My neighbor insisted on using a hammer for a stuck seatpost, but I'm glad I didn't listen

This older guy down the street, who fixes up old bikes in his garage, told me the only way to free a steel post in an aluminum frame was to whack it with a hammer and a block of wood. I had a customer's 2018 Trek with that exact problem last week. Instead, I soaked it in a penetrating oil for two full days, then used my bench vise and a proper seatpost clamp as a puller. It came out smooth with zero frame damage. His way would have probably dented the tube or worse. What's your go-to method for a really frozen seatpost?

3 comments

3 Comments

rubys806d ago

Good call on the penetrating oil. That hammer advice is a great way to ruin a frame. Had a similar one last month and a long pipe wrench with some liquid wrench did the trick after a couple days.

victorhill6d ago

Yeah, that waiting game is the worst part... had a lawnmower blade bolt that just would not budge. Ended up hitting it with PB Blaster every morning before work for like three days straight before it finally gave up with a loud crack.

milessmith6d ago

Seriously, a couple days? I've never had the patience for that. Did you just reapply the liquid wrench every so often and let it sit, or were you actually trying to turn it each day? I'm always worried about snapping something if I force it too early.