2 inch Lift Kakadu - Losing Suspension Settings - Sport/Comfort

[Peterpilot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Peterpilot]

A 10mm strut top spacer is as far as I would go with the standard TEMS strut on my Grande. I don't know exactly where the bumpstop limit is on the Kakadu, but I can guarantee you that a 60mm strut top spacer will exceed the bumpstop limit and cause the strut to bottom out under full compression.

[bfranzen Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bfranzen]

Hi thanks for the reply Peter. The 50mm Lovells springs went in to restore the lift lost to the BB, lights etc install. as a result I have the lean to the drivers side of about 20mm. I'm assured no effect on performance so it is a question whether i can live with it or not. Car defintely handles better with the new springs for very little increase in spring rate.

I have investigated the Bilstein/Lovells solution for the kakadu and it seems to be about the only thing that deals with the KDSS lean. If I losse patience with the sight of the lean and may well consider this option. In the meantime will contact Dobinsons.

cheers

Which Lovell's spring did they fit to the front? Lovells springs are going to be a problem with standard struts because they increase spring rate as you increase to a higher lift spring and ideally you need a 15-20mm longer spring on the drivers side, but at the same spring rate as the passengers side. If you want to retain the standard strut, you will need to use either OME or Dobinsons springs since they both use a fixed spring rate and vary the lengths of their springs. I know Dobinsons were doing the R&D on this, they may be worth a call.

Lovell's solution is to use their own front struts which include a 20mm spacer ring for the drivers side strut. You will lose the comfort-sport settings by changing struts. Part number for the 150 series Lovells strut is 64610087F, more information is available in the suspension database: http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...nsion-Database

I suspect your suspension guy doesn't know what he's dealing with when it comes to KDSS suspension. Do a search on "KDSS lean" here and have a good read on the issue and solution.
Here's one to get you started: http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread.php?t=22025

[KAKADAZ Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close KAKADAZ]

Problem with the lean is the car turning hard right feels like its on rails but a hard left feels like its going to fall over.

[Peterpilot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Peterpilot]

Problem with the lean is the car turning hard right feels like its on rails but a hard left feels like its going to fall over.

Yes, if the driver side is too "soft" then it will induce body roll in left turns.

[MNK Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MNK]

So what is the best way to raise the prado kakadu as im planning a trip to cape york and need this done. Im in Melb Vic if there is any one out there who knows how or what to do let me know as much as possible because im lost on what to do

[KAKADAZ Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close KAKADAZ]

I think the best way to lift a kaka at the front is use a company that will use a 15-20mm taller driver side spring just like Toyota did from day one. Fit two equal length springs and you have a very annoying lean, I managed to raise my drivers front by 8mm over passengers using one clip higher on the bilstein struts but its still not 100%.

[MNK Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MNK]

kakadaz would it be better to fit spacers to tops of struts that way its only lifting the KDSS evenly or go bilstein?? do you have part# you fitted to yours and did you fit them yourself. What did you do for rear or did you leave standard. I have arb winch bar, winch, driving lights, dual batteries and a lowered front kaka due to the weight and need it raised. I am almost at the point of gutting the KDSS and going foam cells, raised coils, and manual/me pump to suit hieght air bags. Wonder if computers would ahve a hissy fit??

[Peterpilot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Peterpilot]

If you want to fit Bilsteins in a Kakadu, use an equal length pair of front springs and set the passenger side front strut to the lowest circlip position, and the drivers side strut to the highest position, which is the 3rd circlip position.

Strut top spacers aren't that versatile with their available lengths. A simple 5-6mm spacer will fit with existing strut cap studs. A 10mm spacer requires the strut cap to be fitted with longer studs. Then there are no sizes available between 10mm and 22.5mm, which is too long. These are available from Superior Engineering: http://www.superiorengineering.com.a...10_923_981_993

Raising the rear suspension is easy in a Kakadu, same as in a Grande. Just use some spacers or panel washers under the airbag sensor brackets: http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...l=1#post280029
All automatic levelling capability and height adjustments are retained.

