I know this topic has been beaten to death and read most if not all of KDSS posts here and in the 4R forums so here goes, please don't flame me lol.

I'm looking at a few GX right now and I found one with KDSS and no factory navi, which is really hard to find. This one is priced higher than most with factory navi and KDSS.

The only real plan I have with the truck (around 2" lift, AT tires, flat roof rail to add tent) is to have a off road capable truck when in time of need, (naturally disasters). It will mostly sit in our driveway since we have a more efficient vehicle we dd, but I would like to drive it periodically maybe take it dirt offroads and some trails. Realistically it will be driven mostly ON ROAD so the KDSS option with less body roll is attractive.

I'm a little worried on the service cost as I heard numbers like $2800 to replace so rather than worry about that maybe I spend the extra savings on lift kit.

I with my minor build, is it better to spend less on NO KDSS and spend the extra money on OME or Toytec lift kit?

Recommendations on brand that offers best bang for the buck with beginner/mild setup that will just as well as KDSS?

Having done the lift kit will it handle just as well as KDSS system?

 

The regular GX is very capable off-road as long as you have the right tires on it. It's not a Jeep Wrangler by any stretch, but it doesn't have the constant repairs, either.

Also, many shops don't have the ability to service the KDSS (ask your local dealer if they can work on the system) and I wouldn't like to be in a small town in the middle of nowhere and have the local 4x4 shop say: "Sorry, no."

Chip H.

 

Personal preference, but IMO you're not going to match KDSS performance on road without major modifications. There's only so much you can do in lieu of massive sway bars. Also keep in mind KDSS gives you additional flex offroad.

I wouldn't buy one without KDSS (I have owned two), but plenty of people are happy without it. Here's my first GX with stock suspension at full droop -

 

I'm personally not a fan of KDSS, as it is just one more system to fail. Also it makes installing lifts a pain if you plan to go lifted and offroad. Say something goes wrong on the trail, it is one more system that will make it harder to repair something wrong with the suspension IMO. As far as onroad handling, I dont even run a front sway bar for more flex offroad so thats that lol.

 

It makes installing lifts a pain if you don't know what you're doing, sure...

How does your sway bar configuration make it "harder to repair something wrong with the suspension"?

 

Undoing that KDSS piston on a trail would be a pain or having to service that system. Simpler is better when it comes to trail repairs, I can get the coilover and upper control arm out in 30 minutes with basic tools if needed.

 

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-ge...-vehicles.html

just reading this is quite a bit more steps than your normal suspension install clearly.

 

Take 2 minutes to put KDSS in bypass mode?

I get it, some people think simple is always better...but in that case, why have a GX at all? Go manual t case, manual hubs, etc.

 

I get where you're coming from and it's all personal preference. I've owned 2 built GXs, 2 built FJs, and a built 100 series, for my preference I like no front sway bar and full icon setups on my 120 platforms as I like to wheel a bit fast on the socal desert roads out here. If your GX is going to be a daily driver and casual fire roads I get the benefit to KDSS and the resale with KDSS will be higher. However as for me, going fast on trails can cause issues sometimes and having no sway bar allows the front left and right wheels to articulate separately from each other at speed causing it to be more level and smoother. If i was a rock crawler, sure it would be manual hubs and triple cases but to be honest the way I have the GX set up, it can handle the fast stuff and be comfortable for camping trips.

 

It definitely helps to build for what you want, that's for sure! I've had two Tacomas, a Tundra, a locked 80, and two GX's myself. I have gone through several revisions to find what works best for what I actually do with my vehicles.

KDSS allows wheels to articulate separately as well - the demo video from Toyota shows potholes as an example, but the fundamental concept is the same. I'm curious how much of a difference removing the sway entirely would make for high speed runs, but as I'm on the east coast now the vast majority of trails I have access to are tight with lots of trees and rocks, so I'm slow.

 

During high speed, it keeps the truck way more level and flat through rough terrain like whoops. Also I've noticed coming down steep descents that previously tilt the rig left or right with a sway bar on, will keep the front end planted and level. You can see in this photo of my FJ how level it stays.

 

I get that, but unless I am misunderstanding something you're comparing sway bar to no sway bar, not KDSS to no sway bar. Specifically note 2:47:

 

 

I've managed to get KDSS trucks at about the same price -- I really do love the feature and would pay a lot to fix it if it failed, but I doubt I would spend several thousand extra to have it. I paid $8150 for my 2005 KDSS truck with 179k miles in Oct 2016.