doctorSpoc

I had an aluminum seatpost stuck in my a carbon frame. I managed to get it loose by puting it in a large wooden clamp attached to a table and twisting it free.

When I was looking up advice on how to get the seatpost loose I came accross advice that using lubricant to help loosen the post could damage the frame and actually make it harder to get out.

Question: Is there a grease that I can use that won't harm the frame and prevent the seatpost from getting stuck again? When i got the post out i saw that the aluminum had oxidized really badly since I had not put anything on the first time and i don't want to go though that again. When they say lubricant do they only mean things like WD-40 or does it also include grease??

already cracked 2 carbon posts (no, i didn't put any lube) so i'm a little weary of going the carbon route plus my dura ace post is as light as most carbon posts, has a great clamp and half the price.

T.

PanPanX

i dont know.. but maybe the posts just dont fit? or you have a funky frame?

Raiyn

Galavnic corrosion is actually increased in a Aluminum / CF bond (unexpectedly I might add as galvanic corrosion is much more commonly seen in disimilar metals situations) when exposed to seawater (which generally speaking is a much better electolyte that ordinary rain unless of course the pollution level is up in your neck of the woods or you're riding through city rain puddles) so obviously a barrier treatment is needed.

I'd suggest common Marine Bearing Grease.

doctorSpoc

sweat probably looks alot like sea water to an Al seatpost. i sweat alot and it runs down my sloping top tube and into the frame seatpost interface.

i put on some Phil Woods waterproof grease... but what i really want to know is, is the grease going to harm my frame?

T.

Surferbruce

i don't have a carbon bike but i recall reading about using only copper based grease on cf..?
anyone?

11.4

As Raiyn pointed out, carbon ain't inert. There's a potent reaction between aluminum and carbon, which is why early carbon frames with aluminum bottom bracket threads or headtube races tended to get noisy or downright loose. Salt only adds to the problem. Builders have figured out how to insulate aluminum lugs from carbon tubes, but it's not feasible for a seat post.

I'd recommend you go with a carbon seat post, first of all. After having problems with Campy and other carbon posts, I've been very happy with all the Easton posts I'm using.

Second, don't use a lubricant with a volatile solvent base. It can affect the resin in the seat tube carbon or can affect the adhesive used for the seat tube liner you find in some carbon frames. If I need to use a lubricant for an aluminum post, I like to use a teflon silicone grease made for lubricating o-rings and auto door seals. It is completely inert and impossible to wash out. It takes a lot of wiping to remove if you later want to switch to a carbon post. The Phil grease isn't inert, and copper-based lubes (anti-seize compounds) are good for a metal to metal interface but don't necessarily do anything for a direct carbon contact.

Third, always check your seat tube inner diameter and your seat post diameter with an accurate caliper. It's amazing how often one of them is off, and it happens even more with carbon.

doctorSpoc

thanks 11.4... a silicone grease makes all kinds of sense since it can't harm the frame...

maybe i will have another look at a carbon seatpost. i was using that USE alien post... what a peice of garbage! i broke 2 of them and i'm only 125-130 lbs. looks cool but it has the worse, most unusable clamp in the business... it's light, but maybe a little too light... saw they changed those 2 tiny little clamp screws with one larger one... maybe now it won't take 2hrs to adjust your seat ... you have to do it about 3 times since the postition changes as you tighten it up and you had to take great care since the clamp screws were so small they could get stripped if you twiched or something while tigtening... anyway i' not touching anything USE ever again... man... the engineer who designed that clamp needs to be taken out an shot... well that was a good venting session...

...Ritchey WCS carbon or 3ttt less look like good candidates with the campy asymetrical clamp maybe i will be ok.

T.

Raiyn

Don't grease the carbon one when you get it.

Bike_13

Also check out what you can get from TOKEN and FSA - my bet is they will be priced somewhat better, and TOKEN makes all of them anyway.

Raiyn

I can assure you they DON'T make these.
https://www.maxmcomponents.com/pages/seatposts.html