Ok, I’m trying to do an oil change on my Reba 29sl and adjust the travel to 100mm. I have followed the online guide to the point where the lowers are meant to slide off – let the air out, loosen the bolts, tap to release, drain the oil (not much of that) but when I try to separate the uppers and lowers they go so far and then stop with a bit of a clunk. Not sure whether to apply brute force at his point or not. Any suggestions?

Are the lowers sliding off further than he bottom of the normal travel? If not the rods that the foot bolts go into might not have released – try reinserting the bolts and tapping them again

as told give them some loving tapping with a rubber mallet, with the bolt on so you dont damage the threads, also try pulling it apart, go HULK style with a big roar!

as above. If you cant see any thread sticking out the bottom holes of the lowers, then a little persuasion with a rubber mallet on the arch to knock them off will prob do it.

They move beyond their normal travel – probably about 150mm of stanchion showing. I’ll poke the bolts through the lowers again and give em another whack.

If they are moving beyond the normal travel then its unlikely the rods are stuck

Do not hit them on the arch – you can crack it – its not designed for that.

Do not hit them on the arch

dont be so melodramatic. Its a tap with a rubber persuader. Its perfectly capable of taking that.

If the two threaded bolts are inside the lowers they should be able to pull apart, get someone to help Christmas cracker stylee

Should be bout 123ml oil in the drive side (pop loc) side upper leg, that’s the damping oil

Make certain that both the push rods have disconnected from the sliders.

If they have, pull harder and give them a bit of a wiggle as you do so.

The threaded bolts had moved out of the lowers, so I’ll try some force/wiggle type technique. Just concerned that only a few drops of oil have drained out.

You won’t see much on the newer FS forks. I think the semi bath oil in my 2011 revs is something like 3ml.

Not so much a bath as a smear.

dont be so melodramatic. Its a tap with a rubber persuader. Its perfectly capable of taking that.

I’m with TJ on this as a result of (bad) experience…do not hit them on the arch!

“as a result of (ham-fisted) experience”

FTFY

😛

…regardless, still wouldn’t recommend it. Plenty of ham-fistedness in the wonderful world of DIY bike maintenance

Stoner – no – its about doing things properly. Anytime yo u need to take the hammer to something you are being hamfisted and hitting the arch would be very bad practivce – its cast alloy thus brittle

🙄

whatever. Dr know-it-all.

I assume you have removed the bolts after tapping them with the mallet to break the shafts free of the lowers?

I imagine its just the foot of the stanchions binding just the tiniest amount when the meet the start of the bushing. A gentle tap down on the lowers or a firm wiggle and pull while someone else (or the stand) is holding the crown assembly will do it. The thing with the wiggle is to ensure as far as possible you are pulling the lowers in line.

All sorted, thanks for the replies. A bit of a wiggle and some more force did it.