Bringing an F100 Back from the Dead

Just curious, was there surface rust on the shaft where the oilite bushings were making contact with the shaft (or maybe a light coat of corrosion on the inside of the bushings)?
I can see where a lot of unexpected water could wash the oil out of the bushings, making them essentially dry after the water evaporated. A "crust" could develop inside of the bushing, making them tighter against the shaft. I believe I would have tried s****ping the bushings clean, then polish the shaft clean where the bushings and shaft meet, then add a zerk fitting to the cross shaft and pump grease (the same grease you use for tie rod ends) into the ***embled unit until the grease came out between the bushings and the shaft (grease under pressure can't be replaced by water easily).

Is this pivot piece at the floor, behind the wheel, or is it near the transmission? Maybe it needs to be protected from water spray with a covering? The water spray, not the engineering, could have been the reason the first set up failed as well.

 

Looks good, Mike, that oughta work good.