KDSS Delete (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter empty80
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Especially when you lose that front sway bar
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- #23
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- #24
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- #25
Removing the rear piston is a little bit of a hassle. The space is tight, the hydraulic lines wrap around from back to front, and Mr. T’s got jokes. There’s a cute little 10mm that helps hold the hydraulic lines. It’s not fun getting to, and the other end of the bracket attaches to the top of the piston.
The bracket needs to be detached, so you can remove the bolt that’s holds the piston in place.
The bracket needs to be detached, so you can remove the bolt that’s holds the piston in place.
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- #26
I got the rest of the hydraulic components off today and did some rust-proofing as well.
This was the most challenging part of the whole operation. To remove the accumulator and adapter, there’s needs to be some mobility in the lines. 12mm, 13mm and 17mm ratcheting box end wrenches and a reciprocating saw will does the trick, but it gets messy. Once the lines are clear, the accumulator and adapter comes right off.
There is a ton of space on the left side of the frame with all of that complicated (and heavy) sorcery gone.
I do owe a shoutout to @ga12r1. I probably wouldn’t have gone at it with a saw if it weren’t for a comment from another thread.
This was the most challenging part of the whole operation. To remove the accumulator and adapter, there’s needs to be some mobility in the lines. 12mm, 13mm and 17mm ratcheting box end wrenches and a reciprocating saw will does the trick, but it gets messy. Once the lines are clear, the accumulator and adapter comes right off.
There is a ton of space on the left side of the frame with all of that complicated (and heavy) sorcery gone.
I do owe a shoutout to @ga12r1. I probably wouldn’t have gone at it with a saw if it weren’t for a comment from another thread.
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- #27
I decided to take another small bite of elephant today. I went ahead and installed the OME reservoir brackets today. This required installing the stabilizer bracket and links as well. Clocking of the shock is required to get the reservoir hose to clear of all the things.
Right side with KDSS stabilizer link and old reservoir bracket. The mechanical bar bracket and link gets pushed out to the frame rail vice slightly onboard as shown here.
Right side comparison:
New hardware installed:
The non-KDSS reservoir brackets are so much easier to install than the KDSS variants.
The next bit of work to be accomplished is the axle swap.
Right side with KDSS stabilizer link and old reservoir bracket. The mechanical bar bracket and link gets pushed out to the frame rail vice slightly onboard as shown here.
Right side comparison:
New hardware installed:
The non-KDSS reservoir brackets are so much easier to install than the KDSS variants.
The next bit of work to be accomplished is the axle swap.
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- #28
I now have a tire rub on the passenger (right-hand) side stabilizer bar that is worse than the polishing I had on the KDSS arm. It only manifest at full lock turning under braking ie. turning into a parking spot. 
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Is the swap bar perfectly centered? Wondering if you could shift it 1/2" or something if that would help.
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- #30
I thought about that too, but I don’t have any slop between the centering tabs on the bar. I’m really curious to see if the vehicle dynamics change enough with the rear bar on to eliminate the rub. I can get the driver side to rub enough to feel it when doing a u-turn into an incline to the right.
Right-hand side:
Left Hand Side:
Left-hand side rub:
I had that type of rubbing before I did the KDSS relo brackets. I know you’ve just removed KDSS as part of this and I’m not real sure how it all mounts up but can you push the bar forward in a similar fashion?
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- #32
Absolutely, and the same terms and conditions regarding the links would apply.
I have a set of the Slee brackets in the garage. I should mock those up for ‘Mud to see.
bloc
SILVER Star
Without needing to clear the tight kinks in the KDSS arm you may be able to make brackets that move the bar but not as much as usual, thereby cutting down on the link alignment issues.
Install the KDSS relo and mount your end links outside the LCA like I did. Works great, end links are at a sane angle, and no rubbing on 35s
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- #36
Today I prepped the new rear axle.
Oil seals seated:
Diff studs installed:
There are three longer studs in the group of ten. Their positions counting clockwise with #1 being TDC are 1, 2 and 5. I used a spare M10x1.25 flange nut to seat the studs. They only need to be seated fully and tight enough to recover the nut you use to drive them.
If you haven’t seen @bloc’s thread (here) of spare parts to have laying around, it really helps to have some of that laying around. The axle gasket kit I ordered only had one of the diff drain/fill gaskets (12152-10010). I keep a few on hand so no worries.
I would also recommend having an extra oil seal (90310-63001) on hand in case seating does not go according to plan.
Oil seals seated:
Diff studs installed:
There are three longer studs in the group of ten. Their positions counting clockwise with #1 being TDC are 1, 2 and 5. I used a spare M10x1.25 flange nut to seat the studs. They only need to be seated fully and tight enough to recover the nut you use to drive them.
If you haven’t seen @bloc’s thread (here) of spare parts to have laying around, it really helps to have some of that laying around. The axle gasket kit I ordered only had one of the diff drain/fill gaskets (12152-10010). I keep a few on hand so no worries.
I would also recommend having an extra oil seal (90310-63001) on hand in case seating does not go according to plan.
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- #39
Post-Op Feedback
Having studied the service manual extensively before deciding to do this, I was a bit frustrated when I stumbled into the parking brake. That turned out to be a bit of a time suck during reassembly. I didn’t have the tools on hand to deal with the bigger springs.
The other frustrating aspect was cutting the hydraulic lines off the truck. It’s a messy business, there’s not a lot of space along the frame, and it requires a lot of patience around the front coil bucket due to everything else packed into that area.
Finally, one the new axle housing was being connected, I had to play games with a floor jack to get the driver side lower control arm and the passenger side upper control arm bolts installed. Not a big deal, but it was another time suck.
Other than those three areas, it is a very simple and straightforward process.
Having studied the service manual extensively before deciding to do this, I was a bit frustrated when I stumbled into the parking brake. That turned out to be a bit of a time suck during reassembly. I didn’t have the tools on hand to deal with the bigger springs.
The other frustrating aspect was cutting the hydraulic lines off the truck. It’s a messy business, there’s not a lot of space along the frame, and it requires a lot of patience around the front coil bucket due to everything else packed into that area.
Finally, one the new axle housing was being connected, I had to play games with a floor jack to get the driver side lower control arm and the passenger side upper control arm bolts installed. Not a big deal, but it was another time suck.
Other than those three areas, it is a very simple and straightforward process.
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bloc
SILVER Star
I like the spring hooks made for motorcycle exhausts on the parking brake parts.
Otherwise yes, the spring tower has a ton of stuff packed into that space. Torquing the UCA bolt to spec at ride height is a total pain in the ass.
Otherwise yes, the spring tower has a ton of stuff packed into that space. Torquing the UCA bolt to spec at ride height is a total pain in the ass.
