So i decided to do an oil change on my 2009 fox float rl’s lowers but I can’t remove the lower legs. I’ve uncrewed the locknuts and removed the crush washers but i can’t seem to push the bolts into the lowers or pull the legs off them. Am I being an idiot? Do I just need to apply more beef?

apply a good amount of Welly with a mallet/soft faced hammer.

Put the nuts back on loosely and whack with a soft mallet. I don’t understand what this is meant to do but its in the instructions.

My nuts have been well and truly whacked to very little effect.

And the forks’ ?

Hold/support the leg whilst you tap the nut as I found, it being a suspension fork and all, it tends to absorb the tap.

I have always had the same problem, given up, and taken them to the shop. They wont tell me the secret.

Socket on and a hard, shapr tap does it for me. You’ll know when they the rods are out. You should be able to pull the lowers off then. Did you feel the rods come out of their position, press fitted in the lowers?

Nope, absolutely no movement in the rods whatsoever. I tried with a socket and hammer too.

i was surprised just how much welly it took on an old 36 pair. suppose its an interference fit with teh rods in the end of the legs

There is no secret buzz, other than to whack progressively harder until they loosen.

Excellent, I’ll fetch the big guns.

yeh, it surprised me how much it took to get the rods out of my Rebas but in comparision they came straight out on my 36s.

Use the right tools though. Its easy to deform the ends of the rods.

OK, oil replaced, how the hell do you tighten the nut on the damping side, it’s just spinning?

That isn’t normal. Mine ahve always jsut tightened up straight away no bother.

compress the fork might help

Compressing does help with getting it started but as soon as there’s any resistance the rod just starts to spin.

sounds like the thread is a bit damaged maybe

Does it spin on easily when the lowers were off?

If you can get the nut on a couple of turns can you pull it / lever it down a bit?

Put the lockout on, try to compress the fork (it wont compress with the lockout on, but it’ll help the push rod engage with the lowers) and screw the nut on at the same time.

None of the above has worked… might be a trip to the LBS with tail between legs for me.