Is it safe to cut this nub off my rear d60?

[koa's93ranger]

This nub held the bracket for the rear sway bar. Can it be cut off or will I have a huge gaping hole afterward?

On a side note...how's the cleanliness look? I'm frustrated that I've been wire wheeling for over an hr and degreasing for 2 hrs and it doesn't look brand new. Does this look clean enough for paint or is my OCD getting the best of me?

 

[stegomon]

is the nub in the way of welding something or of any thing really. is this going to be a show truck? for me i would leave it...and i would not paint....big wast of time if it is going to be under mud...but that is me. but if you have to paint it....looks good enuff

 

[koa's93ranger]

Nothing is going in its place but I wanted a nice clean bare axle. And there's no mud where I live, just rocks. And yes it will be at car shows since I enter it into sound comps

 

[wahlstrom1]

Knock it off, if there's a hole weld it up.....

 

[koa's93ranger]

So I can just hammer the crap out of it? It didn't look welded. How big is the hole going to be?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Cut it off and grind it smooth.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'm not familiar with the rear in question. That looks to be a vent? If there isn't another vent I wouldn't cut that out without providing some way for air expansion/contraction.
Waiting to be schooled

Richard