How to tune a yo-yo?

Are there any tutorials / instructions out there on how to properly tune the vibe out of a yo-yo?

2 Likes

Brandon Vu has a video up for it. It’s been a while since I’ve watched it, so I’m not sure I remember exactly what’s in it.

3 Likes

Brandon Vu has a tutorial on it. Someone already linked it so I wont but I would like to tell you a few things. Tuning doesnt guarantee an improvement, in fact you can make your yoyo worse. Also tuning is highly inconsistent so if you want to achieve any kind of results, you need a lot trial and error. If your yoyo only has minor vibe then please dont try it.

5 Likes

This one helped me How to tune a yoyo - YouTube

1 Like

Just chiming in to offer some advice that wont ruin your yoyo (unless you are one of those crazies that somehow crossthreads everything lol)

Screw in your axle socket side out so you can use a hex to snug it in (not tight). Reassemble like this and test, then try the same thing but the axle snugged to the other yoyo half, repeat.

Ive found most of my minor vibe issues are bearing related. The tolerances on onedrop 10-balls seem to be a step above the rest, so i like to use a thin lubed 10-ball to see if its the bearing causing vibe. If this helps, and you dont like flat bearings, it’s just a matter of finding a concave/CT that is ground well (for reference many CLYW pixels have flat spots on the OD from sloppy grinding, this will cause imbalance.

If none of this works, I personally dont like to mess around past this, as not all vibe is equal or tunable.

Happy throwing.

4 Likes

Thanks guys! @Marioyo , I agree with your bearing comment. I think it plays a bigger role than gets mentioned.

Believe it or not my vibe issue got a bit better after taking a bang off the wood floor! It’s a bimetal and I’m pretty sure the ring got knocked back into place. It wasn’t terrible vibe to begin with but it was funny, I expected it to go the other way after slamming it on the ground.

:slight_smile:

OUCH! Vibe check…. oOOO!!

4 Likes

Where’s that thread about pressing in bimetal rings that come loose? It was like a month or two ago? I’m glad you got the vibe out!

1 Like

Usually I put a little oil on the axle so it moves better if required. Also try to center the bearing and yo-yo. This requires screwing both sides at the same time. Also flipping the axle or bearing might help. That’s all.

3 Likes

Something else that hasn’t been mentioned is the response pads. They can introduce vibe if they’re worn out, popping out, or the groove wasn’t cleaned well enough after the last replacement.

I’ve had throws that were a little vibey and replacing the pads helped. It probably won’t matter if they’re fresh, but I did have one case where the sticker layer from the previous pads was still in there and it took away some of the vibe after I cleaned it out and put in fresh pads.

3 Likes

It’s amazing how many times I’ve smacked my yo-yos off my wood floor and they ended up smoother (I can think of 4 separate yo-yos but I’m sure there’s a few more :man_facepalming:t5:) -CLYW:Manatee, iceberg V2, ,YoyoPalace:Journey , Bimetal Civility :joy: idkw it happens :man_shrugging:t5: Maybe it micro tunes the Axle or like you said , bumps the Bimetal rings into place ever so slightly :thinking:

I sometimes wonder if I should try it purposely with some throws but never have the stones to do it :sweat_smile:

3 Likes

I always wonder if tuning is a myth

1 Like

It can help but no guarantees. Flipping axles and bearings can help sometimes.