MTFCA Forum

Hello, I am in the beginning of doing a front end rework and when I got the axle off I noticed that the top of the “forks” the spindle goes into and rides on are severely dished on both sides. What is advised in this situation, I had thought of welding on excess material and then milling it to flat original dimensions, however I have no clue what is supposed to be done here or even if it’s a problem.
Regards,
Matt

Some have done what you’re talking about and others have machined or filed it flat then used a washer to make a shim. Still others have gotten a better axle. Shimming will work OK just make sure you get a good fit when you add new bushings.
And as always others will tell you it’s a farm fix and so on.
You could machine a completely new bushing and make up the worn difference of the axle and add that to your new bushing. Good luck.
More than one way to skin a cat as they say.

The flange on the replacement bushing might be thick enough to fill the gap after facing. Face the dish to make flat on the bushing sides (there was/is a tool for that). If the gap at the bottom is too large with spindle installed, install a brass thrust washer to fill the gap. Most of the wear is on the underside of the top, the axle sits on the spindle, which can leave a gap at the bottom. Don't make the gap too small. When you tighten the spindle bolt and nut, you don't want to pinch it, can make for interesting steering!