1962 Bambi Axle Repair Question

[jeffsmattson]

I have removed the old axle from my Bambi. Because the mounting plate was welded to the axle first along the inside edge and then welded to the frame, I could not remove the axle without removing the mounting plate from the frame. I ground off the welds with a grinder. Of course it took me a lot of grinding to discover this "hidden weld". My question is, can I have the mounting plate welded to the axle and then BOLT the mounting plate through the frame? This would involve drilling holes through the U-frame. There is not much left of the belly pan in this area so access is not a problem. Could it be bolted on until I can get it to a shop to do the welds?

Thanks for you advice