Trying to get the shock of my Orange Alpine. Have got both bolts and tubes out so the shock is free to move but it seems like its stuck on the swingarm end. IT just wont budge.

Do i need to do something to the shock before removal?

They can be tight as f*** and sometimes need some force, I use the rubber covered handle of a claw hammer to tap them in and out, i also pop something between the swing arm and seat tube so I don’t dent tube.

A gentle lever from behind the shock ought to do it- CC shock hardware is tighter than most (which is probably good)

as NW, think I used a plastic tyre laver to prize it out without marking anything. Mixture of tight CC tolerances and thick powdercoat, don’t think its anything more serious than that.

Still nothing. Tried a tyre lever and cant get it to budge.

Eat more pies.

Connect the shock back to the frame at the free end, then pull up on the frame/saddle while preventing the rear of the bike from lifting. This will pull it (at least partly) out. You may want to place something thin between the seat tube and swingarm to prevent it hitting and chipping the paint. They get stuck sometimes as the paint compresses causing the shock hardware to sit in a bit of a dip.