Also, The Airbag Man may have a kit available with longer airbags for the Kakadu by now: http://www.airbagman.com.au/

[bfranzen Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bfranzen]

I think the best way to lift a kaka at the front is use a company that will use a 15-20mm taller driver side spring just like Toyota did from day one. Fit two equal length springs and you have a very annoying lean, I managed to raise my drivers front by 8mm over passengers using one clip higher on the bilstein struts but its still not 100%.

Agreed this is the simplest solution. Hard to get someone like WA Suspensions to start installing spacers unless DYI. I would expect that 5 - 8mm is not noticable to the untrained eye anyway?

cheers.

[KAKADAZ Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close KAKADAZ]

If you want to fit Bilsteins in a Kakadu, use an equal length pair of front springs and set the passenger side front strut to the lowest circlip position, and the drivers side strut to the highest position, which is the 3rd circlip position.

Strut top spacers aren't that versatile with their available lengths. A simple 5-6mm spacer will fit with existing strut cap studs. A 10mm spacer requires the strut cap to be fitted with longer studs. Then there are no sizes available between 10mm and 22.5mm, which is too long. These are available from Superior Engineering: http://www.superiorengineering.com.a...10_923_981_993

Raising the rear suspension is easy in a Kakadu, same as in a Grande. Just use some spacers or panel washers under the airbag sensor brackets: http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...l=1#post280029


All automatic levelling capability and height adjustments are retained.

Also, The Airbag Man may have a kit available with longer airbags for the Kakadu by now: http://www.airbagman.com.au/

Only problem with that method is you effectively loose 16mm lift on the passenger side as aposed to having both struts at full clip height and the driver spring being 15-20mm higher..

[KAKADAZ Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close KAKADAZ]

If you want to fit Bilsteins in a Kakadu, use an equal length pair of front springs and set the passenger side front strut to the lowest circlip position, and the drivers side strut to the highest position, which is the 3rd circlip position.

Strut top spacers aren't that versatile with their available lengths. A simple 5-6mm spacer will fit with existing strut cap studs. A 10mm spacer requires the strut cap to be fitted with longer studs. Then there are no sizes available between 10mm and 22.5mm, which is too long. These are available from Superior Engineering: http://www.superiorengineering.com.a...10_923_981_993

Raising the rear suspension is easy in a Kakadu, same as in a Grande. Just use some spacers or panel washers under the airbag sensor brackets: http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...l=1#post280029


All automatic levelling capability and height adjustments are retained.

Also, The Airbag Man may have a kit available with longer airbags for the Kakadu by now: http://www.airbagman.com.au/

Only problem with that method is you effectively loose 16mm lift on the passenger side as aposed to having both struts at full clip height and the driver spring being 15-20mm higher..

[MNK Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MNK]

so who out there makes a spring 15-20mm longer for drivers side and do you leave the clips on the same settings for each side? what are your setups at moment and whats working best so far

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I don't see anything wrong with varying the circlip positions on the Bilstein struts and using the same length coils. Essentially, changing the circlip position is the same as having different length coils.

[Peterpilot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Peterpilot]

Only problem with that method is you effectively loose 16mm lift on the passenger side as aposed to having both struts at full clip height and the driver spring being 15-20mm higher..

What you lose is droop or extension travel, which you lose with longer springs anyway. As Andrew has pointed out, there is no difference between using a longer spring or a higher circlip position or any other method to raise the spring seat (like Lovell's ring spacer). They all have the same result as a longer spring, which is the way Toyota have designed it.

I don't know how it works exactly, but if I was modding a KDSS front end, the first thing I'd do was to measure the droop on the OE setup and see if there is a difference from left to right and see how much lift the OE struts could yield with a minimum of 60mm droop. I would also measure strut lengths and bumpstop clearances. These are the same things I did before modding my Grande.

Also, once the OE front springs are removed, measure the free length of each spring to see EXACTLY how much difference there is. This will determine what compensation needs to be applied to the drivers side.

[Peterpilot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Peterpilot]

so who out there makes a spring 15-20mm longer for drivers side and do you leave the clips on the same settings for each side? what are your setups at moment and whats working best so far

Dobinsons are the only spring maker I am aware of that is doing R&D on KDSS.