Toyota Hilux 1984 to 1998 Body Lift Installation Guide

This guide covers fitting a Flatout Offroad body lift kit to Toyota Hilux models manufactured between 1984 and 1998, including Single Cab, Extra Cab and Double Cab models.

Installation time: Allow approximately 4–10 hours with two people, depending on experience, vehicle condition and existing modifications.

These instructions are a guide only. If you are unsure about any part of the installation, we recommend using a qualified mechanic.

Before you start

Before beginning the installation, check that you have the correct body lift kit for your vehicle and that all required components are included.

You will need suitable sockets and spanners, a torque wrench, penetrating oil, a jack and appropriate lifting supports. Have a timber block available to distribute the lifting force and protect the cab.

I recommend spraying the body mounting bolts and steering shaft joints with penetrating oil before starting. These vehicles are getting old now and sized parts are common.

Important safety information:

• Never work underneath a cab or tray supported only by a jack. Use suitable rated supports.

• Keep your hands clear of the body mounts while raising or lowering the body.

• Lift the body slowly and check all connections throughout the process.

• Never force the body upwards if something is restricting movement.

• Check the condition of the factory body mount bushes and mounting points before fitting the lift blocks. Damaged or badly deteriorated components should be repaired or replaced before proceeding. We have complete body mount bushing kits for this model Hilux also.

Step 1: Park and secure the vehicle

Park the Hilux on a firm, level surface with enough space to work around both sides.

Apply the handbrake, place the transmission in gear or Park as appropriate, and chock the wheels to prevent the vehicle from moving.

Centre the steering wheel, turn off the ignition and disconnect the battery.

Step 2: Remove the front bumper

If your Hilux still has its factory front bumper fitted, remove it before beginning the body lift.

The original bumper is generally secured with six or eight bolts, depending on the model.

Before removing the bumper, disconnect the indicator wiring and any other electrical connections attached to it.

If your vehicle has an aftermarket bumper or bull bar, check whether it is attached to the chassis or body and whether it will interfere with the lift.

The bumper may require repositioning or modified mounting brackets after the body lift is complete.

Step 3: Prepare the steering shaft

The steering shaft needs to be checked and prepared before lifting the cab.

There are two splined connections to find:

• One near the steering box in the engine bay.

• One beneath the steering wheel inside the cab.

Loosen the clamping bolts at these connections as required to allow the steering shaft to extend or be separated during the lift.

Apply WD-40 or a similar penetrating lubricant to the splined sections to help free any corrosion and allow the shaft to slide smoothly. If you have purchased the steering extension with the kit - now is a good time to remove the bolt from the joint between the steering shaft and the steering box. 

Mark the original alignment of the steering shaft and joints before separating any components and secure the steering wheel in position.

Steering shaft extension:

The steering shaft extension if purchased with the body lift kit is installed at the lower steering shaft connection, between the steering box and steering shaft.

The extension can be fitted during the installation once the cab has been raised sufficiently to provide access.

Keep the steering wheel centered and secured while the shaft is disconnected. Do not allow the steering wheel to rotate.

Step 4: Check the radiator and fan shroud

Before lifting the body, inspect the clearance between the engine-driven fan and the radiator shroud.

Most Hilux models fitted with the 2.4L or 2.8L diesel engines may have sufficient clearance without modifying the fan shroud, but this still needs to be double checked.

Remember that the radiator and fan shroud are attached to the body, while the engine and fan remain attached to the chassis.

If clearance is likely to become an issue, remove the fan shroud before lifting the cab.

After installation, the radiator or shroud may need to be repositioned or modified to maintain adequate fan clearance.

Do not start the engine until the fan can rotate freely without contacting the shroud or radiator.

Step 5: Locate the cab mounting bolts

Locate all the factory cab mounting bolts before beginning the lift.

There are two front body mounts located behind the front bumper.

To access the remaining cab mounting bolts, you will need to remove some interior trim.

Start by removing the plastic door-sill trims that hold down the carpet or vinyl flooring.

Remove the plastic covers at the outer edges of the front footwells to access the front cab mounts.

You may also need to remove the plastic trim surrounding the lower seat-belt mounting areas.

On Double Cab models, the rear cab mounting bolts are located behind or beneath the rear seating area.

