KDSS OPINIONS?

Hello folks.. i am possibly in the market for a 4Runner TRD Off Road premium model. I've come across the KDSS option and have attempted to do the best i can on researching only to not get much information that i desire for.
Anyways, what are the questions that i need to ask myself if i want the KDSS or not? What are the pros and cons etc...? TIA!

 

I just bought a TRD Off Road Premium with KDSS and its awesome! Love how it handles on the street. However, off road its not a smooth over the bumps. I may install a KDSS cut-off so the system shuts down when I go off road for higher speed stuff.

 

Very good article-
https://accutuneoffroad.com/kdss-suspension-tech/

 

To keep it simple, if you plan to do some serious off roading and have heavy plans of modification then I would forgo KDSS IMO. But it’s a night and day difference on road as the hydraulic system helps with stability and minimizing body roll. It does disable when off roading for speeds under 12 mph

 

Pros are better articulation for technical trails off-road, and reduced body roll on road.

Cons are limited overall travel (if switching to extended or long travel suspension), and it's a potential failure point.

It can be harsh in high speed off-road situations, but there is a controller available to defeat the system in this situation.

If you're planning on sticking to a modest lift, and do a lot of highway driving, I think it's the best option.

But, if you plan on major suspension modification, or prefer high speed trails over technical trails, you might want to skip it.

Here's one of the best videos I've seen regarding KDSS:

https://youtu.be/Ueshf401B0k

I've also seen some really bad ones.

I have KDSS and enjoy the advantages off-road and on road. But, if I were building a dedicated off-road rig, I'd probably go without it and delete the front sway bar.

If you get it, be sure to remove the accumulator skid after trail days and every so often and hose the dirt off of the accumulator. Corrosion on the accumulator seems to be the #1 cause of failure.

 

Daily driving around town I didn't notice much difference between a KDSS/nonKDSS 4Rs... Maneuvering or driving aggressively around turns is when I noticed KDSS limiting body roll.

 

Quick ?. I purchased a 2019 ORP used a couple of weeks ago so of course there was no window sticker. How do I know if my 4R has the KDSS option? TIA.

 

Your last sentence confuses me but it's not the first time I've seen it described this way. Wouldn't it be enabled rather than disabled at speeds under 12? Isn't the function of KDSS to act as a sort of sway bar disconnect at low speeds, so at speeds higher than 12 it wouldn't allow that to happen, and thus would be disabled? I'm not challenging you, just trying to understand. It seems to be described the same way as you have when I've read about Dr. KDSS as well and I always get thrown off by that.

 

Look at the driver side frame rail underneath the driver's door. If you see a small skid plate with hydraulic lines running in and out of it, it would have kdss. Also, you can look at the driver side mount on the sway bar itself. If it is a hydraulic ram, then you have kdss. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of those handy right now, but I'll bet somebody can post some.

You are correct. The low speed function is the primary purpose. I don't really think of it as being enabled or disabled either way, so much as just different modes.

 

Thanks Thatbassguy. Is the bass for the drink or the fish? I'm a long time fisherman.

 

I feel the confusion as well. The valve body/accumulators in the middle of the system are kind of a black box to me. I’ve never really known what they do, when they do it, and why. Without knowing those things it’s hard to get a bead on “enabled”.

 

i completely understand where you are coming from. I look at it in terms of swaybar endlink connection, “on” or having the swaybars connected. Then “off” or disconnecting them. I probably use Doms (Dr KDSS) terminology because I have several of his products lol

i like to think of KDSS as more of a passive system, attempting to give us best of both worlds on and off road. Firms up at highway speeds while attempting to allow more articulation off road. Unless you have the switch of course…

 

Bass guitar, and the fish.

 

I think you can find some videos-
https://youtu.be/cz10_LjV56Q

 

I regret selling my Ibanez soudgear 5 string active. Now prices seems to skyrocket. I was thinking of Erneyball HH5 or Yamaha RBX 5 series. Im only using at home. Fender squier jazz passive 5 string was not to my taste. I guess I will go for active again.

 

theres a KDSS light on the dash that turns on when you start the ignition

 

Appreciate the responses. I checked the frame rail this morning and mine doesn't have KDSS. That's really not a problem for me as I use my 4R on road 99% of the time (pulling my boat, runs to Lowe's, etc.)

 

I have a Warwick Thumb NT 6, and I told my friends to kill me if I ever sell it. . It's probably worth more now than it was new, due to inflation.

I put EMG's in it because that's what Les Claypool was endorsing back in the 90's.

 

Daaaaamn...!!
That is far serious guitar. I think those machines wont even need a pedal as its would produce amazing sound. I won't even think of that range guitars even American Fender Jazz bass price range considering my play-ability. My cheap Ibanez + Boss DR880 was enough for my basic skills, I just play along with YouTube at home..

That 6th is a B? I bet that is important when you play like a lead part with bass? (Dont know the exact word).

 

It's a high C. So, B,E,A,D,G,C.

I inherited some money from my Grandpa when I was 17. I think it was actually a smart purchase, as pretty much anything else I could have bought for under $5K would probably be long gone by now.

I also found a fretless Jazz Bass on consignment the day I ordered the Warwick. It has Victor Wooten and Steve Bailey's autographs on the back of the headstock.

Sorry to the OP for being off topic (as usual )

 

Can one add a sway bar to help reduce body roll or only KDSS can help with that matter?

 

Your 4Runner should already have a sway bars (front & rear) from the factory, unless someone removed it.

 

All 4Runners have front and rear sway bars. The KDSS sway bars are just more rigid.

 

Happy with mine. Added fox 2.5 and UCA's handles and rides amazing on and off road.

 

I like mine. You can improve on it with a disable switch and better clamps.