This is a picture of a 1985 solid axle housing with a groove in the "ball" end of the housing where the birfield sits. is this bad? and will it affect performance and or damage the bobby longs im going to put in it? or will it damage any other component?

 

Wouldn't bother me a bit... No structural problems worth mentioning. Run it!!

 

Have you ever ran an axle housing with groves in that same spot or somewhere else????

 

Should be fine. The groves dont look very deep. Just weld on some knuckle gussets

 

I worked in a 4x4 shop for many moons(in Utah). I have been a technician for most of my life. I have seen alot of chewed up diff housings. All makes and models. From D30 to Rockwells. That little scratch that I see inside your knuckle is nothing to worry about. Like he^^ said, weld on some gussets if you're that worried about it. I can't really tell how deep they are, but they appear to be very slight, at least no oil can leak out....

And can someone point me to where I can find those knuckle gussets? I have seen the Marlin/Allpro crowd run them, but no one seems to supply them anymore......

 

http://www.trail-gear.com/creeper-gussets-1

Trail Gear gussets

 

I found some at Frontrange also... Thanks for the link!

It always seems that TG has stuff, but I can never find certain things I have heard they offered.