Lower Control Arm (Cam/Tab?) Bent - Can I Heat Up and Reshape/Weld for Repair to Assist Alignment?

I'll be doing some maintenance in April when I'm free which includes replacing the LCA bushings and ball joint, so I'll have them out. Upon inspection, there is one tab that is bent out of shape.

Before entertaining something like the TC cam gusset replacements - I'm wondering if I'd be able to (once the LCA's are out) heat up the tab, whack it back into a decent shape, and then have my buddy weld the outside of it to re-enforce it.

Is this something people would do?

 

You don't have to heat it up, they bend really easy. BUT, be ready with a/your welder and put a bead behind each tab. I had to do this on one of mine and went ahead and welded all of them. Just use a chisel or an old screw driver and a hammer.
Mine have been rock solid ever since and that was about 4 years ago. From what I've read on here, everyone who has done this has had good luck with the repair.

 

Good to hear..

My buddy will be doing the welding, but so I can get everything prepped for him, did you grind down the tab and frame section a little so the metal was bare? I assume it needs to be for welding but that's not my area so just confirming.. And then what paint did you cover it up with once finished? JW what the best tool for the job is for ripping a thin layer of the existing coating off prior to welding.

 

You could but I just welded right through the coating on the frame. When I was done, like a few days later, I just hit them with some Rust Oleum.

 

Or hit the areas with a wire brush to get the loose crap off.

 

Thanks! Figure if I have my buddy come out to weld one I might as well have him hit all of them while the LCAs are out. Just one more thing I don't want to have to worry about once everything gets bolted back up..

 

Agree with everything @winkel has posted.

I ended up doing the Marlin Crawler kit on mine, but for 3-4 years I just had the weld repair.

 

I tried to bend mine back into shape. Mangled them. Ended up cutting them off and went with the TC cam tabs. I would also consider the Dirt King cam tabs. Didn’t go that direction because TC were in stock.