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Catastrophic Seatpost Failure. How to remove carbon post stuck in the bike?

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Catastrophic Seatpost Failure. How to remove carbon post stuck in the bike?

Old 10-17-13, 08:15 AM
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Catastrophic Seatpost Failure. How to remove carbon post stuck in the bike?

I was on my cyclocross bike's second voyage and pop, the seatpost snapped around the collar. The post is carbon and stuck in a steel bike. I have a race this weekend so I was hoping somebody out there could provide me with some good tips on how to get at least a couple of inches exposed so I can rip it out with some clamps. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 10-17-13, 08:17 AM
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You need to fashion some kind of hook, so you can grab a bottom edge, and pull it up.
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Old 10-17-13, 08:20 AM
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I had to have one reamed out and whatever they could not get got pushed down and left in the bike.

In your case, I would try to use an old stem assembly and expand it in the seat tube a little and see if you can yank it up. Hopefully, it is not seized and will move easily.
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Old 10-17-13, 08:22 AM
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It's a brand new bike and post. This was the second ride so I am not worried about it being seized. It's a good tip to use an old stem but the post is only a 27.2 and I don't think it will fit in there.
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Old 10-17-13, 08:26 AM
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Somebody suggested a pain can opener...
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Old 10-17-13, 08:28 AM
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You could probably use a long steel rod with a hook on one end and one of these.
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Old 10-17-13, 08:30 AM
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I would get a dry wall toggle, the kind that has two metal wings that open up behind the dry wall, and a long piece of all thread rod that fits the toggle nut. Put the toggle on the end of the rod and push it down the hollow seat post and past the end until the "wings" open up against the walls of the seat post. Then pull it out. If its really in tight arrange a sliding weight of some sort on the rod with a couple of nuts and a fender washer at the top, and ram the weight up against the washer to knock it out (like a slap hammer is used to pop out a dent in a car, or the ignition switch if you are stealing the car .)

By the way, I hope you didn't suffer grievous injury when the post broke. That's a real scary failure.


What LexKing is showing above is the slap hammer I was talking about.

Last edited by Clawed; 10-17-13 at 08:35 AM. Reason: additional info
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Old 10-17-13, 08:37 AM
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Clawed, thanks for your concern. I was riding single track at a slow pace and I was in and out of the saddle. Initially I just thought the seat post tipped until I got off the bike and had one of those oh crap moments.
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Old 10-17-13, 08:49 AM
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Originally Posted by badbikemechanic
had one of those oh crap moments.
There is a joke there...
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Old 10-17-13, 08:50 AM
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Head to the hardware store store and buy a large wing toggle bolt, and a length of threaded rod to fit it. You might also want a few nuts to make a grip. Push the bolt down and the wings will expand behind the post and you'll be able to pull it up. You might need to bounce it up and down like a slide hammer.
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Old 10-17-13, 08:51 AM
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Go to your LBS and see if they can help? Assuming you bought from an LBS
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Old 10-17-13, 08:54 AM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
Head to the hardware store store and buy a large wing toggle bolt, and a length of threaded rod to fit it. You might also want a few nuts to make a grip. Push the bolt down and the wings will expand behind the post and you'll be able to pull it up. You might need to bounce it up and down like a slide hammer.
Was going to suggest almost the same thing, but +1 this instead.
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Old 10-17-13, 08:58 AM
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Will do. Thanks for the advice!
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Old 10-17-13, 11:40 AM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
Head to the hardware store store and buy a large wing toggle bolt, and a length of threaded rod to fit it. You might also want a few nuts to make a grip. Push the bolt down and the wings will expand behind the post and you'll be able to pull it up. You might need to bounce it up and down like a slide hammer.
Why does that sound familiar?
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Old 10-17-13, 11:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Clawed
Why does that sound familiar?
Sorry, I've been doing it this way for almost half a century. I started back when we routinely had to rescue steel pin type posts from the bottoms of seat tubes on Raleighs.

If I had seen your post I would have simply done a +1.
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Last edited by FBinNY; 10-17-13 at 11:47 AM.
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Old 10-17-13, 11:49 AM
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but the post is only a 27.2
the tube wall is thicker in CF posts .. so there is something to catch

got a hub sealed bearing puller sitting around your shop?
jam in a star fangled nut and use a bolt through a washer , as a puller

Wouldn't the Shop you just bought the bike from help? should be under warrantee .. parts .. a Year.

probably better to use a metal seat post , next..
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Old 10-17-13, 12:22 PM
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Don't do anything but bring it back under warranty!!
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Old 10-17-13, 12:36 PM
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Why would a busted seat post be a warranty item? Carbon post on any off road vehicle is really asking for splinters up the waazoo! You will replace with alloy, right?
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Old 10-17-13, 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by TiHabanero
Why would a busted seat post be a warranty item?
All parts on many new bikes are covered by warranty... including seatposts. There's usually some kind of disclaimer giving a manufacturer a potential out if the riding causing a break borders on abuse.

Also, if it snapped at the collar, it could be assembly issues on the part of the shop... which they should cover even if the manufacturer won't.

Sounds like ham-fisted mechanic tightened carbon seatpost without a torque wrench and way too much...
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Old 10-17-13, 04:28 PM
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The OP never mentioned that was a bike bought new this way, or one he put together himself, he just asked for help solving a specific problem.

So it's somewhat pointless to talk about warranty, or who's to blame. I'm sure that if this were a new bike a few weeks old, the OP could have figured out for himself that it would be under warranty. As for the possible cause, the fact that the post broke just above the clamp doesn't mean anything because that's where posts break.

Hopefully the OP got the stub out by now, and maybe he'll come back with more details, and possibly address the cause to avoid a repeat.
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Old 10-17-13, 04:58 PM
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carbon is also a participant in galvanic corrosion with steel isn't it , if put in Dry. and left there ?

I was given cautions of carbon fiber and 7000 series aluminums ,
because of the Zn content in the Aluminum alloy .. [ref. mr Calfee]
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Old 10-17-13, 09:44 PM
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FBinNY, that's brilliant. Why have I never seen that before? (rhetorical question)
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Old 10-17-13, 10:03 PM
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My first thought was a tapping a chisel to splinter the carbon fibre.
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Old 10-18-13, 07:40 AM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
The OP never mentioned that was a bike bought new this way, or one he put together himself, he just asked for help solving a specific problem.

So it's somewhat pointless to talk about warranty, or who's to blame. I'm sure that if this were a new bike a few weeks old, the OP could have figured out for himself that it would be under warranty. As for the possible cause, the fact that the post broke just above the clamp doesn't mean anything because that's where posts break.

Hopefully the OP got the stub out by now, and maybe he'll come back with more details, and possibly address the cause to avoid a repeat.
The bicycle is a brand new independent fabrication's planet x that I put together myself. In this case it's not under warranty for this particular problem, however I will be able to warranty the part. I just wanted advice on how to pull the post and I received some great answers. Since the bicycle is fairly expensive I have decided to take it to a local pro shop and pay them to do it. I was a little concerned that I would damage the internal tubes with the drywall bolt.
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Old 10-18-13, 08:30 AM
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Just thinking .. jumping on a carbon fiber seat post dozens of times an hour after jumping course barriers ..
what could possibly go wrong? guess this is always a possibility..
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