When good plans go bad.

I have encountered a problem.

The distance the wheel needs to move is shorter than the distance between the wheel brackets (1 stinkin inch). So I can not cut off the bar as planned. I will have to either cut off the bracket or shorten (read splice) the soild bar. If I cut the bracket I will have slop to deal with going back on the bar and have to figure a way to plate it. Not that hard but quite a bit more work. The bar carries the weight of the machine and is about 2" round. The pipe I have for a splice is 2" ID 1/8 inch thick (2,1/4" OD). Anything over 6" on the splice and I can not weld the soild bar before sliding the sleeve over it.

Question is -

Would a splice in the soild bar be as strong as the solid bar? I was told that a pipe of equal dia is as strong as a soild bar (twisting wise).

My first choice would be to over sleeve the joint. Second choice would be to center punch each piece, drill and tap for a stud to draw together, hold place with bolt or stud and bevel back 1" and down almost to the stud, rejoin pipe with stud, root weld with 6010 DC or 6011 AC and then weld with 7018 DC chipping and wire bruching between each pass. Depending on the properties of the base metal I'd probably air cool. If you need wear hardness could always cool in chilled oil or top with a hard surfacing rod.