Is a strap wrench necessary or are there alternatives?

I fitted a Vorsprung Corset air sleeve to a Fox Float a while back and didn’t use one but can’t remember what I did instead.

Adjustable molegrips but with something in between like a load of innertube wrapped around?

Experienced opinions appreciated!

workstand will do it, mine is rubber and grippy on the insides, then a long screwdriver through the eyelet to unwind

Cheers Weeksy.

Love that Trek btw

Strap wrench helps, but not necessary. Can also use an old inner tube wrapped around the air can to same effect.

If you do decide to go for a strap wrench then I can recommend the Unior one.

https://uniortools.com/eng/product/1705-2DP-suspension-wrench-with-strap

Cheap silverline strap wrench is what I used when fitting my megneg. Nice and cheap. Also some plastic picks are worth getting for o-rings or the volume reducer.

Loosened Fox ones before by hand but couldn’t shift the RS sleeve. Bought a Baby Boa on Amazon for a fiver and it’s been perfect.
No way I’d be using molgrips no matter how much inner tube I’d wrapped around.

As chainbreaker suggested, wrap an old inner tube around the air sleeve and do it by hand. Also, I find it eaqsier to get it started while it’s still on the bike.

And… dont forget to let the air out first. I fotgot on a fork once. Never again!

Cheers all!

I had an absolute nightmare getting into mine. I had two strap wrenches side by side and after much swearing it finally broke loose. Squashed up the sticker and everything. No idea why it was so tight.

If you have a vice or workmate, put old inner tube around the air can (fold it in half first if you need a bit more thickness) then put the ends of the tube (not the can) through the vice jaws. A little downward tension so it’s all snug as you tighten it, though not enough to draw the shock into the jaws, and then use a large screwdriver / metal bar through the eye to unscrew it.

Course if it’s only “loosely” on you could probably leave it on the bike and do the same thing with inner tube and molgrips. But the jaws never go on the can.

Hand tight for Fox.
Strap wrench for Rockshox.