# D bearing removal

**URL:** <https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103>\
**Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\
**Created:** [December 30, 2024, 11:22am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103 "2024-12-30T11:22:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Georgekouts](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/georgekouts/32/645027_2.png) [@Georgekouts](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Georgekouts)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 11:22am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/1 "2024-12-30T11:22:13Z")

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Hello.

I tried to remove my d size bearing with pliers yesterday. Seems like i pressed to hard and shattered the bearing to smithereens.

Sadly, the inner ring of the bearing that hugs the bearing seat stayed stuck.

It took me a good 30 minutes to remove it with my pliers.

After that, i noticed that I used a backup bearing and I noticed that I can remove my bearing with my bare hands. Is that normal? As you can see in the video the bearing cannot fall off by itself. I checked the bearing seat and there is no damage whatsoever.

The yoyo is still smooth, there is no strange noose or bearing when it spins.

I just cannot understand how I went from “impossible to remove” to being able to do it with my two fingers.

Video of the bearing coming off lile butter.

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/1/1/a/11a400820274a7b2d8e513388819609a4656a878.jpeg "30 Δεκεμβρίου 2024") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1G7kZovEmw)

Images of the bearing seats:

 ![1000005452](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/7/e/c/7eccde3a175c03ade94e196951691fcf75859df8.jpeg)  
 ![1000005451](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/8/8/6/88674f6a6fc83da0f87e93449962c15603258d67.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![hooty7734](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/hooty7734/32/348981_2.png) [@hooty7734](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/hooty7734)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 11:30am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/2 "2024-12-30T11:30:47Z")

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In the pics it looks like a clear finish on the yoyo, depending on material the bearing could have seized to the shaft.

Id say it’s normal depending on climate and dimensional tolerances between bearing and shaft.

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**Author:** ![Georgekouts](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/georgekouts/32/645027_2.png) [@Georgekouts](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Georgekouts)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 11:36am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/3 "2024-12-30T11:36:35Z")

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If I understand correctly you are talking about my previous bearing which was removed. This gave me the idea to try with my other spare one.

Bingo! It cannot be popped just like that. Probably the bearings fault. Inner race defect maybe?

Anyway, question answered.

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**Author:** ![Captrogers](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/captrogers/32/647012_2.png) [@Captrogers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Captrogers)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 11:40am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/4 "2024-12-30T11:40:22Z")

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Tolerances. Not every bearing has the same race tolerance. It’s why nsk have been known to gaul some yoyo posts .

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**Author:** ![Sven](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sven/32/604919_2.png) [@Sven](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sven)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/5 "2024-12-30T13:20:57Z")

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Another idea, that just came to me:

Would dry lubricant on a bearing post not improve that “stuck”-situation, without impeeding unresponsive play?

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**Author:** ![Georgekouts](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/georgekouts/32/645027_2.png) [@Georgekouts](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Georgekouts)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 1:23pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/6 "2024-12-30T13:23:23Z")

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That was not my problem to begin with. The inner part of my bearing stuck was the rest of the bearing was smashed to bits.

If you see my video you will notice that the new bearing I used was going in and out waaaay too easily.

After testing with another replacement bearing, it os pretty much locked in.

Thanks for your answer though.

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**Author:** ![Sven](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sven/32/604919_2.png) [@Sven](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sven)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 1:56pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/7 "2024-12-30T13:56:09Z")

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I am happy to, at least, try to help.

The application of pliers also seems sketchy to me. Bearings in general are not very forgiving to being squished. Would you have access to a remover/puller, which grips the inner-race? Like a tube will do.

I recently posted a topic about using a munitions casing to pull bearings (Which is also not more than a fancy tube). And that thing works so much nicer than it should. 😄

But I see, that access to munitions components is quite difficult in most places (As it should be, if you ask me).

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**Author:** ![Georgekouts](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/georgekouts/32/645027_2.png) [@Georgekouts](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Georgekouts)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 1:57pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/8 "2024-12-30T13:57:34Z")

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I have a c size removal tool. Sadly, the alchemik chaku uses a d bearing and those tools are nowhere to be found in Europe.

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**Author:** ![Sven](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sven/32/604919_2.png) [@Sven](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sven)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 2:05pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/9 "2024-12-30T14:05:39Z")

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I feel your pain. Good YoYo stores are a rare sight on the continent, as it seems.

What’s the inner dimension of a D bearing?

Maybe you could use a toolgrip for handtools, or a machanical graphite holder and jam the jaws open, inside the inner race, with an improvised wedge, so to get enough grip on the race to move it?

Or simpler: Take a wooden dowl and “turning” it down to a perfect fit, by rotating it in an a drill, while sanding it. If you are really handy, you could also try to bore out the dowl, to make way for the axle.

Or finding the shaft of a pen which fits.

Or other stupid ideas… 😄

Edit: Or making a tool out of antler, which can be worked as wood, while having better properties. If access to that is easier?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Georgekouts](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/georgekouts/32/645027_2.png) [@Georgekouts](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Georgekouts)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 2:13pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/10 "2024-12-30T14:13:37Z")

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You are talking to the wrong guy mate. I ain’t much of a handyman.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sven](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sven/32/604919_2.png) [@Sven](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sven)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/11 "2024-12-30T14:25:50Z")

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Looks like the inner race of a D bearing has a diameter of exactly 5mm. Is that right? So it should be faily straight forwart to get a tube. I think?

Dude: You could even use the housing from the rim-brakes of a bicycle, to do it.  
So if you have a bike, you have your puller too.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Georgekouts](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/georgekouts/32/645027_2.png) [@Georgekouts](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Georgekouts)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 2:43pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/12 "2024-12-30T14:43:30Z")

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Thanks for the tips.

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**Author:** ![hsb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/hsb/32/193274_2.png) [@hsb](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/hsb)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/13 "2024-12-30T19:31:37Z")

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The back end of an appropriately sized drill bit is a common suggestion for removing bearings without a dedicated tool.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sven](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sven/32/604919_2.png) [@Sven](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sven)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/14 "2024-12-30T19:40:20Z")

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True. For C-bearings this advice normally is useless for euro-player, because they are sized in imperial, but for a metric D-bearing, that’s a great idea. :+1:

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**Author:** ![hooty7734](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/hooty7734/32/348981_2.png) [@hooty7734](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/hooty7734)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 8:44pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/15 "2024-12-30T20:44:53Z")

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If anything you would want to use anti seize not lubricant for a situation of stainless steel races on bare aluminum to stop the galvanic corrosion which would cause it to stick. With annodizing that shouldn’t be a problem.

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**Author:** ![Sven](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sven/32/604919_2.png) [@Sven](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sven)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 6:43am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/16 "2024-12-31T06:43:59Z")

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Sure. Like copper paste or lithium grease. I mentioned dry lube, because it does not age and as a non fluid would also not interfere with the responsiveness (If some gets replaced, while using the Yo). That was my thinking.

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**Author:** ![Shwa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/shwa/32/108351_2.png) [@Shwa](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Shwa)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 12:00pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/17 "2024-12-31T12:00:22Z")

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The shaft end of a drill bit works well for this application. You can order singles or sets online, maybe find them at a local hardware store.

Edit: oops, I see @hsb had made the same suggestion

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sven](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sven/32/604919_2.png) [@Sven](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sven)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 12:40pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/18 "2024-12-31T12:40:26Z")

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I am sure it does. I did not doubt that.

I only pointed out, that in Europe metric drill bits are more common. I would say, if you have to go out to buy am imperial drill bit, then you can also just buy a YoYo puller. Probably quite similar in price and effort.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hooty7734](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/hooty7734/32/348981_2.png) [@hooty7734](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/hooty7734)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 2:40pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/19 "2024-12-31T14:40:05Z")

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Also for anyone reading, don’t use copper based anti seize on stainless steel. Use nickel anti seize for this application.

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**Author:** ![megachicken289](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/megachicken289/32/260130_2.png) [@megachicken289](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/megachicken289)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 5:00pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/d-bearing-removal/416103/20 "2025-01-02T17:00:37Z")

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Old topic is old, but fwiw, for almost any bearing wider than the RBC’s bearing and a decently sized drill bit set, there’s a good chance that you can use the non-drilly side of the bit to wiggle out any bearing like you would with a bearing tool

Source: Don’t have a bearing tool (not that I could find one at the time anyway), ended up having a dedicated drill bit on my desk for bearing removal until the bit was recalled to active duty.

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