Trouble getting lift on due to sway bar/KDSS (1 Viewer)

[kylekrik]

Howdy folks,

First time poster here as I just got a 460 w/KDSS and am installing a lift on it. I'm currently trying to figure out how to proceed with it properly and could use some help.

I got the truck on jacks and opened the KDSS valves, however I think the passenger front wheel may have had a little bit of weight on it still when I opened the valves. I realized this after I had removed the old shock and noticed the pass CV was almost perfectly level. In order to get the new longer shock in I decided to remove the LCA sway bar mount, which gave me the necessary droop to get the new shock in.

I'm at a bit of a crossroads though, as I don't know what I can do with the sway bar in terms of removing it before installing the other new shock on the driver side. I don't want to damage the system, or have it throw codes at me so I'm looking for the best method to do this.
- Can I fully remove the sway bar in order to mount the driver shock?
- How hard is it to get back on?
- Will I damage the KDSS system in any way if I remove the sway bar and drive without it for a while?

I didn't have time to finish it the night I started so I put the wheels back on and closed the valves after letting it settle, so currently it's only 1/4 lifted! I know in theory I shouldn't have needed to undo the sway bar to install the lift but it seemed like the only way when I was under there at the time. Curious to hear anyone's thoughts. Thanks for your help!

 

[ducktapeguy]

It's been a while since I installed my lift, but I do remember having to undo the sway bar to get one side in. I don't remember exactly what I did but I think I needed to use a jack under the KDSS piston to help get everything aligned and back in place, but I don't think it was difficult to do. I also vaguely remember putting a jack on the opposite side of the car to pivot either the swaybar or axle to allow it to drop far enough to get everything in place.

 

[Banandalorian]

I disconnected the sway bar from the 2 center KDSS mounting brackets on the front and rear bars and left them connected to the LCAs and rear axle. On the front, I loosened the sway bar from whichever LCA I was working on but did not fully remove any bolts. I used a pry bar to push the LCA down when getting the new shocks into position but it was an easy one hand push. On the rear, I just used a floor jack to articulate the axle up/down on either side to create space to get the new springs and shocks in.

If you've already removed the front sway bar, you'll have to argue with KDSS a bit to get everything lined back up and reconnected but its not the end of the world. It will be easier to reattach with wheels on the ground and IIRC you attach the LCA mounts first. It should be relatively lined up with the center mounts and you can use a floor jack to push the KDSS ram mount up/down as needed to get things aligned.

 

[jeremy j]

I basically did what @Banandalorian did. Driver side was easy but on passenger I had to have my 15 year old bounce on the pry bar to get the LCA low enough to get the lower strut bolts in.

 

[HVLA]

I had to use a ratchet strap to get one end back on.

 

[kylekrik]

thanks for the tips here. Does anyone know if it’s ok to drive it without the sway bar??

 

[SpitnTears]

thanks for the tips here. Does anyone know if it’s ok to drive it without the sway bar??

It’s fine. Just don’t make sudden large steering inputs.
Especially at higher speeds

 

[kylekrik]

It’s fine. Just don’t make sudden large steering inputs.
Especially at higher speeds

Yea I do know that much thankfully!! I’m more asking in that it won’t throw codes on the KDSS without the sway bar, will it?

 

[Hiluxforever]

I used the kdss as a spring compressor. I think I dropped a ball joint on one side. Honestly the backs were way worse than the fronts for me.

 

[suitcase]

I had a mechanic help with my lift. He didn't want to touch the KDSS valves if he didn't have to. I think we unbolted the KDSS bar at both the fixed mount point and the shock mount point, but left it connected at the LCAs. A jack was used to help support the KDSS bar and make sure it didn't drop too far. We then used a prybar to push the LCA down and get room to maneuver the strut in place.

 

[Hiluxforever]

I also unaligned my LCAs to get a little more droop as well.

 

[JDUB fab]

As others have said drop the ball joint dealio instead of the sway bar in the future, edit: do not unbolt the ball joint castle nut but the two bolts below that where it attaches to the spindle.

 

[Hiluxforever]

I wouldn't want to do it again in the same sitch, but I did it all in a common garage, by myself. I watched a ton of videos and had previously installed suspension lifts on 3 different Toyotas, but those were all models from the 80s.

It was when I figured out how to use the kdss as spring compressor that I was willing to try on my own.