There have been previous posts about not being able to remove the Springfield SpringLoc pedistals easily. After wrestling and cussing them for years, I found a solution for my boat. The reason they lock up is that the taper on the pole goes down slightly into the deck socket and acts like a wedge. I cut a spacer washer out of 1/8" nylon and dropped it down into the socket. It keeps the pole taper out of the hole and the post comes out easily every time.