hi i just recently took my 2012  Ford escape 95k miles, to a garage up here in Johnstown Pa to get inspected. The owner calls me and says to fix my car i need a Front subframe, ball joints control arms, exhaust work (nee cat, muffler and tail pipe) i just had my it fixed from the cat back 2 years ago. anyways, I told him im coming down to get my car. ill pay uou fot the inspection pass/fail($31.75 not bad) but he wrote in the report a used subframe $700 for the part, control arms, $148., yadadyadayada!! anywho i jacked up in my garage and crawled under it to take a look i do see the passenger side of the subframe does have 2 decent sized holes. but the balljoints look good ill probably replace them since im going to be tearing it all apart to replace the subframe. But i told my dad i looked online for a brand new Aftermarket subframe for $348.99.. 

my question is, have you ever done one of these and how hard is it? thats question 1...., 2. Do you need to support the motor with a hoist of some kind(which i dont have) but i do have an old hoist that the previous owner of my house used to string up a whole beef to butcher, etc. so im sure it can hold the 1inch cable that they drilled holes and threaded through the rafters.  any insight you can share will be greatly appreciated.