Access vary between Single Cab, Extra Cab and Double Cab models, so check that you have located every cab mount before proceeding.

Take care when removing the interior trim. Older plastic clips can become brittle and may break if forced and old carpet or vinyl is easy to tear.

Once the body mounting bolts have been located, remove the black plastic caps covering them.

Loosen all the cab mounting bolts, but leave them installed for now.

Step 6: Remove the gear and transfer lever boots

Inside the cab, remove the rubber boots and surrounding trim from the gearbox and transfer case levers.

This provides additional clearance around the levers while the cab is lifted.

Depending on your Hilux model, you may need to trim a little bit of material from the floor so the shift levers don't foul when changing gears.

Step 7: Check hoses, wiring and brake lines

Before lifting the cab, inspect the connections running between the body, engine and chassis.

Pay particular attention to:

• Metal brake lines and flexible brake hoses.

• Clutch hydraulic lines and hoses.

• Fuel lines and fuel filler connections.

• Electrical wiring and earth straps.

• Steering shaft connections.

• Handbrake cables.

• Engine bay hoses and brackets.

• Any aftermarket wiring or accessories.

Disconnect or release brackets where necessary to provide sufficient movement.

Clutch hose clearance:

One component to pay particular attention to is the clutch hydraulic line running between the body and bellhousing.

On some Hilux models, this hose may be too short to accommodate a 50mm body lift.

If the original hose does not have sufficient length, it must be replaced with a suitable extended hose before the vehicle is driven.

Check the brake lines where they go between the chassis and body. The original metal lines have coiled sections that allow movement, you need to check these don't get kinked or damaged during the lift.

If the lines cannot accommodate the lift safely, they will need to be professionally repositioned or replaced.

Step 8: Prepare the cab mounting bolts

Choose which side of the cab you want to lift first.

Remove all the body mounting bolts from that side only.

Leave the bolts on the opposite side loosely installed. This helps keep the cab centered on the chassis and reduces the risk of it shifting sideways during lifting.

Factory washers:

The original washers fitted beneath the factory body bolt heads need to be reused with the new longer bolts.

These washers are captive on the factory bolts.

An easy way to remove them is to secure the bolt in a vice, place a suitable deep socket over the bolt head and carefully tap the washer free.

Re-use these factory washers on the new bolts supplied with the kit.

Step 9: Lift the first side of the cab

Position a suitable jack beneath a structurally sound lifting point on the cab.

Use a timber block between the jack and body to distribute the lifting force and prevent damage.

Slowly raise the cab, lifting only enough to fit the new body lift blocks.

Have a second person watch the steering shaft, brake lines, clutch hose, wiring and all other connections while lifting.

Important: If you feel resistance or notice anything becoming tight, stop lifting immediately and investigate. Do not force the cab upwards.

Once there is sufficient clearance, install the new body lift blocks.

The blocks are fitted between the cab and the factory rubber body mount bushes, above the chassis mounting points.

The factory rubber bushes remain in place.

Fit the longer body mounting bolts supplied with the kit, using the required factory washers.

Install the nuts loosely, but do not fully tighten them yet.

Lower the cab carefully onto the lift blocks and confirm that everything is seated correctly.

Step 10: Lift the opposite side of the cab

Repeat the same procedure on the opposite side.

Remove the remaining factory body mounting bolts and carefully raise the cab just enough to install the new lift blocks.

Continue checking the steering shaft, brake lines, clutch hose, wiring and any other connections throughout the lift.

Fit the remaining lift blocks and longer bolts.

Once all the blocks are installed, lower the cab onto the mounts.

Check that each block is sitting squarely and the factory rubber bushes are correctly positioned.

Leave the mounting bolts loose until you have checked the cab alignment.

Step 11: Align and secure the cab

Once all the body lift blocks and bolts have been installed, check that the cab is positioned evenly on the chassis.

Make sure the blocks are properly seated and that the mounting bolts are not being forced through the holes at an angle.

Check that the cab remains correctly aligned with the chassis and that adequate clearance exists around the engine, steering components and surrounding brackets.

Tighten all cab mounting bolts so the cab is secure. Do not overtighten or crush the factory rubber body mount bushes.

