KDSS Delete (2 Viewers)

[empty80]

Trigger Warning

I have decided to relocate my KDSS system to the classifieds section or the scrap yard.

Ok, so it’s actually a KDSS delete. And because I’m a good, old fashioned forum “pretend-gineer,” I'm sticking with mostly Toyota factory parts and components which, more or less, makes my truck similar to the less equipped models elsewhere. I will eventually put either a Dobinson's or OME higher spring rate bar in the rear and remove the front. Why? Because I can.

Also, because I have always considered my KDSS system to be suspect. I had unpredictable response in stability on hot summer days. The truck would come unsettled on bumps while cornering. Linear and unilateral bumps were equally jarring. I tried running higher spring rates, but that's not the purpose of coil springs. I ran higher and lower shock compression and rebound settings, and the results you would expect followed. I took a long think about it, and decided the one variable that had not changed was the part of the truck that ACTUALLY performs a lateral stability function. So, l did the forum and PartSouq research and started collecting parts. I had serious doubts about removing/destroying such a lauded component of the 200-series until I opened up the KDSS valves for a week. The jarring bumps, temperature dependent unpredictability and unsettled corners resolved albeit withmore body roll and some loose straight-line tracking.

Here’s the magic part that makes it all possible.

 

[empty80]

Parts List


Rear Axle Housing
Axle- 42110-60A62
Diff Gasket- 04412-60450
Oil Seals- 9031683001(2ea)
O-Ring- 90302-99182 (2ea)
Plug Gaskets-12157-10010 (2ea)
Diff Studs- 90116-10074 and 90116-10232

Rear Stab Bar
Frame Side Rear Stab Brackets- 48836-60080(R) 48837-60050(L)
Frame Side Bracket Bolts-91674E1028
Frame Side Rear Stab Bushes-48815-60241
Rear Stab Links- 48802-60110
Rear Stab Link Bushes- 48817-60020 (4ea)
Rear Stab Link Bush retainers- 90948-02200 (4ea)
Rear stab link bush retainer 90948-02197 (2ea)
Bar to link bolt- 91552-C1050
Bar to link nut- 94151-21041
Axle Side Rear Stab Brackets- 48824-26230
Axle Side Rear Stab Bushes- 48815-60241
Axle Side Hardware- 91674L1022 (same on KDSS truck)


Front Stab Bar
Front Stabilizer Bar- 48811-60290
Front frame-side brackets- 48824-60170 (2ea)
Front frame-side bushes- 48815-60250
Front frame side bracket bolts- 91674K1240 (same on KDSS truck)
Front control arm links- 48810-60051(L) 48820-60071(R)
Front Link Flange Nuts- 94151-21401


Additional Stuff
Reciprocating Saw w/ bi-metal blades
Hack Saw w/ bi-metal blades
Parking brake tools
BP-51 Reservoir Relocation Brackets- VM80010004
Gear Oil
Oil Seal Replacer (77mm)- 09951-00770-01
Nylon tubing (3/16” ID)
Empty water jugs
Oil pan

 

[empty80]

Precautionary Prep Work (1 hour)
You don't want to depressurize the KDSS and realize your parts source missed a critical component...

1. Inventory parts list
2. Mock up all links and hardware.

 

[empty80]

Step by Step (ish)

*This has been re-ordered based on the sequence of steps I executed, task organization and time estimates.

