Seems like everyone thinks that we have "air" ride in LX. If people not technical or know, they don't even expect to hear it's actually hydraulic suspension.
Then I got curious about 200 series. They also have AHC and hydraulic suspension. But is it the same?
Watching this video couple things got me cuirous:
1. Battling lean in a corners
2. Battling nose dive on stops
3. Going to mid-low at high speed.
Do we have all that in 100 series?
Just to add to the conversation ….
After nagging Mrs Indrocruise for years about an entirely unjustifiable purchase, permission was received to buy a new top-of-line LC200 for Christmas – I just had to have the 4.5 litre V8 twin-turbo diesel (1VD-FTV). This will become a collector’s item here after the LC300 is released and as the legendary 1HD-FTE turbodiesel vehicles (now 14 to 20 years old) slowly fade away!
The LC100 with 1HD-FTE
and AHC-TEMS (Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension – forerunner of AVS) are quite rare in Australia – only marketed here for about 18 months from late 2005, maybe more common in Europe and elsewhere.
The new truck now requires a fit-out with the good stuff for back roads and trails. The old truck (15 years but only 210,000 kilometres = 135,500 miles) will be ‘inherited’ by the Perth branch of the family on the Western side of the Australian continent.
Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) came with the package on my new LC200. AHC-AVS never has been an available alternative in this market for LC200.
Sadly, nowadays for AHC-AVS, Toyota requires us to step up beyond the top-of-line LC200 to LX570 (5.7 litre V8 gasoline) for additional A$26,226, or, go to LX450d (same body with 4.5 litre V8 twin-turbo diesel minus large fuel tank, minus sunroof, minus third row seats) for additional A$16,686. This did not work for me. Maybe the numbers are different elsewhere in the world.
Anyway, best if ….
- KDSS (as fitted to most LC200 except base model from 2007), and,
- AHC-AVS (as fitted to LX570 and LX450d), and,
- AHC-TEMS (as fitted to LX470 and some LC100 until 2007)
…. are not mixed up.
These three systems are not the same. Their mechanisms and components are different. The different labels are important because they mean different things. KDSS is not part of AHC-AVS nor vice versa.
Compare:
KDSS as used on LC200, although this video shows LC150 (Prado):
and
AHC-AVS for LX570 -- note differences with LX470/LC100:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uynhbaiKDqQ
To be clear, KDSS is not fitted to vehicles which have AHC-AVS in any market. KDSS will not be found on a LX570 anywhere. KDSS was not even on the market at the time of the earlier AHC-TEMS on LX470/LX100.
KDSS is a passive system – it cannot be driver-controlled – there are no knobs or buttons in the cabin to adjust it. It is a cross-linked hydraulic system that only affects the sway bars and responds very well to road or trail conditions. In a LC200 there are other great driver-controlled features such as Multi Terrain Select (MTS) and CRAWL which work very well but these do not vary KDSS – see more at
Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series 2019 off-road review: VX - https://www.carsguide.com.au/adventure/toyota-landcruiser-200-series-vx-75406
Active Height Control (AHC) along with Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) is a full blown electronically-controlled hydropneumatic suspension system – probably the most fit-for-purpose of its kind among heavy 4WD vehicles – which continuously in real time will match road conditions by self-adjusting settings for damping, effective spring rate (on LX570, but not LX470), roll resistance, dive resistance as well as self-level to its driver-selected operating height and also allow operating height selection by the driver within the specified speed and weight limits of the system. The system uses many sensors and inputs – including wheel speeds, wheel-to-body heights, steering angle, brake operation, AHC pressures and temperature – to optimise suspension performance (provided that components are in good condition and correctly adjusted in the first place). Accelerometers, pressure sensors and height sensors also detect and respond to braking, acceleration, dive, squat, cornering, body roll, etc, etc.
The KDSS wheel articulation is excellent, although my new vehicle is yet to be put through its paces off-road. I am told that it is far better for body roll, dive and squat than a non-KDSS vehicle with conventional suspension – but it ain’t anywhere near AVS nor TEMS.
On good roads, my new LC200 is good but my 15 years old LC100 with AHC-TEMS wins.
Compared to the new LC200 with KDSS, the older LC100 with AHC-TEMS shows less pitch, less squat, less body roll. It is very fast and flat through winding roads with the comfort switch set at Sport2 – maybe “Porsche-like” is oversell but you get the idea. If too fast and a wheel is lifted, then there will be a few ‘beeps’ from various control units as a reminder to ease back. I kept the AHC-TEMS on the old LC100 in very good condition. I found that I used the AHC height control only a few times a year on long trips and back roads where more clearance occasionally was required, or, for lowering when small or impaired persons were coming on board. On the other hand, TEMS was used every time the vehicle moved – because its 16 steps of automatic damping variation are always “ON” (unless the system is disabled or in a 'fail-safe' state due to unresolved faults). The comfort selector was varied on any highway trip when the road surface was good and a stiffer damping ‘map’ (or range) and flatter cornering was desired, or, on back roads when corrugations (washboards) were unpleasant and a softer damping ‘map’ gave a far better ride.
The attachments from Toyota also may be helpful.
