attach a pair of vice grips to the dropout, point it down, and heat the tube to within an inch of its life. the dropout will fall out eventually, they don't even have to get that hot. Getting mild steel dropouts hot doesn't really hurt them much.



I replaced some dropouts that I wanted to save, but I wanted to save the frame more. I reversed this process. The stays didn't need to get that hot before the dropout let loose. I pulled the chainstay side first, and then the seatstay. This is because the seat stays will bend the 1/2" they need to bend.