Man, your bent shock brings back a memory:
when my dad and i first started R/c-ing, we started with electric cars. my dad's car was slightly faster than mine, but anyway i drove my car to the top of the hill where our street is and i started to come down. my dad is coming up. by some unknown forces of nature, the two cars were attracted to each other until a very freaky collision occured. After the collision, we each drove our cars down to where we were standing and check for damage. I had trouble getting the car down the hill in the first place. when i took my body off, i couldn't beleive it, my left front shock was bent almost completely in half and the lower rod end had come off the ball end.
To fix a bent shock, the only thing that needs fixing is the shaft. use pliers to bent it while the shaft is in a vise grip.
Hope the story was funny, and the tips helpful.