Front lower shock bracket damage

[LeoZelig]

Hi all,

While I have the engine out, I've decided to replace the front shocks.

The passenger side lower bracket is very wallowed out, allowing movement of the bolt at every bump. I think this explains a bit of a clang I heard when I would hit a bump, too. The driver side bracket looks perfect. I wonder what could have caused this...

It's clear that the PO had monkeyed with this before. The bracket was bolted to the chassis instead of being riveted, and they had used a couple washers not found on the driver side as well.

I'm trying to decide whether to take this to a welder for repair, or to replace it altogether.

Replacement is preferable, but finding one is the toughie. Sometimes they have bumps in my local Pull-a-Part, but they do not allow torches or motorized demolition tools. Without either of those, I don't know how I could get it off. There's not enough room to really do a hack-saw.

Repair is an option, too. Maybe have a shop sandwich some thick steel on the outside of both sides of the bracket, then re-drill it?

In either case, I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks!

[onetuford]

That looks exactly like the one that is on the radius arms from my donor truck which had the stamped steel radius arms. The shock mount on the forged arms appear to be identical. The only difference is the brackets on the forged units are riveted, the ones on the stamped arms are bolted. With some PB blaster and a wire brush those should unbolt. You could find the ones in the boneyard on a dent and should be able to unbolt them.

[LeoZelig]

Thanks for the time and advice onetuford.

Fordman pm'd me and we have a solution in the works.

[fordman]

yes i had a set from a dentside with the stamped radius arms on it. in these pictures you can see the original bolts that held them to the stamped radius arms. edit: i changed the picture.