Removing spring retaining nuts off BMW R75 forks

[Tim]

Holy crap these are tough. 36mm thin (i.e. hardly any surface to wrench on) and tighter than tight.

All the rubber mallet encouragement in the world on the 12" crescent wrench won't budge these.

Any thoughts? Presumably a 36mm impact socket / wrench combo would do the job, but hey, might as well pay someone if I'm going to drop that kind of money. Although perhaps I could purchase and return the impact wrench.... hmm..... just need a big honkin' 36mm socket.

I know they're not supposed to be this tight. The manuals blithely say 'remove the nut'. Sure. These things have been on for 32 years. Looks like fresh fork oil in there though. Might be ATF - was quite red.

 

[CanadaDan]

To put them on I bought the socket... for the removal I used a freaking long pipe wrench

 

[biker_mike]

How about the 36mm stamped steel closed end wrench that came in the stock tool kit(if you have it)? It's not real beefy,kind of thin actually. It goes over the nut real snug . Myself, I would try rapping on the wrench with a steel hammer..maybe with a hardwood
buffer in between ;D

And then there is always the application of heat...

 

[Tim]

Damn, wouldn't you know I do have the tool kit and didn't think to look in it for the wrench.

I'll give it a try, but will likely get the socket and give it a shot.