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Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:33 am

Hi Folks, How do you go about removing middle seat bar ends on a 58 and earlier middle seat? Ive had a go at a couple of seats before but wonder if theres an easy (better) way than what Ive done to date. Please tell us how you did it.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:09 am

Take your time!!! I broke one, that just SUCKED!!! I think i would rather mess up the seat tube, then break the bar ends. get some penetrating oil and let it soak!!!

Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:11 am

soak it with some PB blaster, tap on the seat frame and try to wiggle the bar end gently. stick a pick into the hole where the screw goes in and try to use it like a drift. if the seat frame is nasty, maybe try heat on it. part of the problem is that there is upholstery jammed down in there.

rather than pulling on it straight up, try rotating in back and forth at first.

Fri Nov 06, 2009 5:28 am

Thanks Gibbs and Mikee Thats pretty much what Ive done to date. The pick idea is a good one. Its on my beautiful caramel seat so I hope I dont mess it up. Only doing it for some seams that need new stitching. Ill see how I go.

Cheers
Dale

Wed Dec 03, 2025 8:21 pm

I'm in the same boat - I've been working on these for 3 days, alternating heat, cold, and penetrating oils. Right now I have some reverse vice-grips on them, applying constant gentle pressure. I also drilled an extra hole in each side so I could get penetrating oil behind it.

Thu Dec 04, 2025 7:36 am

Cut a slice in the seat frame tube and spread it open. Then repair the seat tube. Steel is pretty easy to work with, and entirely covered by upholstery. Or you can break the aluminum trying to force it out. Aluminum is not easy to work with and totally visible.

Thu Dec 04, 2025 8:12 am

Lind wrote: Cut a slice in the seat frame tube and spread it open. Then repair the seat tube.

That is what i would also do. Easy to repair the metal tube. Not so much the aluminum.

Thu Dec 04, 2025 6:45 pm

Lind wrote: Cut a slice in the seat frame tube and spread it open.

Don't you guys mean, "squeeze it closed-er" ?

Fri Dec 05, 2025 9:29 am

matthew henricks wrote: Lind wrote: Cut a slice in the seat frame tube and spread it open. Then repair the seat tube.

That is what i would also do. Easy to repair the metal tube. Not so much the aluminum. Cut/splitting was the only way I was able to remove an ambulance step pedal shaft that was frozen. Even with an Ox/Act. torch it would not free up. You could weld it back up fairly easily I would think.

Try wrapping a wet rag around the aluminum grab bar and apply more heat.
Coloring the aluminum with a black Sharpie marker will let you know if you are getting too hot. The black will disappear when you get to the annealing, but before melting temperature.

I bet with a few more hot/cold water cycles it eventually comes out.

Fri Dec 05, 2025 9:32 am

The slicing trick worked - thanks

Fri Dec 05, 2025 10:46 am

BarryL wrote: Lind wrote: Cut a slice in the seat frame tube and spread it open.

Don't you guys mean, "squeeze it closed-er" ?
I was going to ask the same question until I realized from the pics that it goes inside the tube not over it.
:)