One of the bigger decisions I had when purchasing my Toyota 4Runner was if I was going to spend the extra money on the KDSS feature. The car salesman knew close to nothing and if you’re going through a similar situation I’m sure yours won’t either.
So is it worth it to upgrade your 4Runner with the KDSS feature? In my opinion yes. The on road handling is far superior in my opinion.
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Cost
When I bought my 4Runner in 2016 the KDSS was a $1450 option with Toyota offering a $750 “keep it wild” savings. Today it looks like KDSS might be a part of a “package” that includes some of the premium audio stuff. This “package” is costing $2750. You can also only get KDSS on a couple models of the 4Runner which are a higher trim level. This will add to the cost of the overall purchase price of the vehicle.
4Runner Models with KDSS Option
Back in 2016 the only two models you could get with the KDSS option were the Trail and the Trail Premium. These model became the TRD off-road and TRD off-road premium models in 2017. Now it appears you can also get the Venture model with KDSS. If you looked at Lexus SUV models you will see plenty with the KDSS option. For me I chose to buy a standard Trail model as I did not want a sunroof, then added Katzkin aftermarket leather to upgrade the interior.
What is KDSS and how does it work?
KDSS or Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System is an active sway bar system under the 4Runner. When active on the road you have a very beefy sway bar hooked to both ends of your suspension with 2 mounts in the middle hooked to the frame of the truck. One mount is a solid mount that the sway bar pivots on, and the other is a floating piston mount. When driving on the street this system works to stiffen up the suspension in the corners and keep the 4Runner “flat.” When off-road and deactivated you will have a sway bar that allows more flex easily. For the KDSS to be disengaged a few parameters have to be met. You have to be in 4-lo, and going less that 12mph. Once you exceed 12 mph the KDSS will reengage and become firm again.
Off-Roading and KDSS
When off-roading with KDSS I have noticed you can really make the ride a lot more comfortable when disengaging it. This helps to make the bumps a lot less jarring. Your truck will be able to crawl over the rocks or bumps much easier than a truck with the sway bars hooked up. I find that it really helps keep the tires on the ground and traction moving in the right direction for the vehicle.
Lifting a 4Runner with KDSS
One of the biggest questions people have with the system is can you add a lift still? I have lifted my 4Runner 3″ with the KDSS being 100% unaffected. I’m here to tell you that you will have no problems lifting your truck with KDSS. In fact. I think having the KDSS makes being lifted safer due to the better handling characteristics.
If you are looking to go crazy and do a long travel kit on your 4Runner, I would avoid spending the extra money on this system. You will not be able to make the sway bars long enough to work with the longer components, and you will likely be limiting the travel of the system you just spent so much money making longer. You will end up removing the KDSS to install the Long Travel kit, thus having spent extra money that you didn’t need to.
If you are like me and like to do all your own installs on your truck, then welcome to the club! You will gain a wealth of knowledge on how your vehicle operates right out of the gate. I will warn you that messing with the KDSS sway bars are no joke. These things are stiff and will be a pain to get lined back up if you choose to unbolt them. It’s not like it can’t be done, it’s just tough. I managed to get them back in place with a floor jack and a ratchet strap.
Having worked on a buddy’s truck without KDSS I was amazed at just how fast and easily I was able to put a lift on his truck. I had the front taken apart and lifted in less than an hour. When I did the 4runner it took me the better part of 6 hours.
Another thing to consider with KDSS and a lift is you will end up having more KDSS lean the higher you lift. With my current setup being the Bilstein 6112 up front on the top notch with 1/4″ spacer on top, and the Sway-A-Way 1″ lift springs in the rear paired with the Bilstein 5160 shocks, I do have some lean. I have the OME 10MM trim packer on one side in the rear to level the lean out. It is still there very slightly, but not noticeable without a tape measure.
If you choose to buy a better suspension system, which I plan on doing, you will likely get the threaded shock body to be able to tune the lean out perfectly right on the shocks themselves. Most major suspension companies make coil-overs that will work on a KDSS system, just make sure you pay attention and get the KDSS version of the suspension. There are small differences to things like the reservoir mounts and hose connections.
Potential Drawbacks
KDSS Lean
This can easily be tuned out of the suspension with a quality lift. You will not see this from the factory as they put different springs to account for this. I have seen some 4Runners with very bad lean, but luckily I did not experience this. My situation was solved by a $14 dollar spring spacer that I bought locally from Toytec.
Poor Ride Quality
This is something I have heard, but I do not agree with. I personally like the stiffer feeling in the corners. You will not feel a difference in a straight line. Coming from years of driving sports cars, I love a vehicle that can handle corners. Don’t get me wrong, you will not be able to rip into a corner at 90mph and not have dire consequences. You will have a much more stable truck through the corners though. My favorite is driving up the winding canyons in Colorado and knowing that my 4Runner can handle it no problem.
Maintenance Issues
Another thing that could be a potential drawback is maintenance issues (I haven’t had any yet). If you start to have problems with the system you will likely have trouble finding someone knowledgeable enough to fix it. Lot of Lexus dealers are pretty good with the system, but I have heard they will not touch the system on a 4Runner.
Toyota will likely try to replace the whole system if something goes wrong. If you are still under warranty I guess that could be fine. If you are like me and your warranty is over this could be a VERY expensive option. I have seen instances where the pistons have started leaking, or the bushings have worn out. The bushings can be replaced fairly easily and very inexpensively. A leaking piston, though, involves a lot more work to include bleeding the whole system.
Final Thoughts
After having owned my 4Runner for 5 years and 85k miles I will say I still love having KDSS. I recently looked at upgrading to a new 2021 4Runner and drove a couple without KDSS. In the end I decided to just keep mine as most everything was out of stock. I have it setup the way I like it and did not want to start over on the build.