A retaining wall jumped up and hit my passenger side bumper, pushing it back one inch (pic). I think what happened structurally is the "Outer Brace - GM (15716714)" https://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-Bumper-Bracket-Brace-for-1998-2004-S10-Sonoma-Blazer-Passenger-RH-15716714/183283008448?epid=760615413&hash=item2aac84c3c0:g: nmcAAOSwBNtbKh3M:rk:7f:0#vi-ilComp
which is supposed to be bent (pic, driver side)) got straightened out in the impact. How hard would it be to bend this 1/4" brace back? I have a vice, a propane torch, a BFH and girly like strength.

As a corollary, would fixing the brace fix the problem, or is there likely something else that needs attending to?

 

Your brace is very likely your issue. You can certainly bend it back, but you'd probably have to take it on and off a few times to fit, and continue bending.

But at the end of the day, your time is worth more than 15 dollars. Buy the part, put it on and be done with it.. just my two cents

 

LOL, now that you say it that way...
GM# 15716714 looks like the right part but, the Xtreme is lower than the regular Blazer and I'm wondering if it might not fit.

 

bring the bent part to the store when picking it up and compare.

 

Salvage yard. Those things are cheap.

 

Bumper is back to position. I did order the new brace but it turned out to be unnecessary because the metal is actually only .12" thick and bends too easily. The bumper jusr rebends the brace. So I got a look up at the two right side bumper bolts and saw that they has been pushed all the way back in their adjustment slots, which were about 1" long. I was able to loosen the bottom one and with a pry bar lever the bumper's bolt to the forward end of the slot. Then I did the same thing to the upper bolt. Afterwards I ran an additional bolt up into the free space, just in case the bumper tried to backslide. Fixed!