Originally Posted by
pkpyro
I was thinking of just hammering it back into place or getting a similar bolt from Home Depot.
Problem: The brake arms are bent, too.
Problem x2: The back brake was internally damaged and fell apart on me.
Solution?!: I can try to hammer the bolt back, take the undamged parts of both brakes and put them together in a Frakenstein front brake lever. Any reasons not to do this?
Work hardening will occur when you bend things back into shape; this creates stress risers that can lead to component failure when put under stress. Brakes are important for safety. The last thing you want to happen is have the mounting bolt or caliper arm fail during a panic stop.