Car subframe

I had a Hyundai Santa Fe come in on the hook the other day. front wheel fell off. I got to looking at it and noticed the engine cradle/sub frame was rotted out where the lower a arm mounts.

I talked to the customer and they don't want to mess with it. They offered it to me.

My question is... Can I suspend the motor and trans and remove the cradle? Or will I have to remove everything in one piece then swap the good parts (engine, trans, etc) from the bad frame to the good frame?

I know the suspension will have to be disconnected. But thinking about this there is very little hooked to the subframe. Probably 4 motor trans mounts, rack, lower a arms.

Anyone else done this or think that it'll work?

I've got a engine cradle meant for holding the motor. It's got a bar that goes from strut to strut and then a leg that comes forward to the radiator.

WE had a Taurus several years ago... transmission crapped out... took to a rebuilder.. He  took off the hood and had a bar that went from fender to fender and braced on top of the spring/ strut mounts... He  "hung" the motor off of that, then dropped the subframe and transmission out the bottom .............. something like that with a box beam between the fenders holding the motor up might work.

is the car worth all that work and expense? prolly be better to pull the good parts and sell them off

Yes it is possable the Chevy dust buster vans were very bad at the K cradle rusting out . You could hold the engine and transmission up with the support frame and swap out the K cradle. Still had to remove the struts but he A Arms came off with the cradle. The factory support structure set across the top of the shock towers and had a couple links that attached to the engine lifting points. I've swapped out a couple transmitions using a 6x6 with 6x6 blocks screwed to each end and a 1500 lb ratchet strap. It really needs to be fairly high off the ground. 3 ft high jack stands under the jacking points worked well. It can be done in one day. Air impact was the only power tool used.

Edited by Dakota Dave - 07 May 2020 at 3:27pm

Sounds like you got the "I can fix this!" gene.....it's a curse,let me tell ya.

I bought a Toyota for the grandson 4 or 5 years ago. His dad was in Afaganastan at the time. It had the same problem. Got a used subframe from California. Bolted it on and then spent hundreds of dollars attempting to keep that piece of crap running. Wiring harness shorted out and we junked it. Then I made the mistake of buying him a Honda. Again his dad was back in Afaganastan. Replaced the rear subframe on it. And then the NAPA store became his home away from home buying parts for that hunk of junk. Send it to the scrappers and don't look back.

Edited by HD6GTOM - 09 May 2020 at 7:27am

Junk it and never look back! ---save yourself a lot of liability.---fix and sell is signing your death warrant! ---it will come back to haunt you.