auto to 4speed

is the bushing weak? or does it matter?

i would think that the way the factories did this is stronger?

The factory acutally used a solid oilite bronze bushing, which is OK, but a needle roller bearing gives constant low friction support to the input shaft and does not get wallowed out over time. Using the torque converter hub as the seat for the bushing is a time proven method of handling your problem. In fact, Mopar Performance has some bushing/bearing combos available in their catalog for the same purpose.