TOPIC:

can someone tell me how to get the bottom end of the forks apart using tools that the average guy has in the garage. Book says to use front fork cylinder holder /adapter. to keep it from spinning of course I do not have that tool.

You will first need to determine if your fork cylinders have the hexagonal depression or just a round, smooth hole. If they have just a round hole you can make a tool like the one I made (see kzrider.com/forum/21-tools/318027-budget...linder-holder#318027 ) or buy a tool such as the one shown in the center of the first row of pictures in the following link: www.racetech.com/page/id/70 Some folks have had luck using a whittled down broomstick and jamming it in the hole.

If your fork cylinders have the hexagonal depression you can make a tool by welding the appropriate size bolt to a metal rod so the hex head of the bolt can engage the hex depression in the fork cylinder. Ed

A good impact will take them apart.

Like Plummen said, but the fork has to be together,
in other words drain fork oil from small screw towards the bottom of fork leg, do not remove top cap or spring
then wrap the top fork tube with rags, or an old innertube or piece of rubber, & clamp it in a vise ,just tight enough to keep it from turning, while you use impact wrench on the bottom, of the bottom tube square 3/8 or 1/2 inch screw on the bottom fork leg
Pete

If you don't have an impact driver, whittling a broom stick to a long squared point has worked well for me many times. Remove the oil, spray a lot of brake cleaner down the tube to try and remove oil from the damper to give the broomstick more friction to bite. Then gently tap the broomstick in. Works every time.

With the fork together in a vise try hitting the handle of your wrench with a hammer. It's the shock that dislodges it.

With the new generation of cordless impact wrenches available, I'd say it's a tool the average guy should have in his garage. They may not have the torque of a big air impact wrench, but they'll get the job done 99% of the time for less than $75.00. I've rebuilt at least 20 sets of forks, and an impact wrench has worked every time. Just break it loose with the forks assembled and still on the bike. The spring pressure helps keep the internals from spinning and the bike's triple clamps are the best vice you'll find.

MDZ1rider wrote: ....... I've rebuilt at least 20 sets of forks, and an impact wrench has worked every time. Just break it loose with the forks assembled and still on the bike. The spring pressure helps keep the internals from spinning and the bike's triple clamps are the best vice you'll find. .......

You were very lucky! Mine would not break free even though I used a good impact wrench and left the fork springs in. The only way I got one of mine loose was to use the tool I show in the posting above along with the impact wrench. The other one just spun no matter what I did. I ended up having my wife hold the fork cylinder from spinning using my home made tool while I drilled the head off the allen bolt from below. Even that was difficult as the allen bolt seemed to "work harden" from the drilling, but I managed to drill the head off of it. Maybe the factory put an extra heavy dose of loctite on mine? The good news is that the tool made it easy to torque the allen bolts to spec when I re-assembly the forks. Ed