HELP KDSS (1 Viewer)

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Mar 23, 2015
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My 09 Land Cruiser has a slight lean to the passenger side. Called the toyota dealer to check out the KDSS and hes saying that i don't have KDSS??? I Live in Rhode Island does any know any better dealers with more knowledge around?
 
The dealer is wrong...unless you have a VERY unusual 200 series. All the 200s in the US came with KDSS.

Here's where you should see it under your truck... I took this photo for someone else a while back who was looking for the adjustment valves.

This photo is taken from under your left passenger side (I have my running boards removed in case it looks weird...)...

KDSS1.jpg


Close-up of the holes in the above photo...
KDSS2.jpg


The arrows pointing to screws & cover are pointing to the part of your KDSS system where you can make adjustments (don't turn those screws without instruction though!). If he is telling you 200 series don't have them? -You might want to find a different service department. :)
 
The dealer is wrong...unless you have a VERY unusual 200 series. All the 200s in the US came with KDSS.

Here's where you should see it under your truck... I took this photo for someone else a while back who was looking for the adjustment valves.

This photo is taken from under your left passenger side (I have my running boards removed in case it looks weird...)...

View attachment 1225097

Close-up of the holes in the above photo...
View attachment 1225099

The arrows pointing to screws & cover are pointing to the part of your KDSS system where you can make adjustments (don't turn those screws without instruction though!). If he is telling you 200 series don't have them? -You might want to find a different service department. :)
This is exactly what i thought im going to get under it in the parking lot when i pick it up. Its funny because they seamed to have knowledge of the system but totally flop when i bring it, lol.
 
Murkuson is exactly correct. If you want to fix that lean park on a flat surface, reach up there with a 5mm hex drive and release those nuts 2.5-3 turns (NO MORE!!!) jump on the running boards and give it a good shake. Close the valves, done.

Since you're in RI, check for rust. If you're not sure post a picture here and we'll tell you how to proceed. don't try and brake them free with force if they're rusted.
 
The dealer is wrong...unless you have a VERY unusual 200 series. All the 200s in the US came with KDSS.

Here's where you should see it under your truck... I took this photo for someone else a while back who was looking for the adjustment valves.

This photo is taken from under your left passenger side (I have my running boards removed in case it looks weird...)...

View attachment 1225097

Close-up of the holes in the above photo...
View attachment 1225099

The arrows pointing to screws & cover are pointing to the part of your KDSS system where you can make adjustments (don't turn those screws without instruction though!). If he is telling you 200 series don't have them? -You might want to find a different service department. :)


Just to be clear, at least on my 2014 it's located on the Drivers side. Did you mean you took it from the passenger side, just pointed at the drivers side?
 
Murkuson is exactly correct. If you want to fix that lean park on a flat surface, reach up there with a 5mm hex drive and release those nuts 2.5-3 turns (NO MORE!!!) jump on the running boards and give it a good shake. Close the valves, done.

Since you're in RI, check for rust. If you're not sure post a picture here and we'll tell you how to proceed. don't try and brake them free with force if they're rusted.
thank you. the dealer doesn't seem to know much. i live 2 hoursish from Cruiser parts maybe i should contact him?
 
Does anyone think the system needs to be bled and pressurized? I believe I read that on another thread.
 
Does anyone think the system needs to be bled and pressurized? I believe I read that on another thread.

I am super curious what their response will be...
 
99% of the dealers know nothing about the LC. Nothing at all. They allocated 2400-2500 LC's per year to use dealers. Most never work on them at all.
 
Not trying to hijack this thread, just think it may be helpful to have this info in one place.

So the kiss valves on my 2013 are stuck. I am working on getting them unstuck.

My cruiser needed an oil change yesterday and I took it to the local dealer close to my work. I asked them to look at the kdss valves while it was there- maybe they have a tool at their disposal to loosen the valves that I do not have.

A tech called me a couple hours after I dropped it off. He told me the LC had some sort of "x ray" suspension system and he had never heard of kdss on a cruiser. First red flag. I'm no expert, but i told him exactly where the valves were located under the LC and I hear another tech in the background saying "it does have kdss" to the tech on the phone with me. They go on to tell me that there is no need to mess with the kdss system in order to put new struts, springs, and uca's on the LC. The then tell me that loosening the valves could cause severe damage to the system and they might be needed to bleed out afterwards and that could be a nightmare. Something about exposing the system to the air and getting air pockets in the lines. They were unwilling to even attempt to see if the valves will unscrew with their tools. They did offer to install my ironman fcp shocks and springs, the uca's, the oem strut spacers, and wheel spacers that are all waiting to be installed. They told me they could do the install, no problem.

