Ok so I've been working on my lsx swap and I swaped in a kmember from a 88rs I bought for parts that had sportlines in it and new struts upfront. I droped in my motor sunday 5.3 truck motor with all f-body boltons it has no transmission in it yet but it sits way too high in the front to the point where it looks like it has no motor still. Now the rear I swaped in a 3.73 geared 10 bolt with new shocks and the sport lines and I can tell some drop in the rear but not as much as it was in the rs I pulled it from. Could it be everything needs to settle still? Ill try to get some pictures of the car to show what I'm talking about.

 

I wouldn't worry about it until you get everything in the car and go for a short drive.

 

I just put the motor and trans in mine. its still way higher than it was when i removed it. I wouldnt worry about it.

 

the 5.3 is a aluminum block no? so thats a large chunk of weight off the nose, not to mention the aluminum heads and composite intake.....

thats why its high with springs designed for a iron block iron head sbc.

rear may settle a little, but are you using the upper isolators? was the car you pulled the springs from using them? they make about a 3/4" height difference.

 

I thought mine were high at first too but it's deceiving, car not complete...bits missing here and there.

Last week I had it sitting outside w/ the gray one in front of it. Both have sportlines and considering the wheels on the gray ones are a little larger, the red one is sittingat about the same height. It was quite a bit higher at first and it will drop more w the hood, bumper and rear glass on.



i wouldn't worry about it, it'll settle.

 

5.3 is a cast block unless thier is some special one I dont know about!...I wouldnt worry until your all done. but you did seat the spring properly?

 

I believe the HHRs (and a couple other models) got an aluminum 5.3

 

The hhr and some extended cab or crew cab stucks had the aluminum 5.3 a guy at work has one in a crew cab pickup. My 5.3 came from a 01 silverado its a plane jane lm7 iron block aluminum heads composite intake. The rs was using the rear isolators and I never removed the springs from the k member when I swaped it over the reason I swaped it was because it had new brakes and springs and struts and was less headache just to change k members. The guy I got It from had a stealthram 350 with 700r4 with stock 16in wheels and it sat low! Right now my car is still gutted no interior either so that is going against me. Ill attach a picture of what that camaro looked like and how it sat and ill post one of mine when I get home.

 

HHRs never got a v6 let alone a v8. You're thinking of the SSR. And quite a few extended wheelbase trailblazers and the Isuzu/Oldsmobile versions got eh Al block. I don't know what the colorado got?

 

whoops yup i didnt realize i said hhr thats whats happens after begin at work for 12hrs and 108deg inside the building all night :/.

anway here are a few pics of my car as of tonight it looks like crap and i need to put the lower gfx back on. it looks lower than it was a few days ago but i did notice the driver side tire leaked down (it has a roofing nail in it) i think im not gona worry too much more till after i get the transmission in the car and i can roll it out in the driveway and get some better shots.

 

Your right. I knew the R-part & just went bto typing instead of thinking. But it does mean the same thing in the end. That there is an aluminum 5.3 out there.

Between not having XXlbs of transmission in it & XXlbs of no interior, your worried that it sits too high? Get everything back in the car & THEN decide if the car sits too high or too low.

Then there is the whole issue of lowering the car back down to the ground from being jacked up. The way the front suspension swings in a bit of an arc, the tires will sit in a bit & hold the car up, until it rolls forward or backwards. Moving the car will allow the a-arms to set into position & the car will come down.