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Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Long Island, NY
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Bikes: Trek 800 x 2, Schwinn Heavy Duti, Schwinn Traveler, Schwinn Le Tour Luxe, Schwinn Continental, Cannondale M400 and Lambert, Schwinn Super Sport
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This dropout is forged steel. Pretty strong stuff and the grain structure will be helping in this case. My guess is that it will bend back. Heat might help. Of course, if it were my frame, my thinking would be to give it a try. I'd use heat and then touch up paint. If you ride the bike enough the color mismatch won't be so obvious.
The worst that could happen is that it breaks or cracks around the adjustment screw. If it does, then you will have to get a new dropout brazed in our forget about the frame. I don't think that would happen.
I would also leave the screw in there when you are bending it.