I’m new to KDSS so I have been researching how it works and how to deal with the lean. I did post about this before but I thought I would give an update and see what everyone’s thoughts are. The truck is a 2008 with approximately 115k on it. The driver side rear is down almost an inch and a quarter while the front is down approximately three quarters of an inch. I followed the instructions from the Australian bloke to the letter multiple times and I even double stacked 4x4s to get the rear to compress even more with no better results. I had the vehicle serviced today at our local dealer and service tech who looked at the suspension wouldn’t talk to me afterwards. He gave the girl at the front desk some chicken scratch notes so that’s all I got second hand. Basically what she told me was that he couldn’t find anything wrong with the suspension after he checked it and I could make lean the other way if I put a new spring in. I honestly don’t know if he checked the hydraulic system or if he even knew how to do it. I’ll head back to dealer on Monday to hopefully speak with the “tech” who looked at it. I understand this may be due to a worn spring so I was wondering if you guys would go with a $200 factory rear spring or a set of OME med duty for $20 bucks less? I’m just not sure if I should throw money at the springs yet, any pros or cons of going with OME over stock? Thanks in advance.
Driver side lean- RESOLVED! (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Alpinhi
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bloc
SILVER Star
Personally I never liked the idea of the 4x4 fix. You are taking a system that should be passive (balanced) at neutral ride height and coaxing it into applying significant force to the suspension in an attempt to correct an imbalance elsewhere. This is not at all how it was designed to operate.
I’ve been waiting for it to cool down some before I unhook the sway bars on my truck in an attempt figure out whether my lean is caused by KDSS or the stock springs. I’ve also tried the 4x4 fix and didn’t get far. I’ll look into the cost of some springs..
I’ve been waiting for it to cool down some before I unhook the sway bars on my truck in an attempt figure out whether my lean is caused by KDSS or the stock springs. I’ve also tried the 4x4 fix and didn’t get far. I’ll look into the cost of some springs..
I worked through these procedures with the guys that did the suspension work on my truck, and we learned quite a bit. The spoof didn’t do much to correct the lean at all on my truck, and caused an imbalance in KDSS response. Following the procedure is the FSM did, and we followed them to the letter.
When we set the truck back on the ground with the valves OPEN, the truck immediately reduced the imbalance by a half inch. After 20 minutes, the imbalance was ~1/8th of an inch, well within FSM specs.
If you have components that are near the end of their service life, it would be best to address them first, and then conduct the factory procedures on the KDSS.
IF you decide to go with OME springs take your time, and make sure you get the springs on the proper side of the truck. This will cause a bit of a mess itself. One spring is taller than the other, and that will cause an imbalance. Ask me how I know.
When we set the truck back on the ground with the valves OPEN, the truck immediately reduced the imbalance by a half inch. After 20 minutes, the imbalance was ~1/8th of an inch, well within FSM specs.
If you have components that are near the end of their service life, it would be best to address them first, and then conduct the factory procedures on the KDSS.
IF you decide to go with OME springs take your time, and make sure you get the springs on the proper side of the truck. This will cause a bit of a mess itself. One spring is taller than the other, and that will cause an imbalance. Ask me how I know.
- Thread starter
- #4
Thank you, I need to find a service manual so I can try to adjust the KDSS properly after I install springs. I’m thinking I may go on ahead and get OME springs and replace both rear springs, I know the springs say they are factory height but I hear some people saying they got a small amount of lift out of them. I’m fine with that since we tow a small travel trailer during the summer and the rake should help the weight distribution hitch level out the vehicle.
bloc
SILVER Star
I just can’t figure out why it would be so common for one side of the truck to kill springs quicker than the other. I’ve followed the factory reset procedure and still mine leans.
Turns out I can get rear springs for about $130 each so I might just throw one of those at it on the low side. Possibly front too though it’s a lot more difficult to get in there and change it.
Turns out I can get rear springs for about $130 each so I might just throw one of those at it on the low side. Possibly front too though it’s a lot more difficult to get in there and change it.
- Thread starter
- #6
bloc Im curious, how much is your truck leaning, and I assume its leaning to the driver side? I agree with you about the springs wearing out. This seems to be more than just a worn spring to me, but I can put a new set in the rear for under $200 if I go with OME so I think I'll give it a shot. Ill post back and let you know if it made a difference.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Examine where you park your truck.
If you habitually park on a driveway that isn’t level (tons of driveways are off a bit), it will develop KDSS lean. If that’s contributing, then park the other direction on and off.
Beyond that... If you scrutinize your lean to the half or 3/4 inch all the time, you’ll drive yourself nutty.
It’s going to have a range no matter what you do...and will almost never stay exactly the same...even if your springs are spot on.
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- Thread starter
- #9
Examine where you park your truck.
If you habitually park on a driveway that isn’t level (tons of driveways are off a bit), it will develop KDSS lean. If that’s contributing, then park the other direction on and off.
Beyond that... If you scrutinize you’re lean to the half or 3/4 inch all the time, you ‘ll drive yourself nutty.
It’s going to have a range no matter what you do...and will almost never stay exactly the same...even if your springs are spot on.
