Seat post lubrication

dan1983

Here's the situation:

I take my seat post out regularly so i can fit the bike in the back of the car. This has been fine until recently. However, on the last few outings I have noticed the seat post slipping down. I think this was caused by the seat post clamp becoming too loose. So...

I tightened it up, but now I can't get the seat post back in, so I loosened it off again, but I STILL can't get the post in.

Silly question but is my (non-carbon) seat post supposed to be lubricated? And if so, what with?

Thanks in advance.

supersonic

Teflon grease works well. Don't need much, just a thin coating.

Check the top of the seat tube hasn't been damaged ie kinked a little.

nicklouse

reading this have you tightened the clamp without the post fitted?

Opps.

dan1983

yeah but then i loosened it off and still wont go in properly.

supersonic

You will have crushed the frame! You MUST never adjust the seat bolt with the seatpost out - it adjusts to the post being in there!

Hopefully it can be rescued by trying to lever the top of the tube out a bit.

dan1983

oh...

what just lever it out slightly with a screwdriver or similar?

supersonic

Look carefully around the top. The seattube has a little slot cut in which allows the tube to compress - it should be this that has deformed. Be very gentle, and cover the screwdriver with a cloth and try and lever the slot out a little. Then try and refit the post. I'd take it to a bike shop to be honest, play safe.

dan1983

I'll have a look but yeah probably better off taking it to someone who isn't a plonker like me. :oops:

Cheers.

nicklouse

dan1983 wrote:

oh...

what just lever it out slightly with a screwdriver or similar?

No. or the post will always be slipping.

it will need to be opened up with somthing round that will expand to the correct size.