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Finally got that seized seatpost out after three days of trying
It was a steel frame road bike from the 80s, the post was aluminum and totally stuck. I tried the usual tricks like ammonia and a bench vise, but nothing moved. Ended up making a homemade slide hammer from an old axle and a big socket, and it popped free on the fifth hard pull. What's your last resort method for a really stuck post?
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avery_fox933mo ago
I remember reading an old framebuilder's blog where he swore by dry ice for aluminum posts in steel frames. You pack the post with dry ice to shrink it way down, then heat the frame with a torch just enough to expand it. He claimed it worked every time in under an hour. But honestly, that sounds risky with an 80s frame if the paint is in good shape, and you gotta be careful not to overheat the steel and warp anything. Your slide hammer idea is probably safer for most people since you can control the force better. I've also heard of folks using a mixture of ATF and acetone as a penetrating oil, letting it soak for a couple days before even trying. That homemade tool you made sounds pretty clever though, sometimes you just have to build your own solution when the usual tricks fail.
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