Question For Non-KDSS TE Owners...
- Thread starter jerlane
- Start date
Update
So here's an update.... I preference ordered a TE with KDSS about two months ago. Nothing on the radar yet. Another dealer in town just got a TE without KDSS. I just took it for a ride and liked it a lot. I still haven't been able to drive on with KDSS. I'm debating whether I should continue to wait or pull the trigger on this one and take the money I would save and upgrade the suspension and maybe get Katzin leather seats. I admittedly don't know a whole lot about suspension and am not sure what the best upgrade would be for me mainly being on-road, 99% of the time.
I'd appreciate any thoughts and suggestions on the suspension upgrade options if I decide to go that route.
Thanks!
So here's an update.... I preference ordered a TE with KDSS about two months ago. Nothing on the radar yet. Another dealer in town just got a TE without KDSS. I just took it for a ride and liked it a lot. I still haven't been able to drive on with KDSS. I'm debating whether I should continue to wait or pull the trigger on this one and take the money I would save and upgrade the suspension and maybe get Katzin leather seats. I admittedly don't know a whole lot about suspension and am not sure what the best upgrade would be for me mainly being on-road, 99% of the time.
I'd appreciate any thoughts and suggestions on the suspension upgrade options if I decide to go that route.
Thanks!
gray street
New member
Because they can't find a KDSS equipped Trail :drummer:
TOPDECK
New member
I don't see why they even offer the TE without KDSS. It is one of those things that is critical to the trim level IMO. Not saying it is critical to have on the vehicle itself, but it rounds out and complements the rest of the differences between the TE and the other two trim levels.
KDSS is one thing, but don't forget the rear locker and A-TRAC as well.
KDSS is one thing, but don't forget the rear locker and A-TRAC as well.
Yuppers!
A TE without KDSS is just an SR5 in costumes. :hiding:
:reddance: I kid :biggrin2:
rebelbowtie
New member
I find it ironic all manufactures include larger ANTI sway bars on their "off road" packages. I don't own a TE but if I did I wouldn't care if it had KDSS or not, it's a cool feature but I think I would rather have unlocking sway bars instead since its supposed to be an offroad vehicle.
Ya need to read up on KDSS abit there fella.
gray street
New member
BJ Cruiser
New member
kinda weird because i see a ton of trail editions in canada and afaik, the KDSS is standard on all canadian TE's
maybe they're allocating all the KDSS equipped TE's to Canada instead of the states
Agreed, I see more TE's than SR5's. Limited is probably the most common.
rebelbowtie
New member
i have, fancy hydraulic suspension and all that jazz. it cant beat fine tuned coils and unlockable sway bars.
TOPDECK
New member
Yeah, that's not what it is at all. It does in fact release the sway bar, or lets it move freely.
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rebelbowtie
New member
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harper7
Senior Member
See post #19 especially the first sentence.He's right on except for his statement "Off-road flex is also improved" .
If KDSS was an option on mine I would have ordered it and as a matter of fact ,I did have one ordered with KDSS before changing the order to a Limited.Great for onroad handling with a bigger sway bar and still get THE SAME travel as one without a big sway bar.You should drive one to see.It's a great system and I never once said it wasn't.
But to say it gets more travel?? The flex is the same on all 5th Gen 4Runners unless you change the UCA's and or bumpstops ........
It's marketing saying that it gets more travel but they don't say what it's compared to.......hello
They can say that and not be lying because it does get more travel .......then a 4Runner with a big fat sway bar like a KDSS TE sway bar,but not compared to a SR5/Limited/Non KDSS TE with a skinnier sway bar with flexible end links. Never have they ever said it gets more travel then the other models.That's marketing, people!They don't lie they distort the truth.
The much skinnier sway bar with jointed end links does not inhibit the front suspension from fully flexing even with longer travel shocks and aftermarket UCA's. Even with one wheel stuffed against the bump stop and the other fully flexed against the ball joint.That's with aftermarket CO's with the firmer springs at least as I didn't check it when it was stock.
There are physical stops that limit up and down travel ,being the ball joint and the bump stop. If you want more travel on this IFS ,then you'll need to get longer control arms but then that opens a whole new can of worms.
Here's some pics I took when I installed the suspensions and saw what limits travel of a fully flexed KDSS TE and a Non KDSS Limited showing what limits the up and down travel of this IFS (Independent Front Suspension).
It makes it real easy to see with the Total Chaos UCA ball joints compared to stock where the boot hides the ball joint.The bump stop is the same on the lower control arm and it limits up travel on all models. If you work on your own truck you'll see and understand it alot more and don't listen to marketing BS.
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1engineer
Moderator
I test drove all three models extensively before I bought one. The TE had KDSS. Yes, the TE with KDSS does handle better in corners at high speed. If I wanted to take a corner at high speed I would buy a Nissan GTR or something. Right now (and most of the time) our local Toyota dealer has 11 new 4Runners. He has 8 SR5's, 2 LE's and 1 TE. This is his normal mix. It will take him around a month to sell this stock. It's not like he sells the LE and TE on the first day and everyone else has to "settle" for the SR5 because he can't get them. He orders and sells what people want, and most people want SR5's.
Do you not think Toyota would produce more TE's if the demand were there? They are in the BUSINESS to sell vehicles and producing to demand is what they do. DO NOT be fooled into thinking that, because of what you read on this forum that everyone wants a TE and nobody has them. This is an enthusiast website, where people come to talk about their 4Runners. Most people buy 4Runners as transportation and nothing else. They will not post about it on the internet, they will not mod it much, they will not care if it gets a dent or anything else. It is just a vehicle to them. If they like it they will buy another. Most do not know or care about KDSS or XREAS, they care about the gas milage and third row or no third row seat and that it does not break down. Most will NEVER EVER take it off road.
This is a good place to be if you care about your 4Runner and enjoy modding it and talking about it. There are good people here who share a common interest with you. Just remember we are a tiny percentage of the 4Runner ownership as a whole. TE's and LE's are a small percentage of 4Runner sales because most buyers are fine with the SR5's capability.
characterzero
New member
2cents
I've run modded suspension (Radflo long travel, bils 5125) before, and honestly, I bought the TE for the KDSS & locker. It is the best of both worlds.
With a modified suspension, you try to stiffen it up with aftermarket coils etc, many times you see people talk about how harsh the ride is under 40mph...because it IS harsh. Most OR suspension is valved to use some speed, not be super squishy in rock climbing.
KDSS might or might not do anything for me off road, but the on road performance comfort/driving characteristics are worth it to me. I didn't test drive any SR5s off road, so hard to say. I only go offroad 1x a month on average, other than just playing around a bit.
What I can say is that, if this one were totalled today and I had to wait 6 weeks to replace it with the same - I would.
I've run modded suspension (Radflo long travel, bils 5125) before, and honestly, I bought the TE for the KDSS & locker. It is the best of both worlds.
With a modified suspension, you try to stiffen it up with aftermarket coils etc, many times you see people talk about how harsh the ride is under 40mph...because it IS harsh. Most OR suspension is valved to use some speed, not be super squishy in rock climbing.
KDSS might or might not do anything for me off road, but the on road performance comfort/driving characteristics are worth it to me. I didn't test drive any SR5s off road, so hard to say. I only go offroad 1x a month on average, other than just playing around a bit.
What I can say is that, if this one were totalled today and I had to wait 6 weeks to replace it with the same - I would.
gray street
New member
Agreed. I was just being a jackass :artist2:
