Hi Jesse, and welcome. All of the above are how I've just stripped my forks down on Sunday and will work. Musky's idea to buy new nuts can sort out another question before you ask it ,how to get them fitted again particularly if you have any sort of headlight cowl on the bike. Well no need for fancy special tools ,use one old nut has advised has the dismantler (keep for future use ) and the other cut/grind the edges so that it fits through the tapered hole ,drill an hole through centre ,buy a length of threaded stud from an hardware shop ,one nut above 2 below , screw into fork leg push the threaded stud up through yokes/cowl and a large socket which you p[lace on the top yoke ,a few washers on top of the socket run down another nut ,pull into taper and pull up fork leg with a spanner on the nut bingo tightnen bottom yoke pinchbolt , remove "customised tool" ,insert bright and shinny new one bingo jobs agood 'en !! took much longer to write than do ,I promise. Sorry yours is proving awkward but normally it's one of the easier jobs and I'm positive that with a bit of "persuasion" ie big hammer you'll get it done, best wishes BobH.