How hard does it have to be to buy a 28mm socket or spanner? I only want to undo the top nut on my forks so that I can add a little oil to change the spring rate. Without having to resort to eBay, anyone know of somewhere in / around Windermere or Kendal?

Tried halfords? usually have a good range of single sockets / spanners and their tools are really pretty good

Big adjustable spanner from halfords/b&q/any tool shop

Musgroves in Windermere or Middletons in Kendal. Both are ‘old school’ hardware shops that will probably be able to sort you out.

Big adjustible from B&Q should do the job.

adjustable for undoing the top nut on your forks! animal. buy a decent 6 point socket and machine the chamfer off so you have maximum engagement on the nut.

Cromwell tools sell them,or they did when I bought mine

Had a similar problem last year and ended up buying this Hex Box Spanner for about £6 which made servicing forks so much easier than with a normal/adjustable spanner.

HTH

Yeah, Halfords will sell you a single socket in that size (I have one) – Ideal if you already have a 3/4″ ratchet driver. (If not, why not?!)

I bought a whole socket set for that very purpose, is that not the Singletrack way?

I bought a whole socket set for that very purpose, is that not the Singletrack way?

Did it cost more than the price of a fork service? 😀

Any decent tool supplier should be able to supply a single ring spanner> I bought a 32mm ring spanner, known as the “persuader” to remove freewheels as I wanted something that fitted snugly over the tool and was longer than an adjustable spanner for leverage.

As above, socket with the base radius ground off to give a proper square edge and full engagement on the shallow fork top nut.

2nd for Cromwell, fair amount of choice here 1/2″ all the way

More or less same size as 1 1/8th” – perhaps that would be easier to find. 😉

As above, socket with the base radius ground off to give a proper square edge and full engagement on the shallow fork top nut.

Yeah, that would be helpful, but not essential – at least for my Revs. It sometimes slips but is perfectly useable.

+1 for getting rid of the chamfer from the socket.

It’s very easy, nut and bolt through the socket to act as an arbor, spin it in a battery drill against a bench grinder wheel and you have the proper tool 🙂

I’m all for bigger is better but 3/4 drive for a fork top cap

As above halfords are normal good for single sockets

What difference does it make if its 3/4 or 1/2 …. 1/2 torque wrenches are muxh more common 🙂

ISTR an old spark plug socket I had did the top cap on my Fox forks.

I don’t know if you’re sorted but I have one of these in central Kendal if you want to borrow it?

36mm Park Adj Spanner

Drop us a line on email, i’m in most of the day on Sunday.

Look on ebay there is a seller that sells machined down 28mm beta sockets for thi very job.. If you use a spanner etc and round off the hex it’s a pita and looks terrible

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fox-Forx-BETA-6-sided-flat-Socket-for-32-34-36-40-Forks-/161148789170?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&var=&hash=item25853761b2

Amaizing folk think its the right tool if its painted blue. Its bike specific it must be right .

An adjustable spanner is not the right tool for anyjob.

£20 for a socket 😯

trail_rat – Member
Amaizing folk think its the right tool if its painted blue. Its bike specific it must be right .

An adjustable spanner is not the right tool for anyjob.

Oh i’m sorry your majesty, I’ll fix my shit while you carry around a tool cab full of snap on for every eventuality.

I’m going to use it as a hammer today, I hope that makes your piss boil. 😆

I was just trying to help the man out.

Cheaper at mojo
http://www.mojostore.co.uk/acatalog/Tools-1.html

I just use an aj though

He’s right though. Hammers are sometimes the right tool for a job. An adjustable is never the optimal tool – it’s a passable substitute for some jobs but not this one…

Of course it’s acceptable. Not ideal, but if you’re not a hamfisted oaf it won’t leave a mark.

Agree they’re never the perfect tool, but that’s not why they exist.

Yeah, Halfords will sell you a single socket in that size (I have one) – Ideal if you already have a 3/4″ ratchet driver. (If not, why not?!)

and IIRC theyre the best part of a tenner which is irksome when entire sets are £20. Got one from local Halfords FYI. Used an adjustable spanner once when I had no choice and I winced throughout, too much mechanical sympathy!

£20 for a socket!!! Nope £20 for the right socket. Or you could wreck the very shallow hex on the damper cartridge on your fork then have to spend more trying to sort it out.
There’s a reason people use decent tools, it’s because they do a decent job.

Or use an adjustable and make a mess:-)

When I was an apprentice if we were caught using a adjustable you were given a 10 count to start running then it was thrown at you as hard as possible!! There a right tool for every job so use it 👿

We can supply you a machined 6 sided 28mm socket for £10 plus postage 😉
and for anyone who suggested it DO NOT use adjustable spanners on forks, it makes a horrible mess of them 😆

Sorry but £20 for one socket is just stupid even if it is machined as LoCo has proved…..

Sorry but £20 for one socket is just stupid even if it is machined as LoCo has proved….wouldn’t use an adjustable for that job either.