Gastan
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2024
- Threads
- 18
- Messages
- 59
- Reaction score
- 91
- Location
- Seattle burbs
- Vehicle(s)
- Tacoma TRD Pro
- Thread starter
- #1
This is a good article on how the 6th gen 4Runner no longer uses KDSS, but has SDM instead, which completely disconnects the sway bar.
https://www.motortrend.com/features/2025-toyota-4runner-kdss-offroad-stabilizer-disconnect-system/
https://www.motortrend.com/features/2025-toyota-4runner-kdss-offroad-stabilizer-disconnect-system/
From now on, e-KDSS is a Lexus-exclusive feature, and the 4Runner (as well as the related Tacoma and the new Land Cruiser) will make do with a less-sophisticated optional system, known as SDM. That stands for Stabilizer with Disconnection Mechanism. This is a conventional stabilizer bar with an electronic actuator directly mounted to the bar at the front axle. Push a button, and the actuator unlocks, allowing the two halves of the stabilizer bar to move independently. The system also increases wheel articulation.
It’s the same idea as the front stabilizer bar disconnect system familiar to many Jeep owners as an option on some Wrangler models. But unlike e-KDSS (or the older KDSS system), it doesn’t operate on the rear axle. (That might actually be a benefit, as many owners found that KDSS didn’t improve rear axle articulation any.)
What’s Better: e-KDSS or SDM?
This is sure to be fodder for many forum arguments for years to come, but of course each system has its advantages and disadvantages. SDM debuted on the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, so it’s a relatively new system for Toyota. One advantage is that it gives the driver total control over the front stabilizer bar’s state. E-KDSS, like the passive KDSS system before it, is automatic. Given its design it’s unlikely that a driver would want to override it. But SDM requires a button push to unlock the axle, and some drivers are going to appreciate that.
Given that it’s a less extensive and less complex system than e-KDSS, it may also be easier to lift or otherwise modify a SDM-equipped 4Runner. In the Toyota Tacoma, which also gets the SDM hardware, the benefit is 10 percent more flex than the outgoing truck—a decent upgrade.
