Found a trick for stuck bottom brackets using an old seatpost

Last month I was working on a 2005 Trek 5200 that had a bottom bracket that would NOT budge. I tried the regular bb tool with a breaker bar and almost stripped the splines. So I grabbed an old aluminum seatpost that was sitting in my scrap bin, cut it down to about 12 inches, and slid it over the handle of my bb wrench for extra leverage. It gave me just enough torque to crack that sucker loose without damaging anything. The best part is the seatpost has some flex so it absorbs the shock a bit instead of snapping your tool. I learned this trick from an old mechanic in Portland a few years back and it has saved me probably 5 times since then. Has anyone else rigged up a homemade cheater bar for seized parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowan_roberts495d ago

That seatpost trick is genius, I've been there with a stuck bottom bracket before and it's the worst feeling when you think you're about to strip the tool. I used a steel pipe from an old curtain rod once, but it was way too rigid and I ended up scratching the frame. The flex in that aluminum seatpost sounds way better for absorbing the shock. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for an old one at the co-op now.

sandrat245d ago

Yeah the curtain rod... I always thought steel was better but you changed my mind on that.