When I first thought of installing a body lift, I started the long researching process.  I checked out the almost bottomless resources of outdoorwire and POR.  Generally, body lifts range from 1”-3”.  Above 3” the installer can run into interesting problems.  For my uses, I was stuck between 1” and 2”.  I wanted to install rock sliders and fit larger tires, so I needed some type of body lift.  To protect body panels from damage, I wanted rock sliders underneath.  I might as well lift the body and put the sliders where the body used to be, so as not to lose any clearance when putting the sliders on.  As far as tires, Toyota trucks have ample space in the wheel wells for tires up to 32”.  Many pickups similar to mine came stock with 31” tires (although mine came with P225/75/R15).  The reason to lift the body for tires is mainly to address rubbing issues. When the steering wheel is turned fully one direction, larger tires may rub on the fender wells.  In addition to lifting the body, minor modifications can be made to the fenders with hammers and saws.  My goals for the lift were now clear.  Through my research, I ran across Roger Brown’s website.  Based on his descriptions of 1” and 2” body lifts and talking with people with lifts, I settled on a 1” body lift. Very minor mods are needed at this stage with things getting more interesting the higher up you go.  U was a little concerned with center of gravity issues.  The higher up in the air the vehicle, the more prone it is to rolling.  I am conservative driver on the road, so rolling isn’t too much of a problem.  But off road, rolling can be a hazard.

    I ordered Roger Brown’s 1” Ultimate Lift Kit with the bumper brackets.  His directions were very clear and detailed.  All parts were included.  For obvious reasons, I will not go through each install step.  Here is the link to Roger Brown’s instructions.  In his instructions, Roger Brown starts off with lifting the cab.  I opted to lift the bed first, as I had no help at the time.  The bed is very light and I did not have any problems lifting it on my own.  I used my parent’s mvp 2 1/2 ton lift with 4x4 wood blocks to lift the bed and hold it in place.

    The cab is considerably heavier, and I waited until my Dad could assist me with the lift.  Very little mods are needed.  After the fact I loosened the steering shaft to relieve tension.  This should be done before the cab is lifted, especially if you go above 1”.

    I had to take off the valance and remove the 4 bolts holding the bumper on the frame.  The driver’s side break line was stretched a little, but was not severe enough to replace or lengthen.  When placing lift blocks, be sure that the body is supported securely.  The middle lift points at the front foot wells are very tight spaces, and fingers can be crushed if the cab were to move.

    On my truck, the bumper brackets were needed, since the bumper is attached to the sheet metal as well as the frame.  Brackets parallel to the bumper (attached to the bumper from underneath) can be loosed so the new brackets can be put in place.

    Roger Brown also makes a radiator lift bracket.  This was not needed for the 1” body lift.  Some people had to remove the plastic fan shroud that runs under the fan and is attached to the radiator.  This piece helps direct the airflow past the radiator, making cooling more efficient.  I checked the clearance, and the fan missed the shroud by ¼” or less.  When I turned the engine on, there was no noise coming from that area, so I assumed there was no rubbing.

    Some folks have shifter issues, but few at 1”.  The only thing I noticed was that the shifter boots seem a little tight at 4th and reverse position.  The shifters do not pop out of gear, so there shouldn’t be a problem.  I took the truck off road very briefly to test the 4low shifter position.  I do not believe there will be any conflicts when 4low is used extensively.  Remember to re-tighten the bolts as Roger’s instructions say, because they will most likely loosen.  My bed bolts were very loose after about 600 miles (yeah, I waited too long).

    I am quite happy with this body lift.  Roger Brown makes high quality custom parts and I would recommend his products highly to anyone.  Now that my body lift is complete, I can move on to other projects, such as rock sliders, custom bumpers, larger tires, headers…… the list goes on.