Hi Mowerfreak,
This was done by grinding the weld down that secured the axle to the bracket and then applying heat to the bracket and hammering the axle through the bracket. I made up a jig to hold the bracket secure while belting it with my heavy copper hammer, a press would be nice when I have room,
The new axle has a shoulder on it, meaning the the hole is a smaller size than the axle so I turned down the rod until I have a fraction bigger than the hole. Then I heat up the bracket and hammer in the new axle. The bracket expands slightly and the axle is hammered in, when the bracket cools it will grip the axle very tightly.
Finally a new weld is made securing the axle to the bracket.
