How / Who / What can bend this 3/8 inch plate steel bracket back to shape?

[Botabill]

Here are photos of a bent bracket that attaches the hydraulic augur to the dipper on my excavator. The o-ring that held the pin in through the bracket broke and one side of the bracket is bent. I've tried putting the one side of the bracket against an immovable object (a rock) and beat the bent bracket 6 pound sledge hammer. Great exercise but there was no movement. Does anyone have any suggestions? I considered heat but this may soften the metal to the point of making it too weak to do the job it was intended for. If anyone knows how to solve this challenge I think tractor by net members will. Thanks!

[kevinj]

Around here any welding or equipment shop can straighten that out.

[Soundguy]

i agree a machine / weld shop could do it.. however.. I think a 50t bottle jack and log chain will do it too...

I'd have few qualms about heating a broken part if I needed to.. it's already broke..

[Boostinjdm]

That's not a bend, just a little tweak. Heat and beat will fix it.
Or put in a spacer, heat it up, and use a big C-clamp.

[lsmurphy]

Machine shop here has a 100T press..........he'd charge me $20 and it would take him 10 minutes.

[tractorski]

Another excavator with a thumb, put a spacer between, and pinch it with a bucket and thumb

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[Soundguy]

what.. nobody owns a bottle jack anymore?

the stuff i've bent with a bottle jack and chain is pretty impressive.. including straightening bowed radius rods and trailer front frames..

[CobyRupert]

Chuck Norris could.

[Soundguy]

Chuck Norris could.

it'd bend for sure.. but the sweat from his hands and arms might disolve the metal first..

reminds me. I heard chuck was bit by a cobra a while back. after 3 days of pain, the cobra finally died..

[Baby Grand]

Get a good grip on the end of the bent "ear" with a pair of vice grips.
Heat the bend radius with a torch until dull cherry red.
Apply firm, controlled force on vice grip handle to straighten the ear.
If you can weld a pipe onto the top of the vice grip as a cheater, you'll gain some leverage and control.
Adjust where the torch is heating the bend as it starts to straighten, so you continue to unbend the parts that are still bent and don't bend the parts you just straightened.
Take your time.
Stop when it looks straight and allow it to cool slowly.
This is one of the most enjoyable jobs I know of.