Day 1 (5 Hours)

1. Depressurize KDSS accumulator
2. Depressurize Front KDSS Piston
3. Depressurize Rear KDSS Piston
4. Remove engine area splash guards/skid plates
5. Remove front KDSS stabilizer bar
6. Remove front KDSS piston
7. Remove rear KDSS stabilizer bar
8. Remove rear KDSS piston
9. ^Connect front stabilizer bar links to lower control arms
10. ^Connect front stabilizer bar to frame
11. ^Connect stabilizer links to bar
12. ^Give truck a good jostling to settle bushes
13. ^Torque front frame-side bush brackets
14. ^Torque control arm links
15. Reinstall engine area splash guards/skid plates

Day 2 (4 hours)

1. Remove KDSS adapter
2. Remove KDSS accumulator
3. Remove KDSS lines
4. Remount the OME BP-51 reservoirs with OME PN: VM80010004
5. Install rear frame-side stabilizer bar bracket and links (BP-51 reservoir bracket goes on at the same time)

Day 3 (12 hours)

1. Drain rear differential fluid
2. Remove wheels
3. Disconnect and remove axle housing from truck
   1. Disconnect differential breather line
   2. Disconnect e-locker
   3. Index driveline with diff and disconnect driveline
   4. Disconnect pan hard bar
   5. Loosen upper control arm bolts
   6. Loosen lower control arm bolts
   7. Disconnect ABS sensor cables and zip tie up and out of the way of pinch points
   8. Loosen brake calipers bolts
   9. Loosen brake line bolts
   10. Disconnect brake lines from axle
   11. Disconnect brake lines (I left this as late as I naturally could, and zipped them as high as I could with plastic baggies to catch dripping fluid.)
   12. Remove brake calipers
   13. Remove rotors
   14. Disassemble parking brake shoes
   15. Disconnect shocks
   16. Remove coil springs (I ratchet strapped mine into place.)
   17. Disconnect upper control arms
   18. Disconnect lower control arms
4. Install differential studs on new axle (Longer studs installed in the 1, 2 and 5 positions.)
5. Install housing oils seals
6. Remove axle shafts
7. Remove Differential
8. Install rear axle housing
   1. Connect upper control arms
   2. Connect lower control arms
   3. Seat coil springs
   4. Connect panhard bar
   5. Connect shocks
   6. Install differential gasket
   7. Install differential
   8. Replace axle shaft o-ring
   9. Install axle shafts on new axle
   10. Reassemble parking brake shoes
   11. Install rotors
   12. Adjust parking brake IAW FSM
   13. Install calipers (There's a little more space for torquing at full droop)
   14. Connect ABS sensor lines to axle
   15. Connect brake lines to axle
   16. Connect brake lines to calipers
   17. Connect ABS sensors
9. Install wheels
10. Lower truck onto its own weight
11. Give truck a good jostling to help settle bushes
12. Install drive line
13. Connect e-locker
14. Torque upper control arm hardware
15. Torque lower control arm hardware
16. Connect rear stabilizer bar to axle with brackets and bushes
17. Connect rear stabilizer bar to links
18. Another jostling to settle front and rear stabilizer bar bushes
19. Torque rear axle-side bush brackets
20. Torque rear stabilizer bar links
21. Install diff drain plug and gasket
22. Fill gear oil
23. Install diff fill plug and gasket
24. Connect differential breather line
25. Brake line bleeding
26. Test drive to your local brewery for a celebratory beer (I didn't get to do this because it was quite late in the evening)

^These steps I did in advance because I didn't want to remove the ARB splash guard and BudBuilt skid plate a second time.

 

[empty80]

Follow-On Activities

1. Remove rest of KDSS hardware when convenient.
   1. There is no "convenient time" when you are leaking residual hydraulic fluid...
2. Standby for @drkdss BOTCK
   1. This arrived before I swapped, so I got to run it with KDSS and post-KDSS. It makes a difference, but it didn't resolve my issues with KDSS.
3. Start measuring for 35s

 

[empty80]

KDSS bleeding and piston removal was not terribly involved. Using the bleed valves at the accumulator and pistons, getting fluid out was easy. A 1 gallon jug and some nylon tubing with 3/16” inner diameter is all it takes. Accumulator bleed valve is 8mm. Pistons are 10mm.

I did get a bit of air and “contamination” out of the accumulator. Not much came out of the bleed valves on the pistons in neutral positions. Most of the AHC fluid came out of the pistons themselves.

