What have you done to your 5th Gen 4Runner today?

We’ll have to stop on the wheels. Toyota cross threaded all the lug nuts on my passenger front wheel. One snapped completely off and another is completely trashed inside

 

Just had my fuel pump recall done. So I removed the skid and then checked the tank threads for the straps specifically for that reason. But wheel lugs. Come on Toyota it’s a shame

 

Yeah I’ll be taking them the broken studs and lugs Monday. Just got back from the parts store. I picked 6 new studs and and had to buy a whole set of lug nuts just for the three until discount opens tomorr

 

How do you screw up a full threaded stud that bad

 

Looks great! Quick question. What size are your “33’s”; they look bigger than 285 70/17’s. If they are 285’s are they the SL, C, or E rated Wildpeaks? I’m trying to decide what to get for my ride; I want the C’s, but they weigh 64 pounds vs the SL’s which weigh 51. I’m on pavement 98% of the time.

 

Bear with me, still wrapping my head around this. So above 12mph, kdss completely locks the swaybars down.

And below 12mph, kdss allows the fancy cross flowing hyd system to do it’s thing and respond to the wheels movements to either lock the swaybar down , or slacken it for max articulation.

All of this genius engineering to control sway under 12mph? Seems like a waste. Do turns below 12mph even cause significant suspension deflection for swaybars to do much of anything?

Why did toyota bother with the fancy hydraulic crossflow stuff? You would think the whole benefit of kdss would be at intermediate speeds where it could give you sway control or artic depending on relative wheel positions.

It would have been easier to make those rams self contained electrically operated rams from the beginning. A button operated on/off system- then again, toyota would have prob made the button not work above 12mph lol

edit: this link says the hyd movement is electrically modulated….but if all the wizardry is locked out at 12mph, then it still seems kinda not as useful as I first understood it to be. And not as simple either (from a design pov)

https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/news/articles/kinetic-dynamic-suspension-system-kdss-explained/

 

Not sure how this turned into yet another KDSS bashing thread. I'll let one of the resident KDSS experts (@Thatbassguy ) answer your questions about how useless KDSS is. The nice thing about mods is that not everyone has to "get it". If you dont get the point of why anyone would want the ability to turn off KDSS >12mph then this mod is def not for you.
I don't get the point of raptor lights on 4Runners but thousands of others do so i just get on with my life.

 

By being an asshole with a 300ft/lb impact gun and zero fucks to give?

Jason

 

Sorry if it came off as bashing…Im actually not bashing KDSS. It’s more me being in the “grieving process” that KDSS apparently is not what I thought it was lol. Because if it truly locks down the swaybars completely at 12mph, then it’s not as useful as I thought it was. Unless Im still not understanding the system correctly.

If it locks down at 12mph, then I absolutely understand the usefulness of the switch you bought.

Edit: your thoughts/review on the mod would be appreciated as a matter of fact. Especially how it does on rough gravel/dirt at medium speeds

 

I'm not really sure why they chose 12 miles an hour exactly, but I guess the point is that above 12 miles an hour you're not going to be doing anything that requires heavy articulation. Below 12 miles an hour is when you want the sway bars to be able to disengage and move freely.

So yes it is actually quite useful. Due to the partial disengagement at low speed they are able to use a stiffer sway bar which makes the vehicle feel more stable in curves at speed. So you are getting two benefits with kdss. The added off-road articulation at low speeds is the main purpose. The ability to use the thicker sway bars for better control at high speeds is a secondary benefit.

I believe the hydraulics were involved because the original system was entirely passive. Once they added the electronic controls it became more complicated and potentially more problematic. I thought I recalled reading that they were going to be going to an entirely electronic system at some point, which I think potentially could be even better

 

Cleaned it up some wash,clay,polish,glaze, Ceramic, seal and wax and Im beat and clean the engine bay....

 

Pretty much. I’m taking the snapped and horribly de threaded one and the gauled out lug nut to Toyota tomorrow after I drop the truck off at the wrap shop and see if I can talk to tech 459 and not go in to jump his ass but let him know that this ain’t going to fly and if he’s that over doing his job then move on and not screw other peoples crap up.

 

I view KDSS as similar to the Jeep's electronic sway bar disconnect. On the highway, sway bars are nice to have. But on the trail, maybe a little less useful. KDSS should effectively disconnect the sway bar on the trail allowing greater articulation.

By comparison and in the motorcycle world, off road riders didn't like the way ABS affected trail performance. The easiest way to disconnect it was to cause it to fail by adding a switch to the rear wheel speed sensor. Judging from the harness, it puts KDSS in a failure mode. Over the years, ABS in motorcycles has gotten better and with the introduction of riding modes, the rider can better control how the ABS works and if you don't like ABS at all, most bikes let you turn it off completely.
Unfortunately, KDSS is an all or nothing thing-it works as it does so the switch makes perfect sense.

 

Here's a quote from an article about KDSS. Tge accumulator allows the pistons to flex independently on harsh bumpy surfaces. So, you only notice the stiffer sway bars when you want to, in corners and curves.

"On rougher roads, slightly uneven forces are exerted between the front and rear wheels. When this is sensed, the accumulator valves rapidly open and close to control fluid movement within the hydraulic lines. This dampens vibrations by absorbing surface undulations, delivering a more comfortable ride."

 

So the way I understand it:

KDSS >12mph = good
No KDSS <12mph = good
KDSS disconnect for >12mph = paint a confederate flag on the roof, weld the doors shut and jump in through the windows full send type stuff

That about right?

 

Kdss below 12 mph = better articulation
Kdss above 12 mph = better cornering
Kdss at any speed = good
Kdss + massive lift = bad

 

Where does Roscoe P Coltrane fit into all this?

 

3rd row seating...

 

So this kinda reads like maybe the swaybars aren’t completely locked down above 12mph, but rather the flow of fliud is still happening but modulated electronically?

 

Ah, of course….

 

That sounds correct.

I originally didn't understand purpose of the accumulator. Knowing what I know now make an electronic system sound more appealing.

But, it seems like they thought of everything.

One thing I know for sure; I'm going to have to eat a big ass plate of crow if I ever have problems with it.

 

Spod HD control install on 5th gen 4runner

 

Undercoated and skids on

 

Yep I had to break out the dewalt big boy to seat the new studs in. But they went in like butter hitting them with that.

 

Tuesday: yay new rig!
Wednesday: tint
Thursday: husky floor mats
Saturday: full suspension and wheels
Sunday: rack, skid plates, running boards (borrowing until my sliders show up)

Still to install: fogs, ladder, cell phone mount, interior led lights.

 

I was thinking sliding rear cargo deck?

 

Removed a small door ding using a $3 piece of dry ice. The door ding, on the top of the door frame near the mirror, was possibly caused by Tropical Storm Fred Winds blowing junk around the yard (we got hit pretty hard in Western North Carolina). Held the dry ice on the door ding (about 3/8" round) for about 15 minutes and the ding is gone.

 

Here's the video of the LED bulb I tested on the weekend. If you buy it don't forget to use the discount code "LIONRUNNER".

https://youtu.be/dvzt-0gaYh8

 

THAT LOOK SOO GOOD...!!!!!!!!!

BTW please let me know what dome light you use as part of the interior led light kit. My kit came with 31mm bulb and it did not fit the dome light on the 2021 TRD Pro. I ordered 2 times 29mm bulbs but the Amazon seller sent be 31mm both times..

 

Nothing major. A little grill badge and custom fit sun shade (and this one actually fits). Also console tray and some rubber inserts.