I was installing a receiver hitch and the bolt holes didn't quite line
up. The retailer advised me to check the alignment of the brackets that
bolt on to the frame and the passenger side bracket was bent in a
little. So with some effort I managed to bend it back mostly straight
and get the hitch installed. My question is would this minor bending
weaken the metal or the welded joints? It's a Draw-Tite hitch and I
think it's 1/4" plate steel brackets. How much can you bend something
like that without negatively affecting the structural properties?

TIA