What Comes in a B.O.T.C.K. Kit, and What Else Will You Need?
Before you order a B.O.T.C.K., it is fair to want to know exactly what shows up in the box, what tools you need, and whether there is anything else you have to buy to finish the job. Here is all of it, including the parts of the install people underestimate. I am Dom, I machine these kits and I answer the emails when something does not go smoothly.
What is a B.O.T.C.K. and what does it do?
B.O.T.C.K. stands for Bolt On Track Bar Correction Kit, and it relocates your track bar mounting point so the bar sits closer to level after a lift. When you raise the body, the track bar angle gets steep, and a steep bar drags the axle side to side as the suspension cycles instead of letting it move up and down. That is the loose, wandering feeling in the back of a lifted truck, plus uneven rear tire wear.
The kit raises the pivot point and flattens the bar back out. It does not replace your track bar, it changes where the bar mounts.
Which B.O.T.C.K. fits my truck?
There are two kits and they split by platform. The $220 kit covers the 4th and 5th Gen 4Runner, GX470, GX460, FJ Cruiser, and Prado 150. The $200 kit covers the Gen 3 4Runner and Prado 90. They are not interchangeable, and the Gen 3 kit is explicitly not for the newer platforms.
Within the $220 kit there are two bracket heights, Standard and Shorty, plus color options. The height is the part that matters, and one measurement picks it for you:
- Park on level ground.
- Measure from the ground to the center of the frame side track bar bolt.
- Measure from the ground to the center of the axle side bolt.
- Subtract. A difference of 1.5 to 2.99 inches means Shorty, or the bottom hole on the Standard. A difference of 3 inches or more means Standard, top hole.
What comes in the box?
You get the correction brackets and the hardware needed to mount them. The kits are CNC machined and anodized, and everything needed to bolt the bracket in place is included. Nothing in the kit is a consumable you will need to source separately, with one exception I will cover next.
What is not in the box is threadlocker. Buy blue threadlocker before you start, because you will want it on every fastener and you do not want to discover that halfway under the truck.
What tools do I need?
For the $220 kit covering the 4Runner Gen 4 and 5, GX460, GX470, FJ, and Prado 150, basic hand tools. It is a true bolt on using factory mounting locations. No welding, no fabrication, no cutting. If you are comfortable with a socket set and a torque wrench, you can do this in your driveway.
For the $200 Gen 3 4Runner and Prado 90 kit, you need more. That one requires drilling one hole, so you need a drill and drill bits, and I recommend a rivet nut tool. Torque spec on that kit is 105 ft lbs on all bolts with plenty of blue threadlocker. If drilling into your frame is not something you want to do yourself, this is the kit to hand to a shop.
What else will I need to buy?
Usually nothing, but budget for two things. First, an alignment afterward. You have changed where the axle sits side to side, so get the truck aligned. It costs far less than a set of tires worn on one edge.
Second, penetrating oil if your truck is a few years old or lives somewhere salty. Soak the track bar bolts with WD-40 or similar a few days before you plan to do the work. Those bolts seize, and a seized bolt that snaps turns a one hour job into a bad weekend. That is the single most common thing that turns an easy install into a hard one.
Do I need any other Dr. KDSS parts to make it work?
No. The correction kit works on its own and does not depend on anything else I make. Other parts in my lineup solve different problems that show up at different lift heights.
If you are past about 2 inches and your front sway bar bushings are binding, the bushing bracket at $89 to $95 corrects that angle. If your factory sway bar straps have failed, the front billet clamps at $75 to $80 stop the bar shifting and keep the KDSS shock body from contacting the frame. If you are running extended travel shocks, the end adapters at $200 free up the droop you paid for. None of those are prerequisites for the correction kit. Buy them when you have the problem they solve.
Is there anything the kit will not fix?
It will not fix KDSS lean. Lean is caused by an imbalance in the KDSS hydraulic system, not by sway bar position or suspension geometry, and no correction bracket changes that. If your truck sits lower on one corner and you were told a drop kit or correction kit fixes it, that advice was wrong. Contact me and describe the symptom before spending money.
It also will not fix worn bushings, a bent track bar, or an alignment problem that existed before the lift. Recentering the axle addresses axle centering. That is what it is for.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the install take?
On the bolt on kits, most people finish in an hour or two working carefully. Add time if your bolts are seized, which is why the penetrating oil step matters. The Gen 3 kit takes longer because of the drilling.
Will the bracket hit my frame?
Standard height brackets can potentially contact the frame under full suspension cycle. That is true of every bracket on the market, not just mine, and it comes down to geometry. It is another reason to take the bolt height measurement and pick the correct version rather than defaulting to the taller one.
Can I reuse my factory hardware?
Use the hardware supplied with the kit where it is provided, and follow the torque spec on your specific product page rather than a video you found. I have updated specs over time and old videos do not update with them.
What if I ordered the wrong height?
Contact me before sending anything back so I can approve the return and give you instructions. There is a 20 percent restocking fee with no exceptions, though I cover the return shipping label, and parts have to be unused and uninstalled. Taking the measurement first avoids all of it.
Measure, then order
Get your bolt height difference and pick Standard or Shorty from that number. If you are between sizes or unsure, send me the two measurements with your platform and lift height and I will tell you which one to order. Browse the B.O.T.C.K. correction kits, see what else is available in KDSS components, or read how KDSS works if you want the background first.