Originally Posted by
Moe Zhoost
I'm not sure what the straps on the Harbor Freight ones are, but mine is a woven low-stretch rubberized fiber strap. As it tightens, it grips the whole circumference allowing leverage without damage. Anyhow if your pliers haven't broken it loose, I doubt that a strap wrench would do much either.
How are you holding the fork while attempting to loosen the race? I'd advise clamping it at the fork crown because, with the amount of torque you might be applying, it would be very easy to bend the fork stays if you're just holding the fork with a mounted wheel.
I was holding the fork at the fork crown with one hand and trying to unscrew the thing with the pliers in my other hand. Which is quite akward and doesn't allow me to apply a lot of leverage. Clamping the fork crown should be a better approach indeed.