Originally Posted by
Jeff Neese
I may be wrong, but it looks like forged steel to me. Highly unlikely to bend, and any crash that does bend it is probably going to crack the stays (or at least the joint) anyway.
Looks like a Trek bonded aluminum frame and dropout to me. If the dropout breaks, the whole dropout would need to be replaced. It could be difficult sourcing a replacement, and also difficult cleanly removing the damaged dropout and bonding the replacement. If only the hanger breaks, a functional replacement could be cobbled up from claw-type hangers or a generic replacement hanger.