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Seat post slipping & creaking

echowitchechowitch Posts: 196
edited April 2013 in MTB workshop & tech
My seat post has started to slip I've noticed. It will gradually drop about an inch to two inches over time. I am having to tighten it more and more to get it to hold but then the entire seat post is near impossible to tighten and creaks like buggery.

Time for a new QR or seatpost or is it (hopefully) something fixable ?

Posts

  • Chunkers1980Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Bit of grease on the cam?
  • echowitchechowitch Posts: 196
    I cleaned it off yesterday because I checked it and there was a fair bit of gunk and dust which I thought might have stopped it from getting a good grip.
  • echowitchechowitch Posts: 196
    New seatpost clamp on its way. Hopefully that will fix it. If not, then I will need a new seatpost. The clamp is the cheaper of the two options
  • Dirty-BoyDirty-Boy Posts: 47
    Don't know if anyone can confirm if it works but using carbon seatpost assembly paste might solve the issue, it has a gritty consistency that helps grip the seatpost to the frame. Your local bike shop should be able to help you.
  • cooldadcooldad Posts: 32,599
    Shouldn't be needed. I grease my post and it doesn't move. Main culprit, as Chunkers said, is the clamp. Cleaning them up, or replacing as the bushing wears, lets you use less force on the lever to get more clamping force.
    Best ones have nice long levers.
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  • batmobatmo Posts: 277
    echowitch wrote:
    ...the entire seat post is near impossible to tighten and creaks like buggery.
    Time for a new QR or seatpost or is it (hopefully) something fixable ?
    I had a very similar problem (although I've not tried buggery so I don't know what that creaks like!)
    The solution was threefold: Take out seatpost, clean and apply light smear of grease. Replace clamp with a new one which fitted better than the original part. Re-fit seat pin with a section of old inner-tube on it which is stretched over the clamp when tightened to keep the dirt out.
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  • The RookieThe Rookie Posts: 27,810
    Are you aligning the seat tube slot with the gap in the clamp (less good) or are they are 180 degrees (better) apart?
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • phal44phal44 Posts: 240
    I had trouble with my first QR clamp not managing to hold up my weight lol :) I bought a Hope QR collar and that held me up quite nicely! It seemed to have a bit more force applied around the seat tube.

    My new bike came with a Bontrager one which also seems to hold me up alright.
  • bennett_346bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Also had a guff stock one and replaced it with a hope one here. The stock one simply didnt tighten enough even with grease on the cam, but the hope one works fine one handed and dry.

    Bear in mind the hope clamp was a fiver in halfords so this may have influenced my choice ;)
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