Originally Posted by Liquidfusion
to align the face of the dropout
Ok I see the need for that.
to bend the dropout back so that the space where the axle goes is the correct dimension for the axle nut to be tightened down against it.
Frame is steel - magnets don't fall off. Do I need to bring this to a frame builder to bend in the dropout? Can it be jury rigged well enough with the adapter claw?
Possibly when I changed gears, the rear derailleur wasn't fastened securely and therefore the adapter claw on the bike was not clamped down right. Maybe that's why it all jammed even though I was going slow on a flat surface road. There's alot happening when you change gears!!!
Steel is really the only frame material you could do these types of repairs on.
I'd take the bike into a bike shop and see if they can help you out with this. I think it's likely they can at least get it aligned for you, but I'm not sure what method would be best for bending the dropout back up so that it's shaped properly to accept the axle, adapter claw, and nut. If it were mine I'd probably take a hammer and a block of wood and see if I could bend it back into shape. And as for the alignment, I think you could use a large adjustable wrench to get it straight, but again, for a few bucks it might be worth it to let a bike shop do at least that part of it for you-