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mr48chev · 07-07-2020, 01:56 AM

Since you already have the 1/2 ton crossmember unbolted you should be able to unbolt the engine from the mounts, and lift it up and if needed make a bar that holds it up that sets across the lips of the fenders much the same way one does when you hold a transverse engine up to swap transmissions. Then drop the crossmember out and raise the 1/2 ton unit back up in place and bolt it in all cleaned, painted and ready to go.

Remember that if you swap A arms, spindles and springs you have to:
Take the spindles off.
unbolt the UPPer A arms.
Remove the springs
unbolt the lower A arms.

^^^^ Twice

Bolt the 1/2 lower A arms to the Crossmember
Bolt the upper A arms on
fight the springs back into place (easy for me, hard for some guys)
bolt the spindles back on,

A quick check of the upper control arm bolts will tell the story there.

You may want to replace all the bushings and ball joints in the 1/2 suspension and that makes the bolt and unbolt a moot point.

No photos but 20 years ago my son and I swapped front subframes under my wife's 76 Cad Seville by jacking the car up pretty high and blocking it up , using my gantry and chain hoist to hold the engine up. dropping the bent subframe out, sliding the good one in and raising it up and bolting it back together. It wasn't easy but we had it done in a weekend and my wife drove it to work on Monday.

07-07-2020, 01:56 AM	#11
mr48chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toppenish, WA Posts: 15,300	Re: 1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap? Since you already have the 1/2 ton crossmember unbolted you should be able to unbolt the engine from the mounts, and lift it up and if needed make a bar that holds it up that sets across the lips of the fenders much the same way one does when you hold a transverse engine up to swap transmissions. Then drop the crossmember out and raise the 1/2 ton unit back up in place and bolt it in all cleaned, painted and ready to go. Remember that if you swap A arms, spindles and springs you have to: Take the spindles off. unbolt the UPPer A arms. Remove the springs unbolt the lower A arms. ^^^^ Twice Bolt the 1/2 lower A arms to the Crossmember Bolt the upper A arms on fight the springs back into place (easy for me, hard for some guys) bolt the spindles back on, A quick check of the upper control arm bolts will tell the story there. You may want to replace all the bushings and ball joints in the 1/2 suspension and that makes the bolt and unbolt a moot point. No photos but 20 years ago my son and I swapped front subframes under my wife's 76 Cad Seville by jacking the car up pretty high and blocking it up , using my gantry and chain hoist to hold the engine up. dropping the bent subframe out, sliding the good one in and raising it up and bolting it back together. It wasn't easy but we had it done in a weekend and my wife drove it to work on Monday. __________________ Founding member of the too many projects, too little time and money club. My ongoing truck projects: 48 Chev 3100 that will run a 292 Six. 71 GMC 2500 that is getting a Cad 500 transplant. 77 C 30 dualie, 454, 4 speed with a 10 foot flatbed and hoist. It does the heavy work and hauls the projects around.