Downsizing a hole...?

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Bought parts, didn't look to far into it. Ooops, my fault. Idiot!
The track bar Is a 1/2" hole, The mount is a 9/16". Is there a special step washer or spacer I can buy? How should I go about fixing this? What if I took the sleeve from the bushing, though isn't it important?

 

[wahlstrom1]

Take a piece of aluminum, clamp it flush behind each hole. Then weld the hole up and redrill the proper size smaller hole. The aluminum behind the hole will keep the inner surface smooth so that you won't have to grind the inside of the mount.

 

[Maverick]

Plate the outside of the bracket with some 3/16" and drill some 1/2" holes in it.

 

[kcm1582]

How bout welding some thick half inch washers in place on the outside.

 

[CJREX]

Could you drive out the 1/2" bushing and put a 9/16" in there?

That would seem easier than all the welding.

 

[martin]

If you make an alteration to the bracket the inner part needs to remain flush on the inside or the sleeve will not be in contact without unduely squashing the bushing or bending the bracket. Best way would be to change to a 9/16 sleeve in the bushing.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

A quick Google search lead me to this https://catalog.foothilloffroad.com/product_info.php?products_id=231
Do you think I'd be able to put a bigger sleeve in my bushing without ruining it?

I really like this idea. But I think I'd rather swap the sleeve, if I can, and have the bigger bolt in there.

Take a piece of aluminum, clamp it flush behind each hole. Then weld the hole up and redrill the proper size smaller hole. The aluminum behind the hole will keep the inner surface smooth so that you won't have to grind the inside of the mount.

 

[CJREX]

Swap the sleeve.

Here's how: Drive out the sleeve, get a couple of bolts, each progressively larger, and thread them into the urethane until you can drive in the larger sleeve.

If you start welding plates over the bracket you can introduce another failure point. Not to mention how it will look.

If you simply put in a larger sleeve, at the most you've messed up a bushing that can easily be replaced.

 

[AKBroncoII]

What I do when something like that happens. Take steel and hole saw maybe 1 1/4" piece from it. Drill half inch hole through 1/4" pilot hole from hole saw. Weld over larger hole. It's basicly a thick washer. This also works well on holes that have rusted out or have ovaled out.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Swap the sleeve.

Here's how: Drive out the sleeve, get a couple of bolts, each progressively larger, and thread them into the urethane until you can drive in the larger sleeve.

If you start welding plates over the bracket you can introduce another failure point. Not to mention how it will look.

If you simply put in a larger sleeve, at the most you've messed up a bushing that can easily be replaced.

Think I'll just swap out the sleeve, but wouldn't it be easier just to drill out the bushing...?

With welding plates or washers to the sides of the mount. Won't that create a 1/4" gap on either side of the sleeve... Sounds like another problem to me. Like Wahlstrom and Martin said, It's all gotta be flush on the inside. It's pointless to even have the sleeve if it doesn't contact the mount on both sides.

Besides I'm really starting to not like the idea of a 1/2" bolt. The radius arm suspension is a 3 link setup, and the threaded part of the radius arm is something like 3/4". Seems kinda 1/2 a$$ed to put weaker hardware on a third of the suspension. And on top of that the 1ton GM TREs, that will be pushing and pulling against it, are much bigger than 1/2". I'd much rather my wheel flop around than my axle come out from under my truck, if I had to pick one to break first.