# Loose Axle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\ **Created:** [February 8, 2019, 8:58am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/loose-axle/298628 "2019-02-08T08:58:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fhqwhgads](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/fhqwhgads/32/46010_2.png) [@Fhqwhgads](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Fhqwhgads)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 8:58am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/loose-axle/298628/1 "2019-02-08T08:58:49Z")
Hey all, I was wondering if you guys could help me diagnose what’s up with one of my new yo-yos: A TopYo Colossus IV arrived on Monday, and I’ve been throwing it, let’s say, a couple hours each day since. I found the bearing to be super loud(I would say my Horizon Ultra is what I’m comparing that against; I haven’t been throwing for super long), so two days ago I decided to clean the bearing and apply some lube, just to see if it helped. Full disclosure: I kept the bearing shields on and definitely applied way too much thin lube, because I’m both lazy and scared of messing things up! As a result, the Colossus ended up semi-responsive, which is to say it could come back up with a tug, but was playing unresponsive just fine. And it was a little quieter! I figured the extra lube would eventually be dealt with by playing with it. Fast forward to today, and I noticed the Colossus had gotten loud again, and then a couple of hours ago I noticed almost a clicking to it as it spun(let the record show I don’t have the most consistent throw technique, either). I took it apart, and noticed that the axle wasn’t fully secured to the end of the yo-yo it was screwed into. To be thorough, I decided to clean the bearing again(properly this time!), and I threaded the axle on the other side. It went back to being unresponsive right after the cleaning, but after breaking it in for a little bit, I would call it full on responsive as it is now. I cracked it open again, and again the axle is loose. I’ve done a little bit of digging, and it seems like the solution is to use Loctite or something similar to lock the axle into one end, but I thought that was a problem usually created by over tightening the yo, which I really don’t think I have. Is this just a problem some throws have? Is there anything I’m missing? Help would be appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/codinghorror/32/8052_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 9:22am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/loose-axle/298628/2 "2019-02-08T09:22:09Z")
The steel axle should never be “loose”. Can you define specifically what you mean by this? The axle threads into the aluminum and there should be _zero_ wiggle. The steel axle can come unscrewed from either side, notice there is a hex key hole in one side of the axle, that’s why I like to loctite one side of the axle in so it always comes out the “right” way when disassembled, with the hex key visible for… er… _hexinating_. Are you sure you’re screwing it together tight enough? Not too tight because that would strip the aluminum threads in the halves and **doing that will ruin the yo-yo** , but “hand tight” so that it’s firmly closed around the bearing and connected to the other half of the yo-yo? It’s hard to tell but it sounds to me like you’re not screwing it closed quite tight enough. ---
**Author:** ![Fhqwhgads](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/fhqwhgads/32/46010_2.png) [@Fhqwhgads](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Fhqwhgads)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 9:29am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/loose-axle/298628/3 "2019-02-08T09:29:19Z")
So basically, after opening up the yo-yo(after it has been firmly tightened by hand) I take the half that the axle is threaded into, and I twist the axle with my fingers, and it is loose. I even just retightened the axle(again, by hand), put the two halves together, nice and tight but not anymore than that, then reopened it. Sure enough, loose axle! ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/codinghorror/32/8052_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 9:30am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/loose-axle/298628/4 "2019-02-08T09:30:38Z")
I am still unclear what you mean. “Loose” = pulls inappropriately left and right and can jiggle up and down like it’s stripped? “Loose” = can be screwed in and out with a twisting motion _only_, like you’d expect it to? If the latter, that’s not loose… that’s normal and what I’d expect unless you loctite one side in. ---
**Author:** ![Fhqwhgads](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/fhqwhgads/32/46010_2.png) [@Fhqwhgads](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Fhqwhgads)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 9:39am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/loose-axle/298628/5 "2019-02-08T09:39:16Z")
Okay so it was for sure the latter, I just used a hex tool to screw it in tight, and it’s no longer coming loose. So that’s good! However, the whole yo-yo still plays responsive, and I just cleaned the bearing so I’m not sure what’s happening there. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/codinghorror/32/8052_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 11:51am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/loose-axle/298628/6 "2019-02-08T11:51:50Z")
Spin out any extra thin lube with compressed air. Just spin the bearing at ultra high speed, wiping away any excess that comes out. Do this a few times in both directions until you get 6+ seconds of finger flick spin time and you’re good. ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:43pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/loose-axle/298628/7 "2019-02-08T13:43:00Z")
If the yoyo tightens properly when put together, it doesn’t matter if it is easy to loosen the axle with your fingers when you take it apart.