Edited December 16, 20205 yr by johnny_rotten_dab

How did you loosen it? Did you use an air impact gun? A suspension tuner I know showed me how he tightens it in cases when he doesn't have a rod holding tool. He uses the impact wrench just enough to get it to the point where it doesn't spin, and then does the final torque by hand. The key is to use very short bursts with the air gun to take advantage of the inertia. Do not simply hold the trigger, as that will indeed spin the internals round-and-round. It also helps to apply a pulling force to the internals while you're doing this.

Personally I don't like the air gun method. I usually try to figure out what the rod holding tool is supposed to look like at the end which engages the rod, and then I fabricate my own. Since I'm not a professional to whom time is money, I can take my time making this tool. Usually it is a matter of finding the proper size (usually large) bolt or nut (depending on specific fork type), and welding it onto the end of a metal tube. So Johnny, since I haven't done my forks yet (but soon plan to) perhaps you can do me a great favor, since you've got the fork disassembled. What size/shape is the cartridge end where a holding tool would normally engage? BTW, do you have Paoli or Showa forks?

I filed down a long wood stick until the end fit the square hole inside the tube. Used this stick to keep it from turning while I tightened the outside bottum nut. Make sure the threads at the bottom are clean and lubed with a little light oil so it tightens easy.