Yeah I agree with you, I didn't notice the lean at the dealer at all for some reason and it does seem to be worse when sitting on the parking pad in front of our house but its always there no matter where its parked. The rear measurement shows the truck sitting approximately an inch and half low on the driver side rear, the driver side front is only down 3/4 of an inch. This is what leads me to believe the issue may possibly be in the rear spring. All in all you are correct and I have to chill a bit with the OCD, my 4th Gen T4R had a slight driver side lean after I installed an Icon Suspension but I was to adjust it out at the front coil over. This just seems more than what it should be Ill post up a photo when I reach the min. number of posts needed. Thank you for the response, there is a lot knowledge on here as I learn another new vehicle to me. I sure like this truck, it has really grown on me in last few weeks.
Markuson
SILVER Star
I am selectively OCD, and ya, it bugs me. But I stopped fighting it as it varies. If yours is truly unidirectional no matter what...an adjustment may be needed.
One thing that is striking though...is that even a small irregularity in a parking lot under one tire, and suddenly mine looks wonky. Then I move to a known level spot and it’s fine. It doesn’t take much at all to make it momentarily off...
bloc
SILVER Star
I don’t remember exactly but 1.5” is coming to mind. As for direction.. also can’t temember (away from my truck for a couple days) but I do seem to recall it being the opposite direction of what is described as common in the Australian lumber fix vid.
- Thread starter
- #12
I know this is an older thread but I want give an update, the lean is gone! I just wanted to post up what worked for me incase someone else searches this same issue. So I had followed the instructions of the Australian guy on youtube to letter multiple times to resolve the leaning issue with no success at all. I ended up taking it to my local dealer to see if the KDSS possibly needed recharged. I can say I have honestly been happy with the service and prices charged here, other than their "suspension guy" who was ZERO help. He wouldn't even talk to me about it afterwards because he was so busy and he said he found no problems on the ticket, enough about that.
Anyway I ended up having to pull the fuel tank recently to replace the sending unit and broke a clip in the process. I jacked the truck up on the driver side frame abit to get some extra room to install the new clip. I had the truck jacked up enough that the driver side was a bit higher ( maybe an inch) than the passenger side ( all 4 tires still on the ground) so I decided to try and release the valves for the KDSS one more time since I was under there anyway. I broke the valve closest to the driver side first and went exactly 3 turns as previously instructed, then I broke the passenger side valve loose and the second I cracked the valve I heard a whoosh of fluid and I went on ahead gave it 3 turns also. I needed to install my clip so I left it jacked up with both valves open for about 10 min while installing the clip. I then closed both valves before lowering the truck back down and BOOM the truck is sitting perfectly level now! I think when I jacked the truck up it put pressure on the hydraulic system and allowed that fluid to move under the pressure of the suspension hanging on it. Im not sure if this is actually the correct way to level a truck with KDSS or not but it worked for me and is worth a shot if the Australian guys method doesn't work for you.
Anyway I ended up having to pull the fuel tank recently to replace the sending unit and broke a clip in the process. I jacked the truck up on the driver side frame abit to get some extra room to install the new clip. I had the truck jacked up enough that the driver side was a bit higher ( maybe an inch) than the passenger side ( all 4 tires still on the ground) so I decided to try and release the valves for the KDSS one more time since I was under there anyway. I broke the valve closest to the driver side first and went exactly 3 turns as previously instructed, then I broke the passenger side valve loose and the second I cracked the valve I heard a whoosh of fluid and I went on ahead gave it 3 turns also. I needed to install my clip so I left it jacked up with both valves open for about 10 min while installing the clip. I then closed both valves before lowering the truck back down and BOOM the truck is sitting perfectly level now! I think when I jacked the truck up it put pressure on the hydraulic system and allowed that fluid to move under the pressure of the suspension hanging on it. Im not sure if this is actually the correct way to level a truck with KDSS or not but it worked for me and is worth a shot if the Australian guys method doesn't work for you.
bloc
SILVER Star
Thanks for the update
How long ago did you do this? I'm curious whether it will hold long-term.
Seems to me it is still manipulating the KDSS system to fix a problem elsewhere, and if the system can bleed any pressure back to the other side to achieve a balanced state (hydraulically), it might revert to the lean.
I'm in negotiations with my service advisor on bringing mine in for an alignment and having the tech take the extra steps of loosening all the suspension link/arm pivot bolts to get all bushings back to a neutral ride height position, then do the alignment and tighten. Basically I'm wondering if bushing neutral position (that I might have messed up when installing my spacers) is adding or reducing spring rate on one side, causing my lean.
- Thread starter
- #14
I did this three days ago so not that long ago, but the vehicle has not reverted yet. I feel somewhat same as you, the truck does not have a lift on it now. I did buy the vehicle last Sept but did not notice the lean until I got home from a 9 hour drive back. I don't know why it would lean in the first place especially if nothing had been done to the suspension. Over the winter I assumed that I had a bad coil spring in the front or the rear so I purchased the Icon front coil s with the CDCV valving . I have not installed this yet as its been long cold winter but I plan on installing rear springs also, just haven't figured out which ones I want yet. I wasn't planning on installing a suspension this soon but the lean was driving me nuts. Ill update again if it returns. For the time being the vehicle rides and handles just fine after this so I not sure that Im manipulating but its possible.
Both my 100 (leaned from from new) and my 200 lean on the driver's side. Always have. When I took the 3rd row seats out of them the back end raised up. So it goes. I gave up caring as the trucks do everything I could ask and no one else notices the lean.
- Thread starter
- #16
I get it, and I lived with it for awhile but my OCD couldn't take it leaning 1 1/4" to one side. Im just happy I was able to get it much closer to level on my own and no expense.
