# Goodbye DifPads
**URL:** https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229
**Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance
**Created:** [January 30, 2025, 9:23pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229 "2025-01-30T21:23:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2025, 9:23pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/1 "2025-01-30T21:23:53Z")
I just installed a brand new set of Thick (.030”) DifPads in my Wide Sport, as the silicone was just a bit too aggressive for my taste, and all of my poly/ blend strings are basically useless in it.
I’m guessing I am in need of cotton? A shame because I just ordered a bunch of strings from a some guy named Sam who enjoys Yo-Yos to try some different things, and literally none are cotton lol.
I have a set of thin and thick dif pads, I tried the thins first and could barely wind it up, and when I threw it, it just went “donk” at the end of the string not even rotating lmao. Essentially the same result carefully removing those and putting in the thick’s, and have tried Kitty Fat, and YYSL Plutonium in it so far. I guess I’ll try all my strings when I get home and see if I have any luck. I just washed all my old strings had saved up as well, maybe there’s a cotton or two hiding in there.
Edit: I have been refunded. Also refunded on a set of strings that must have been sitting a while, as the rubber band that bundled them was… no longer rubber lol.
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### Author:  [@Exmime](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Exmime)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2025, 10:29pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/2 "2025-01-30T22:29:12Z")
Slick-6 50/50 or Cotton for more grip
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### Author:  [@yoyojoe](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yoyojoe)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2025, 10:37pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/3 "2025-01-30T22:37:13Z")
Just a heads up but most NOS dif pass are probably at the end of their life. I don’t think difpads have been made in a long time. I’ve noticed a couple of my sets have lost almost all of their tackiness.
I would recommend switching to hat pads, dif binders (new sili based pads), or making your own.
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### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2025, 10:55pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/4 "2025-01-30T22:55:48Z")
Okay, that makes sense.
They definitely are not tacky in the slightest.
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### Author:  [@Simyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Simyo)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2025, 11:00pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/5 "2025-01-30T23:00:35Z")
Slick 8 of you need thicker string but to what others have said my dif pads have dried up and cracked. Enjoy your wide load.
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### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2025, 11:01pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/6 "2025-01-30T23:01:54Z")
I messaged the store I got them from to seek a return/ refund.
I’ll probably retry flowing my own silicone 🤙
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### Author:  [@Simyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Simyo)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 12:57am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/7 "2025-01-31T00:57:59Z")
I’d have to check the thickness and diameters on pads but you might be able to double stack Duncan friction stickers. I don’t think the dif pad groove is deep enough to silicone and have it stay in.
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### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 1:02am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/8 "2025-01-31T01:02:09Z")
I had it siliconed before, but it had bubbles in it so it was super grippy
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### Author:  [@hooty7734](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/hooty7734)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 3:45am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/9 "2025-01-31T03:45:01Z")
You could try using the radius of something like a credit card to inset it slightly. What kind of silicone were you using?
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### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 4:16am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/10 "2025-01-31T04:16:05Z")
It was some aluminized RTV by Mahle, it stuck great but I tried smoothing it out and kinda ruined it lol.
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### Author:  [@hooty7734](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/hooty7734)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 5:04am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/11 "2025-01-31T05:04:59Z")
May not be the right stuff. I can’t find any info on its elasticity and haven’t actually tried it. Permatex works well if you can get your hands on the ultra grey.
Smoothing out is a pain. For every one I do I usually have isopropyl alcohol on hand and I find it works well for finger smoothing. It evaporates off and doesn’t affect the silicone it seems. So you could even use your finger to help smooth it. Just don’t mess with it again once it skins up. If you do mess it up some after it’s skinned you can take an old string before it’s fully cured at like maybe up to 5h cure time. Throw and do a few tight binds then let it sit and finish curing. The string will indent it a bit with a lightly textured pattern and works well.
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### Author:  [@Tempura](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Tempura)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 5:56am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/12 "2025-01-31T05:56:36Z")
I think pros use soapy water to smooth silicone.
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### Author:  [@pyrotechnic](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/pyrotechnic)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 6:15am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/13 "2025-01-31T06:15:38Z")
Just use Flowable
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### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 12:38pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/14 "2025-01-31T12:38:35Z")
I had used just plain water and a gloved finger. I think the water got into the silicone and caused bubbles. . I will def try some flowable permatex next time
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### Author:  [@Tempura](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Tempura)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/15 "2025-01-31T16:17:56Z")
That’s definitely not what caused the bubbles, that’s air from your pour. It will work much better with soap and something like a credit card.
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### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 5:03pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/16 "2025-01-31T17:03:15Z")
@Splizacular recommended applying with a syringe, and that makes a whole lot of sense.
It was a messy first attempt, I made plenty of errors, so I am hopefully my next go round will work better
> [@Dif-e-Yo Dif-Pads? Alternatives?](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/dif-e-yo-dif-pads-alternatives/409592):
>
> The response pads in my wide sport are beat. They are the same ones that have been in it since I bought it like 10 years ago. I see that Dif-Pads are sold out everywhere I look, the only things I can find are 19mm. I measured my old pads and they are 23mm overall, and 4 mm wide, .55mm thick. I put a set of YYF natural colored pads in it that I had laying around, but it is not… shall I say ideal… So, fellow Dif-e-Yo owners, wat do? Wack.
Here is a link to my first topic regarding this specific situation, about 5 months ago.
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### Author:  [@daosyn](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/daosyn)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2025, 5:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/goodbye-difpads/418229/17 "2025-01-31T17:26:56Z")
semi-related but i tried red rtv for the first time last night, replacing the flowable silicone job i did on my plastics 15+ years ago. was wayyyyyyyyy harder than flowable. my fhz has a poor recess job that i did way back when and it’s pretty shallow. the red rtv actually seems to stick better than the flowable did in that scenario
i did a very bad job smoothing it out. i used the nozzle and it was quite tough to squeeze out. at first i tried to smooth out the silicone using my fingers dipped in water but i messed up several times and got it everywhere so i went back to using a credit card and saved it somewhat
yyj legacy, yyj lyn fury, canopy al, fhz (order in the final pic)