KDSS balancing procedure - drive up on 2x4s or not, if yes, both wheels or just rear?

The basic procedure is to loosen the valves and rock the truck, on level ground. However there are variations of the process i saw where people drove rear left wheel on a 2x4s, or even both left wheels on a 2x4 to force the some compression into both KDSS rams. Is there a difference in results, anyone done either way?

 

Let start with why before you may need a trip to the dealer.

 

If you look at my post history, I have a 2016 Trail where previous owner lifted it about 2 inches with cheap stuff and the truck had a 1.25 inch lean on and off. I ripped out the crap lift and went to OEM springs all around on Bilstein 5100s, with fronts set at .85. I have about .75 lean still, consistent across front and rear, so within spec, but wanted to see if I can reduce that as well. Land Cruiser forums use the 2x4 trick when doing KDSS rebalance , so just seeing whether people here tried it as well.

 

4Rs have a lean from factory KDSS or not.

Theres other options all over this site to fix.

 

I'm very aware of them. I have a very specific question and am looking for a specific answers from people who did one or the other. If I wanted to discuss other options, I would have asked that.

 

Open KDSS valves, jack up left side of frame until vehicle is level, close KDSS valves?

 

Does that mean you don't want people asking why anyone would waste their money on KDSS?

 

I stopped because he already made up his mind on his fix.

KDSS being a waste is a different convo I think its worth it. Of course depending on what you use the 4R for.

 

Under your screen name says resident asshole but you’re not in this thread.

 

Yeah I'm a little busy today so not so motivated.

 

Just measured my 2022 ORP.
Front fender heights are within ¼ inch of even.
Rear fender heights are with ⅛ inch.

 

Lean is a lean.

 

Haha. There are obvious leans and “can’t see it” leans.

 

I would like to hear input to this question from the OP. I recently changed my lift to a new lift and now I have lean. Never had it before since 2016 install of King lift.

 

How much fuel in the tank?

 

So for all the smarta$$es out there. Yes, I know there is usually lean in both KDSS and non-KDSS vehicles. As I said the truck had fairly bad lean when i got it. it was lifted 2 inches, but only shocks and springs, UCAs and everything else was left alone. I ripped that crap out went back to almost stock geometry, except for the .85 setting on front struts. Since I'm back at stock geometry I don't think I need any of Dr. KDSS stuff to bolt one, so I'm looking at either trying the balancing procedure again, or just running a 1/4 inch spacer on front strut and OME spring packer on the rear to even it out. But, my original question was whether anyone added the "drive up on a 2x4 with the high side wheels" before doing the KDSS valve procedure.

Finally, i have been looking through the KDSS threads and am still unclear on something. if both rams are extended , due to lift, and the system is refilled/reppressurized is it possible to introduce a lean by doing that? That's what I may be dealing with as when I bought the truck it got serviced by a Toyota dealer that inspected, bled, and repressurized the KDSS system. I'm wondering if they screwed it up by doing this on a lifted truck and if the upper loop of the system is overfilled, hence the lean to pax side.

As far as I see it, it's a two loop system, so if both rams are pulled down, the upper loop has more volume than the lower. Valves are isolating the upper loop from the lower. In theory the whole system, when both both loops open to each other via the valves, should have constant volume and pressure and balancing should eliminate any introduced overfillig of the upper loop.

Now that you have the background, anyone got a useful comment?

 

The rams are not extended in any way because of the lift. The lift will rotate the sway bar equally on both left and right without exerting any torque to the sway bar so in theory nothing changes and KDSS doesn’t know you have a lift. That said extended travel shocks can allow the sway bar to rotate too far and cause binding during articulation.

During installation of suspension the rams get pushed around and this probably messes with it somehow.

 

I'm lifted, but here's my story. Lifted, lean of .75" for four years. Multiple attempts to fix including dealer bleed.

Swapped out tired suspension for new suspension, same 2" lift as before, but rear spacer added to driver rear only. Has been level ever since (20,000km+).

You can fight with the hydraulics, or get a single spacer for the driver rear and then be done with it.

My experience only so yes, other variables at play, but I too was frustrated by the visible lean and this is what worked for me.

 

I agree with you , in theory, but at this point I'm not trusting the work the previous owner had done and I'm thinking what could have mess up, if they were not thinking.