this has never happened to me before…

i’ve undone the lower leg bolts a couple of turns, i’ve given the right-leg-bolt a gentle tap, and un-stuck the damper shaft.

but the left-leg-bolt/u-turn shaft is refusing to budge, even after sustained-heavy-battering.

anything obvious i’m missing?

(Domains btw)

ta!

Phhh. Sounds like you know your stuff to be fair. Try undoing the bolt a bit further before you hit it. About half way is about right. Bigger/different hammer? Try a wood mallet and a metal hammer…..

i give up. i’ve been belting it very very hard, with a 4lb lump hammer, for about half an hour.

it’s not shifting, at all.

man-fail.

🙁

Totally sure you’re unscrewing it enough? I’ve found a smaller hammer used quicker is better than a large hammer used hard, if you get me.

Bolting it up all tight, then undoing it / hammering again sometimes helps. Other than that, foot on the crown and pull on the brace / hammer / rinse, wash, repeat. It’ll come off 🙂

Don’t pull hard on it! You might mangle the guts.
I’d make sure that the nut is flush with the end of the rod, and keep going at it with a nylon hammer, or a lump of plastic and what you’re using. Put a little tension on them by sticking your foot between crown and brace with the steerer on the floor. I’m not responsible for your bruised feet though!

I’ve had this before: the fork just absorbs the shock from hitting the nut so logically you want to stop the lowers moving so that when you hit the nut, the lowers stay where they are and the nut/rod moves down releasing itself from the lowers. I’d be very cautious of bracing the lowers using the fork brace though as it is not designed for this..

heat. Hot air gun on the fork lower bottom. its a taper fitting IIRC. expand it and it will release. even boiling water will help

Usually put my foot under the brace (bike upside down) to stop the fork compressing, a metal drift (such as a socket extension bar) on the nut/bolt, and a decent crack with a proper hammer normally seperates the joint easily.

You can use a belt or webbin luggage strap to compress the fork too

are you sure it isn’t just bouncing off the nut on the air valve shaft thread? i’ve done that before, been hitting it with the hammer when all the time it was free and should have just taken the nut off and pulled the lowers off. derp.

Have you let the air out? (had to ask, sorry!)

When you’ve undone the nut so the face is level with the end of stud, use a 6 sided socket placed on the nut to hit with the hammer, you shouldn’t need a lump hammer for this.

thanks all.

bike upside down, my foot on the crown (as per your suggestion coatsey), pulling up on one leg, and a gentle tap had it free.

bloody bikes.