Toyota Surf / 4Runner 1989-1995 Body Lift Installation Guide
This guide covers fitting Flatout Offroad’s 2-inch / 50mm body lift kit to a 1989–1995 Toyota Hilux Surf or 4Runner (second generation).
Read all steps before starting. With mechanical knowledge and suitable tools, this kit can be installed at home or fitted by a 4WD workshop.
Kit contents: 10 body lift blocks, the required fasteners and a steering shaft extension if selected at checkout.
Installation time: Allow 3–7 hours with two people. If you’ve installed a body lift before, expect around 3 hours. For your first installation, allow closer to 7 hours.
You can view the 1989 to 1995 Surf / 4Runner body lift kit here
Toyota Surf 1989-1995 Gen 2 Body Lift Instructions
Before you start
Have suitable sockets and spanners, a torque wrench, penetrating oil, trim tools, wheel chocks, and lifting and support equipment rated for the work. Never work beneath a body supported only by a jack.
These vehicles are getting older, so seized fasteners are common. A few days before installation, apply penetrating oil to accessible body mount fasteners and the steering shaft connection where the extension will be fitted. This can make disassembly easier on the day.
Step 1: Prepare the vehicle
Park on a flat surface, somewhere where the vehicle can sit for a few hours. Choc the wheels and apply the hand brake. Its important the vehicle is stable and level - You don't want anything to slide or shift while doing the body lift.
Note – It can save a lot of time if you locate all 10 body mounts a few days before doing the lift and spray them with WD-40 or something similar to help remove them when the time comes.
Step 2: Find the body mounts and removing parts
Find the 10 body mounts, 5 on each side of the vehicle. A few of the body mounts are under carpet and interior trim. To get at these you will need to remove some of the plastic interior trim and lift the carpet. After this you will find the plastic body mount access covers beneath the carpet / trim you have removed - take them out. If you have been doing a bit of 4wding often these pockets will be full of dirt and grit, so this is a good time to clean them.
If you have a manual vehicle remove the plastic center console around the gear and transfer levers, and undo the bolts holding them in place. For Automatic vehicles you can adjust the shifter after the lift blocks have been installed.
Disconnect any wiring and remove the front bumper and remove the radiator fan shroud. The radiator fan shroud needs to be moved / remounted as it is mounted to the body and will stop the fan from operating after the lift.
Loosen the 3 splined joints on the steering shaft. One is located above the foot pedals inside the cab, the other two are in the engine bay. The joint between the steering box and steering shaft is where you need to install the machined steering extension. You can remove the bolt from this joint completely before lifting the body.
Step 3: Loosen the body-mount bolts
Start unbolting the factory body bolts. It is easiest if you have someone holding a spanner on top while you go round loosening them from the bottom. Only remove the body bolts from the side you are going to lift first, loosen the opposite side but don’t remove those bolts completely – this is so the body stays aligned with the holes and doesn’t slip off its mounts when lifted.
Step 4: Lift the body
Using suitable equipment, raise one side of the body slowly. Only lift the body enough to fit the spacers supplied in the kit. The supplied spacers go between the body and the body bushes.
Lift the body slow and Inspect everything running between the body, chassis and engine. Only jack the body up high enough to slip the body block in between the chassis and cabbin – No more than that is needed.
Check engine bay and underneath the vehicle for any wiring, earth straps, battery cables, brake pipes, hoses, fuel filler and breather hoses that can get pinched or pulled during the lift. Quite often on the 2nd Gen Surf the vacuum line located on the passengers side behind the radiator that runs to the brake booster is too short and may need to be replaced.
Usually there is not a lot that needs done with these Surfs or 4Runners and mostly everything can be adjusted to suit. But you still need to check and take care. If the body resists, tilts unexpectedly or pulls a component tight, stop and find the cause. Do not use extra lifting force to overcome an obstruction.
Step 5: Install the lift blocks
Fit each spacer in between the body and the existing body mount assembly. Keep the factory bushes in place.
Install the correct longer bolts at each position. Reuse the factory washers and retain their original orientation. To remove the factory washers from the original bolt heads, the best way to do this is to find a deep socket that can fit over the bolt head and then hit the back of the socket with a hammer or mallet. The washers should pop off the factory bolt heads. Re-use all these washers in the positions they came from with the new bolts supplied with the body lift kit.
Lower the body carefully onto the spacers, checking that everything seats squarely. Start the nuts by hand and leave the fasteners loose enough to allow alignment while completing the other side.
Step 6: Repeat on the opposite side and align the body
Repeat the lifting and spacer installation process on the other side. Keep the installed side loosely secured while doing so.
Once all spacers are fitted, check that the body sits evenly on the chassis and every spacer, bush and washer is correctly seated. Tighten the body mount hardware.
Step 5: Install the steering shaft extension
If you have purchased the steering shaft extension with the kit, the image below is where you need to install it. This is where it is designed to fit, it should not be fitted anywhere else on the vehicle. Once this is installed tighten all the joints loosened during the body lift lift.
Step 6: Check gear selection
For manual vehicles, check both gear and transfer-case levers. Occasionally the sound deadening around the shifter entries into the cab can obstruct the shifters full range of motion - trim this as required to get free movement of the selectors. If this issue still persists, it might be necessary to file down a few millimeters off the body to stop the gear sticks fouling.
For an automatic vehicle, check that the selector positions correspond correctly with the transmission, D still selects drive etc. Verify Park, the start-inhibit function and reverse-light operation. Sometimes the selection can be slightly off, if so - you can adjust the shift linkage from underneath the vehicle. These is lots of room to do so now as you've got the body lift installed.
If there is any obstruction with Manual or Automatic vehicles, do not force a lever into gear. Identify what is restricting movement.
Step 7: Refit things you removed and complete finial checks
Refit the radiator/shroud components and any other parts you have removed for the lift. Check fan clearance, hoses and wiring before starting the engine. Refit the bumper using the appropriate brackets, then replace the body mount access covers, carpet, trims and console surrounds.
Before driving, confirm:
- All body mount and steering fasteners are tightened.
- Spacers, bushes and washers are seated correctly.
- Steering operates correctly without binding or abnormal free play.
- Gearbox and transfer-case selection are correct.
- No hoses, pipes, wiring or earth straps are stretched, trapped or rubbing.
- The fan, radiator and shroud have adequate clearance.
- Bumpers and any brackets are secure.
Reconnect the battery once the installation checks are complete. Carry out controlled stationary operational checks, followed by a cautious test in a suitable area once the vehicle is safe to be driven. Stop immediately if steering, shifting, noise or vibration is abnormal.
Recheck the installation and fasteners. Confirm any road-use inspection or certification requirements that apply where the vehicle will be used.
Need help with your installation?
If you are unsure about a fitting detail, contact Flatout Offroad before continuing.
Have a useful fitting tip or a clear installation photo? Send it through so we can keep improving this guide for future customers.