Radius Arm Bushing Damage

[natenkiki2004]

Hello all. I got a wild hair and decided to do radius arm bushings on my 1994 parts truck. It's been thumping and popping since I got it and was hoping I'd avoid damage but it's already done. Time for a new bracket. My question is, what about damage to the radius arm itself? Is it a concern? Here's some pictures:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rziljj609k51qgz/2017-07-30 19.23.10.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3iwgd94mpr67ug9/2017-07-30 19.23.17.jpg?dl=0

Something to keep in mind, while this truck will likely be a parts & farm truck for a while, it's possible I might fix the transmission issues and go all in on making it a driver. That's why I'll replace the bracket but I'm not sure if the wear on the radius arm is enough of a safety concern.

 

[boominXplorer]

You might have a hell of a time getting the washer and bushing on it but it looks useable. I'd grind it round and give it a shot. It will be much better than nothing.

 

[Rhett]

You could try applying some metal filler on the worn area to build it up. I think as long as there is no metal-to-metal contact, that should work.

 

[natenkiki2004]

You might have a hell of a time getting the washer and bushing on it but it looks useable. I'd grind it round and give it a shot. It will be much better than nothing.

It's still round, there's just a bite taken out of it. The old bushings and washers slid off without issue.

I think I'll give it a go, it's still a farm truck for now and even if it accelerates wear of the bushing, they'll be easy to replace in the future once I'm done with these rivets. Plus, the bushing might harden before the wear becomes an issue since this is the passenger side right next to the cat. Looking at RockAuto, there are no 4x4 radius arms available.

 

[arco777]

I had one like that and built it up with metal filler, then sanded it round. Worked fine.

 

[natenkiki2004]

What is this metal filler you guys are talking about? Welding? Unfortunately I don't yet have access to a welder and I can't exactly drive it to my buddy's shop and with his bad knees, I don't know that he'd want to crawl around down there. I can braze but I think that's a bit too thick for my propane torch.

 

[arco777]

I used JB Stik. It is like JB weld but comes in a stick of putty you mush together to make it cure. Super useful stuff.

 

[Chirko]

Welding?

Yes, only welding. MIG-MAG or GTAW. The surface of the radius arm must be welded and sanded. If you remember, I was repairing my car so. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/seats-trailing-arm-repairs-on-the-spot.450463/

I can braze

Propane does not help. Only acetylene.