# How do you straighten bent seat clamp bolts?



## rustjunkie (Mar 27, 2015)

Seems at least 1/2 of these I come across are bent. This one's not so bad, but would like to straighten it. I've never found a good way to do it...any ideas?


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## scrubbinrims (Mar 27, 2015)

No I don't which is why I retain all hardware from junk prewar bikes, clean them, and toss in my parts cabinet.
I probably have near 30 of these from most manufacturers.
Chris


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## Jeff54 (Mar 27, 2015)

rustjunkie said:


> Seems at least 1/2 of these I come across are bent. This one's not so bad, but would like to straighten it. I've never found a good way to do it...any ideas?




Place unthreaded side in clamp. put nut on and smack that nut in the direction ya want it to go.

Or, put nut on, place the unit on flat metal surface, turn the bent side up and smack it with ballpeen hammer  at high point until straight.  this one always works fer me.

It ya wanna do best, heat it red hot first, smack it straight then quick to cold water or oil fer a temper.


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## rustjunkie (Mar 27, 2015)

Jeff54 said:


> Or, put nut on, place the unit on flat metal surface, turn the bent side up and smack it with ballpeen hammer  at high point until straight.




I've tried this, but the "button" side always ended up with a flat spot and/or bent in so it didn't sit flat against the rail. 
Did you have the same problem?


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## THE STIG (Mar 27, 2015)

put it back in 180º and tighten it


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## vincev (Mar 27, 2015)

Jeff54 said:


> Place unthreaded side in clamp. put nut on and smack that nut in the direction ya want it to go.
> 
> Or, put nut on, place the unit on flat metal surface, turn the bent side up and smack it with ballpeen hammer  at high point until straight.  this one always works fer me.
> 
> It ya wanna do best, heat it red hot first, smack it straight then quick to cold water or oil fer a temper.






Those are the methods I also use.


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## Jeff54 (Mar 27, 2015)

rustjunkie said:


> I've tried this, but the "button" side always ended up with a flat spot and/or bent in so it didn't sit flat against the rail.
> Did you have the same problem?






Otherwise, rather than setting it on the cap, put it on the inside edge at the square or below the cap on the edge of your vise, anvil, chunk of RR track, Garage floor, whatever. . . Because you've got that nut on protecting the threads, you'll still have enough space to straighten it.  The bolts that bend are soft metal, fairly malleable. If ya flattened the cap, stick it in vise, threads down and smack that cap to where it was.

BTW I can't recall ever pulling a bent seat post bolt out of a older 60's and below Schwinn. Of the many benefits; older Schwinn's used forged nuts and bolts whereas, almost everybody else did not. Haven't had any problems with the later up to early  80's bikes so and but, I spect they might because, Schwinn got cheap by then. Perhaps,, cause I don't have any interest in a beat to crap 70-80 Schwinn, it's why I haven't run across bent seat post bolt in that era. 

But I seen plenty in other cheaper manufactures. smack em around a little they'll go straight again. Albiet if rough times is ahead fer the bike it'll need that seat post cranked down soon enough and bend back. Metal is a crystalline substance, when ya bend it, the crystals don't bend they separate, unless ya temper it again and or forge it. .


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