No thanks... I didn't have the knowledge or patience to try to educate these guys- I just said that I will come pick up my LC.

So I am back to trying PB blaster and Kroil to break off as much rust as I can and hope for success.

I do think it is POSSIBLE to install everything without loosening the kdss system, but it is much more arduous and then I might have a lean to deal with after the install. I have not found a local shop that I feel at all confident they know what they are talking about and will treat my LC they way I would, if I knew how to do it.
 
Not trying to hijack this thread, just think it may be helpful to have this info in one place.

So the kiss valves on my 2013 are stuck. I am working on getting them unstuck.

My cruiser needed an oil change yesterday and I took it to the local dealer close to my work. I asked them to look at the kdss valves while it was there- maybe they have a tool at their disposal to loosen the valves that I do not have.

A tech called me a couple hours after I dropped it off. He told me the LC had some sort of "x ray" suspension system and he had never heard of kdss on a cruiser. First red flag. I'm no expert, but i told him exactly where the valves were located under the LC and I hear another tech in the background saying "it does have kdss" to the tech on the phone with me. They go on to tell me that there is no need to mess with the kdss system in order to put new struts, springs, and uca's on the LC. The then tell me that loosening the valves could cause severe damage to the system and they might be needed to bleed out afterwards and that could be a nightmare. Something about exposing the system to the air and getting air pockets in the lines. They were unwilling to even attempt to see if the valves will unscrew with their tools. They did offer to install my ironman fcp shocks and springs, the uca's, the oem strut spacers, and wheel spacers that are all waiting to be installed. They told me they could do the install, no problem.

No thanks... I didn't have the knowledge or patience to try to educate these guys- I just said that I will come pick up my LC.

So I am back to trying PB blaster and Kroil to break off as much rust as I can and hope for success.

I do think it is POSSIBLE to install everything without loosening the kdss system, but it is much more arduous and then I might have a lean to deal with after the install. I have not found a local shop that I feel at all confident they know what they are talking about and will treat my LC they way I would, if I knew how to do it.

Where are you located?
 
Does anyone think the system needs to be bled and pressurized? I believe I read that on another thread.

I think the dealer is confusing the LC with the LX.

The AHC on the LX is fluid-based and needs to be flushed at 100k or something. Air in it would probably be bad.

The KDSS on the LC is pressurized air (about 100psi).

There's no bleeding of the KDSS system AFAIK - I believe the KDSS assembly is just a way to equalize pressure between sides of the system. Those two screws everyone talks about are just "set" screws. The reason you don't turn the screws more than 3 turns is that you're loosening whatever valve is in the KDSS so you can re-equalize left-to-right, and then you re-tighten them, but the system itself still stays fully pressurized. At least that's how I understand the system.
 
The KDSS on the LC is pressurized air (about 100psi).

There's no bleeding of the KDSS system AFAIK - I believe the KDSS assembly is just a way to equalize pressure between sides of the system. Those two screws everyone talks about are just "set" screws. The reason you don't turn the screws more than 3 turns is that you're loosening whatever valve is in the KDSS so you can re-equalize left-to-right, and then you re-tighten them, but the system itself still stays fully pressurized. At least that's how I understand the system.

Close, but no cigar :flush:

The KDSS system on the LC is a highly pressurized hydraulic system - hydraulic fluid, not air - and runs at about 600psi. The two screws are valves (shutter valves) that allow pressurized fluid to equalize within the system - front/back, left/right (Upper Chamber and Lower Chamber). Loosening those screws too much would allow pressurized fluid to escape to the atmosphere requiring a bleeding/re-pressurizing of the entire system.

Here's a pic that might help:

KDSS_Valve_10FEB16_zps2zef7kwu.jpg


HTH
 
Close, but no cigar :flush:

The KDSS system on the LC is a highly pressurized hydraulic system - hydraulic fluid, not air - and runs at about 600psi. The two screws are valves (shutter valves) that allow pressurized fluid to equalize within the system - front/back, left/right (Upper Chamber and Lower Chamber). Loosening those screws too much would allow pressurized fluid to escape to the atmosphere requiring a bleeding/re-pressurizing of the entire system.

Ah good to know. I thought I'd read something around here about KDSS being pressurized with air.

See, you can teach an old dog new tricks!
 
There are reservoirs that hold pressure on the system, similar to a mono tube shock absorber... they are filled with nitrogen, but it does not mix with the oil in the system.

The X-ray that the tech was confusing the KDSS with, is the Xreas cross linked shock system that is utilized on some of the 4th gen 4-Runners.
 
Dang - I was really hoping to get to use my X-Ray vision shocks at the next Swedish Bikini Team's trampoline competition!
 

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