PSA: Stop using a torch for seized seatposts, try liquid nitrogen instead

I used to spend 2 hours with a torch and penetrating oil trying to get a stuck aluminum seatpost out of a steel frame. Burns, smoke, and it still wouldnt budge half the time. Last month I tried a cheap liquid nitrogen kit from Amazon, about $45. You just spray it around the seatpost collar, wait 30 seconds, and tap it with a mallet. Came out on the first try without damaging the frame. Has anyone else found a weird method that works better than the standard approach?

3 comments

3 Comments

stellaperry26d ago

The liquid nitrogen kit from Amazon is probably just a can of freeze spray, not actual liquid nitrogen. Real liquid nitrogen is way colder and needs special handling. But yeah, that freeze spray trick works great for stuck seatposts, I've used it myself.

grays1326d ago

Yeah exactly, that "liquid nitrogen kit" stuff is just freeze spray, not the real deal. I've used both and the freeze spray is basically just a can of compressed gas that gets cold when you spray it, but it's not like -320 degrees or whatever real LN2 is. For a stuck seatpost though, that freeze spray is perfect because you can just spray it right on the joint and the metal contracts enough to break it loose. Just be careful not to freeze your hands, that stuff can give you a nasty cold burn if you hold the can too long or spray your skin directly.

hannah40025d ago

Buddy nearly frostbit his thumb doing this trick.