physically in the way and must be removed. So entire system would need to come out and then you would have to go without swaybars. Can't use regular sway bars without welding new tabs on to frame and axle is my understanding.

I've run mine without a sway bar and it is great offroad, sketchy as heck on the road.

I have found only a rear sway bar with extended links and LT to be a really nice balance. Although, I'm still hoping for a front quick disconnect setup that works eventually.
 
yea i was hoping you would chime in since you had some experience with this.

when you say that the sway bar is in he way, what is it hitting?
 
Intruder said:
Pretty sure [MENTION=77684]WarnerD9[/MENTION] had his rear sway bar detached but tucked out of the way somehow. Might want to start by checking his build thread to see if he's got a write-up or pics.
Click to expand...

yea i've been through most of his build and recall parts about that
 
adam2562 said:
yea i was hoping you would chime in since you had some experience with this.

when you say that the sway bar is in he way, what is it hitting?
Click to expand...

I don't have KDSS... But with a KDSS truck my understanding is the sway bar contacts the track/panhard bar. Even with normal travel (it is extremely close) at full drop.

I just looked at that WarnerD9 build thread and it looks like he was able to keep the front sway bar, remove the rear and keep KDSS working up front. That would be pretty nice, but I'm surprised that works. Sounds like your best option. LT is probably the best bang for the buck mod I have done. I can get up ledges without any spin or lurching. I'm still running a stock front bumper, but I can come up to rock edges with a good angle of attack and get my wheel up, The LT keeps the rear wheels planted with full traction.... Highly recommended!!!!!
 
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adam2562 said:
[MENTION=77684]WarnerD9[/MENTION] any input on this?
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I'm curious also, my guess is that it eventually had to be removed, but I did not read the entire thread. Everything I have seen about KDSS seems to indicate that you would need a balanced hydraulic circuit.
 
If I could have started without KDSS I would have been ahead.

I couldn't get my truck to sit level after lifting it with KDSS. Tried resetting. The system several times. I had Proffits Off Road (now extinct) build me two custom fixed sway bar brackets for the beefier sway bars. Then the truck sat level. Spent a fortune.

Ran across the metal tech LT setup. We removed the tears way bar and the replaced the rear hydraulic line with a custom short loop. So basically the KDSS hydraulic fluid just loops in the front. I wouldn't say it's effective like it's designed to be. However the front sway bar keeps the truck very drivable.

If I didn't have the rear aux fuel tank I would try to rig up the All Pro/Currie rear sway bar droop system. I see no reason why it wouldn't work if you relocated the spare.

Only real downside of LT set up is the very limited up travel. In other words, it's the wrong setup if you want to BAJA. It does change the game if your in the technical stuff.

Hope that helps.
 
Are you competing in some severe rock crawling challenge? ET with KDSS sufficient for many.
 
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Mooney said:
Are you competing in some severe rock crawling completion? ET with KDSS sufficient for many.
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Not very often. I do have an fj40 on 39s. It's still leaf sprung, but RTI's about 1300, so I guess it's "long travel".

It simply seems that we're often going to great lengths to try to stick with bolt on factory style suspension when it's really not all that hard to build a 3 or 4 link setup and might actually end up cheaper too. Sometimes it's better to raze the house and start from scratch than remodel a rambler into a tudor if you follow my analogy. And with the 4runner most of the bones are there for a nice 3 link.
 
Jetboy said:
Is there a reason to try to keep the factor style rear suspension over a triangulated 4 link or a total new 3 link design? It seems like most long travel setups are deep enough into the piggy bank $ to swap out for a better suspension design for this type of use.

Something like this setup: 1995 4Runner 3 Link Front and Rear Build - Page 2 - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum
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Relatively speaking, a simple long travel setup is dirt cheap. Clearly the best bang for the buck possible for 120/150 trail rig. I originally spent maybe $400 total (springs, shocks, brake lines) and you could probably get something going for ~300 if you were creative and willing to deal with low quality shocks.

As far as a 3 Link goes. MT originally had an extreme LT setup with a 3 link that they planned to sell as a kit. BUT, they quickly found out that the stock axle housing was too weak and both prototype trucks that had it ended up with bent housings. A truss was needed....
 
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Mooney said:
Are you competing in some severe rock crawling completion? ET with KDSS sufficient for many.
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Sufficient is such a relative term when it comes to off-roading. Some would say a completely stock 4-runner is sufficient. It all depends on where and how you off-road. I'm sure plenty of people could make a standard travel rig do insane stuff. But from a pure capability perspective, adding that down travel will add more to the trucks ability in crawl/trail situations than just about anything else.
 
I think with a KDSS TE you have to ask if the rear long travel is really worthwhile for the wheeling you do. I thought about it but it isn't worth it to me for my typical wheeling. 99% of the time that I have a rear wheel in the air I can get out of it using ATRAC or the locker. I can't think of many other situations where it would be beneficial to me when compared to the hassle of removing the KDSS rear sway bar.
 
Lift with KDSS

This whole thread is changing everything I was thinking about buying a T4R with KDSS and adding 2" of lift with Icon shocks, springs, Cambridge or billet UCAs and new links in the back.

I just found the thread linked below the other day and saved it to my favorites for later use. In Nov., 2013 eddiebx explained how to add the lift of your choice to a T4R with KDSS. Read it and tell me what you think.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/154230-how-lift-installation-kdss-equipped-vehicles.html
 
wfo9 said:
Sufficient is such a relative term when it comes to off-roading. Some would say a completely stock 4-runner is sufficient. It all depends on where and how you off-road. I'm sure plenty of people could make a standard travel rig do insane stuff. But from a pure capability perspective, adding that down travel will add more to the trucks ability in crawl/trail situations than just about anything else.
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Agreed!

That's why I asked the question.

I was hell-bent on trying to figure out how to get a full LT system until seeing what the existing setup was capable of tackling.
 
DesertCanyons said:
This whole thread is changing everything I was thinking about buying a T4R with KDSS and adding 2" of lift with Icon shocks, springs, Cambridge or billet UCAs and new links in the back.

I just found the thread linked below the other day and saved it to my favorites for later use. In Nov., 2013 eddiebx explained how to add the lift of your choice to a T4R with KDSS. Read it and tell me what you think.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/154230-how-lift-installation-kdss-equipped-vehicles.html
Click to expand...

This thread is specifically about the Metaltech rear long travel setup. Unless you're planning on going that route (most don't) you can easily lift a TE with KDSS without any issues.
 
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