Kev, Thanks for the info on the video Chevy torque tube bushing removal and Oakie installation. I took that guy's idea and put it to the test and it worked. We pulled the Oakie bushing out today. The guy in the video used this to remove the old-style smaller bushing so I was concerned whether this would work with the Oakie bushing but thought I had nothing to lose. See attached pictures. I can't take credit for the welding as my welding skills are not good enough to attempt to weld so close to the torque tube. I do have a friend who can weld two dimes together and you would not see his bead on either side.