 

[CharlieS]

Awesome!!! My kdss beat the ever loving crap out if my front TJM bumper in moab. I'm 100% all in for kdss delete.

My solution was to buy an 80 series. No joke.

 

[LC200TX]

Awesome!!! My kdss beat the ever loving crap out if my front TJM bumper in moab. I'm 100% all in for kdss delete.

My solution was to buy an 80 series. No joke.

Ouch! Can you share some pics of the damage?

 

[1HaytchZed]

Looking forward to progress, as I would like to do the same, my KDSS is frozen and have BP-51s sitting in boxes. Any other thread that shows the delete process so I can edumacate myself about the process?

 

[montegofd3s]

Nice! Any pics of the setup?

 

[linuxgod]

If you’re going through the trouble if replacing the axle housing can you go with the heavy duty version that is rated for something like 6500#?

Seems like a lot of work, but fun to watch. If I crack my axle housing towing too much weight i now know who to hit up for a replacement

 

[empty80]

Nice! Any pics of the setup?

I’ve not completed it yet. The goal was to have it finished before our child was born. I should have known.

She arrived and camping season got underway.

If you’re going through the trouble if replacing the axle housing can you go with the heavy duty version that is rated for something like 6500#?

Seems like a lot of work, but fun to watch. If I crack my axle housing towing too much weight i now know who to hit up for a replacement

I was very, very tempted. At ~$6000AUD plus freight charges and an absence of reported axle housing damage on 200s, I couldn’t justify it. I got the LX housing brand new for ~$1250 shipped.

 

[empty80]

Looking forward to progress, as I would like to do the same, my KDSS is frozen and have BP-51s sitting in boxes. Any other thread that shows the delete process so I can edumacate myself about the process?

I think this is the most descriptive post yet. One of the other 200-series owners deleted his KDSS, and may have some insight on the removal. @ga12r1

 

[linuxgod]

In converting to a stock sway bar, are you thinking about a sway bar disconnect? Or do you not spend enough time off-road at crawling speeds to care about the reduced flex at low speed?

 

[kcjaz]

Awesome!!! My kdss beat the ever loving crap out if my front TJM bumper in moab. I'm 100% all in for kdss delete.

My solution was to buy an 80 series. No joke.

Hey @CharlieS, what did your KDSS do to your TJM? I can’t visualize what could have happened.

 

[empty80]

In converting to a stock sway bar, are you thinking about a sway bar disconnect? Or do you not spend enough time off-road at crawling speeds to care about the reduced flex at low speed?

I’m thinking a heavier spring rate rear bar only. I ran a similar setup on a T4R and it I absolutely loved the feel on and off-road.

I will run both bars, then remove the front and then potentially go with the heavier rear. The whole point of the sway bar is to reduce body roll, and I already have airbags. I may not even need a heavier bar if I take credit for the bags.

I am not expecting to see any notable loss of flexibility. It can’t be much worse than the LX on RTI.

 

[CharlieS]

Hey @CharlieS, what did your KDSS do to your TJM? I can’t visualize what could have happened.

I'm on a trip, but will post more when I get back. The KDSS arm and the bolt in panel under the TJM bumper wing try to occupy the same location in the space time continuum when the arm is in its uppermost position. It bent the hell out of that plate to the point where it was rubbing the tire preventing turning without cutting the sidewall. This happend on fins and things in moab.

 

[bloc]

The front end of the KDSS arm made pretty solid contact with the front body mount hardware at full driver's side droop when I had my king 2.5s, which added about 2" of down travel. Stock KDSS location and bumper for the record.

 

[Killacaviar]

The front end of the KDSS arm made pretty solid contact with the front body mount hardware at full driver's side droop when I had my king 2.5s, which added about 2" of down travel. Stock KDSS location and bumper for the record.

What shocks are you running now?

 

[bloc]

What shocks are you running now?

I went back to stock + OE spacer after a big reevaluation of how I use my truck on trips.