You do have to use axle stands or something in their place in order to remove the steering and suspension. Then you can just cut out the front beams under the bonnet, drop the engine+gearbox and pull it out of the front. That's what I'm gonna do. My Sierra is stood on 4 blocks of wood:
There will be enough clearance in the transmission tunnel for the stick. It's not that long after all, definitely shorter than the gearbox's ground clearance when on stands.