Hiya,
My venom I spars get stuck together all the time and are nigh impossible to get apart. I already broke one and I have 2 others that I can't get apart. Before I go trying non-brute-force methods, has anyone else had this problem and been able to resolve it?

I originally just tried a channel lock (i.e. pliers) on the two ferrules (the metal part) and tried pulling / twisting, but I slivered one of the fiberglass pieces. I ended up replacing the entire spar with an aluminum collapsible.

Thanks.

Try heating them or letting them soak in some coke. If you heat them you can loosen the epoxy and at least get one side off, clean out all the epoxy and used the siezed side as the fixed side.

The key is patience and channel locks/vice grips etc are likely (as you found) to damage or weken the spars when you try to take them down.

If you manage to get them apart, head to you local bike sho and ask them for Finish Line Anti-Seize. It will keep them from doing it again and it doesn't make a mess like grease does.

Keep working your zippers.

I think it is often the same conditions that jam them up. If your spars are sticking the zippers may be next ? I got an arc from Hawaii and had issues with both.

Brilliant! Thanks.

Incidentally, coke is illegal here in Colorado. Where the hell do YOU live? I have tons of non-greasy bike lube stuff (including maybe some finish line stuff). It didn't even occur to me to do that, but now it seems a no-brainer. Thanks!

Also BR, yes my zippers are pretty stuckish. That's what comes from buying kites from those crazy water people with all their corrosive air particles.