Step 12: Install the steering shaft extension

Install the supplied steering shaft extension at the lower steering connection near the steering box.

Use the alignment marks made earlier to maintain the correct steering shaft orientation.

Check that the splined joints have adequate engagement and that all clamping bolts are correctly positioned and tightened.

Make sure the steering shaft has sufficient movement and does not bind or contact other components.

Before driving, check that the steering operates smoothly throughout its full range of movement.

Any steering binding, excessive play or insufficient spline engagement must be corrected before the vehicle is used.

Step 13: Check the gear and transfer case levers

With the cab now lifted, check the operation of the gearbox and transfer case levers.

Engage all the gears and make sure there is no contact on the floor or transmission tunnel. If there is, often filing off a few millimeters from the body is all that's needed to give clearance.

Once everything is operating correctly, refit the lever boots and interior trim.

Step 14: Lift the tray

The tray is lifted using the same basic process as the cab.

Start by locating all the factory tray mounting bolts.

Check the tail-light wiring, fuel filler hose and other connections between the tray and chassis to ensure they have enough length to accommodate the lift.

Loosen the bolts on one side of the tray and remove the bolts from the opposite side.

Using suitable lifting equipment and supports, carefully raise one side of the tray just enough to install the new lift blocks.

Fit the blocks and longer mounting bolts, leaving them loosely installed.

Lower the tray onto the blocks and repeat the process on the opposite side.

Front tray mounting bolts:

The two front tray mounting points use captive nuts on the chassis.

Use the fine-thread bolts supplied with the body lift kit for these mounting points. Do not force a bolt into a captive nut if the thread does not match.

Once all the blocks are installed, check that the tray is aligned correctly with the cab and chassis.

Tighten all the tray mounting bolts.

Check that the fuel filler hose, tail-light wiring and any other connections have sufficient clearance and are not under tension.

Step 15: Refit the bumper and interior trim

Refit the front bumper, making any necessary modifications to the mounting brackets to suit the additional body height.

Check that the bumper is securely mounted and that no brackets or fasteners interfere with the chassis, steering or suspension.

Reconnect the bumper indicator wiring and any other electrical connections removed earlier.

Refit the interior trims, door-sill covers, seat-belt trim and carpet or vinyl flooring.

Make sure the seat-belt mountings and any other safety-related fasteners disturbed during installation are correctly refitted and tightened.

Step 16: Complete the final checks

Before reconnecting the battery and starting the engine, thoroughly check everything that's been touched during the lift.

Make sure that:

• All cab and tray body mounting bolts are tightened.

• All body lift blocks are seated correctly.

• The factory rubber body mount bushes remain properly positioned.

• The steering shaft extension is correctly installed and secured.

• The steering operates freely without binding.

• Brake and clutch lines are not stretched, kinked or damaged.

• The radiator fan has adequate clearance from the shroud.

• All wiring, earth straps and hoses are properly connected and secured.

• The gearbox and transfer case can select all positions.

• The fuel filler hose and breather connections are secure.

• The bumper and tray are correctly aligned and securely mounted.

• All tools and loose components have been removed.

Reconnect the battery and start the engine.

Check for any unusual noises, fluid leaks or interference around the radiator fan, steering components and other areas affected by the lift.

Check that the brakes and clutch operate normally before moving the vehicle.

Do not drive if any steering, braking, mounting or clearance issue remains unresolved.

After installation

Once all checks have been completed and the vehicle is safe to drive, take it for a short, controlled test drive.

Pay attention to the steering, braking, clutch operation and any unusual noises or vibrations.

After the test drive, recheck the cab and tray mounting bolts, steering shaft extension fasteners and any components that were loosened or repositioned.

I also recommend inspecting your work again after the vehicle has covered some distance to make sure everything remains secure.

Important: Check the local vehicle modification and certification requirements before driving on public roads. In New Zealand, a body lift requires LVV certification.

Questions or feedback?

These instructions have been put together to help Flatout Offroad customers install their body lift kits as easily as possible.

If you have any questions about the installation or come across something that you think should be added to this guide, please get in touch.

We're always interested in hearing useful installation tips or receiving photos from customers. Your feedback helps us improve these instructions for future Hilux owners.