can you replace a step notch?

I bought my old Mazda back yesterday. The guy that had it had a one piece notch put in and the welds on the notch are broke. Is there any easy way the replace the notch with out doing a whole back half?

...cut it out?

What may work would be to weld some metal to the original frame, before and after the notch. Then cut out the notch and install a new one.

another problem would be the a new notch is the same size as the old one. What is it going to weld to?

can you put pics of it up so we can see the problem and give you more advice as if we see it we can get a better perspective on it.

^ good idea

be sure to support the frame in front of and behind the area to be cut out, as to prevent sagging.