I'm trying to get the lowers off my Marxocchi 66 RV '07 forks: have poured the oil out and removed the springs so the only thing left to do is undo the bolts on the bottom and pull the legs off.

Unfortunately the whole cartridge inside turns when I try and turn the bolts (either of them). I guess they're a bit stuck on: I've tried putting the springs back in to push down on the internals but that hasn't worked.

There doesn't seem to be anything to get hold of in one leg at all to keep the internals still: it's a hollow tube as far as I can tell. There is a rebound thing on the other side I might be able to hold still with something.

Any ideas how I might get them off?

Thanks.

Pull the lowers away from the uppers while turning the bolt? Not too hard though, just put some tension on it.

You're supposed to use an impact wrench.

The usual method for removal without the proper tool is as you've tried; to loosen them while the fork is still assembled. You really need somebody to compress the fork – so that you get as much weight as possible into base of the carts – while you loosen the foot-nuts. It's also advisable to use a rubber/nylon headed mallet to deliver short, sharp taps to you wrench handle, to (somewhat) simulate the action of an impact wrench. Sometimes it'll work; sometimes it won't.

All that said, once the springs have been removed the uppers should just slide out of the lowers. At least they do an my '07 RC2X.

Thanks – I'll give that a go tonight.

Hoorah – it worked!

The only thing now is I've put it all back together the Rebound nob no longer turns. Anybody got any idea how that works? It seems to be a rod that goes through the right hand leg but when I do the nut up on the bottom of the leg it won't turn any more.

Thanks.

Would you describe how you reassembled?

The cartridges just slid out with the upper legs once the nuts were off the bottom. Then I remover the cartridges from the legs (there is a little cap that screws on to keep them attached).

I moved the spacer from under the negative (?) spring on the cartridges to the top of the fork to increase the travel from 160 to 180.

Then I put the cartridges back in and put the retainer cap back on them so they stay in place in the legs.

Then I put the legs back into the lowers and put the nuts back on the bottom to hold them in place.

The rebound nob screws into a rod that looks like it goes through (held on by a circlip) the nut that holds the rebound cartridge in place.

Not sure how the rebound works really: I had hoped that when I put it back without touching it it would just be the same!

I can provide pictures of the nob/outer rod outside tonight if that helps.

I think the damping rod might just have been over tightened – I'll try loosening that tonight (if I can face taking the forks apart again!).