My yo-yo bearing is all of the sudden very loud

I have had my yoyofactory wedge for about 3 weeks, and it has played great, in my opinion. Lately, it will all of the sudden get crazy loud on a throw. I haven’t hit it on anything, and I have lubed the bearing. This doesn’t affect how it plays, because it sleeps exactly the same while screaming. It’s really annoying to me and everybody else in my house. I’m 99% sure I didn’t over lube it, because I followed a tutorial while doing it. This is my first unresponsive yo-yo, so please let me know if there is anything I need to do to. Thanks :slight_smile:

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Have you tried cleaning it?

I’ll echo @Jedillama’s suggestion.

This phenomenon happens to my yoyos all the time, even brand new ones, and while I don’t quite understand how brand new bearings can be so prone to this, cleaning them (and lubing them if you’re into that) is the first best thing to try. If that doesn’t work, then just replace the bearing with another one and hope for the best.

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This is a normal part of a bearing life. The break in. Every bearing, every brand, every yoyo. This happens. clean and lube. Play it some more. Its going to change again.

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What is exactly happening when a new bearing is “breaking in”?

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But lubing it will reduce the noise.

the inside of the race and balls are becoming polished through use. it can also be lint from string, crud and dust getting crushed up in there too.

Bearings were not originally designed for the impact of hitting the end of the string (not to mention hitting the cround at times) or use dry like most people use them. Sometimes they just scream for help :slight_smile:

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Sure, lubing will eliminate a lot of bearing noise. However, a clean, dry bearing that isn’t broken should not scream as though one of the balls disintegrated. I don’t find an unlubed bearing too noisy most of the time, but when it starts screaming as though it broke, I have to wonder what’s going on.

A brand new bearing that plays quietly for a couple of hours and then randomly starts screaming is just bizarre to me. Most of these bearings have shields and the sides are not exposed to dirt, string fibers, or even the open air, so I don’t understand how their inner workings become so compromised so quickly.

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Hmm if lil lubing doesn’t help lube it more and more . I think that should work. Hmm if that doesn’t help. Try opening the bearing and clean it.but lubing has helped me. But if it’s not working then something is wrong inside the bearing. Try opening the bearing.

Yes i agree with you. Something is wrong with the bearing.

In theory… A New bearing that makes noise early might have been flat spotted. before being ‘broken in’ the bearing may lock causing heat and wear on a ball. More use may be enough to polish out this flat. In some uses a specific RPM break-in cycle is specified, certain speeds achieving certain temperatures to ‘season’ the race and balls. Would this benefit yoyos? probably. I dont know of any pre seasoned bearing machine but it would be something cool. Im sure bearings in Jet engines which must endure a lot more stress than we throw at them have an amazing break in cycle.

Although not specific to yoyos some of it relates from here: https://www.gmnbt.com/initial-startup-or-break-in-procedure.htm

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HYPERSPIN™ baby – it works! Compressed air gives you fast spin break in while simultaneously spinning out any excess lube. Final result? Smooth as butter, and quiet too!

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I love 2a players bearing cleaning routines. It doesnt matter what they do, they just need it to be cosistent. the SOS loop 720s were amazing. you would literally use string fibers in the side of the bearing like belly button lint for response. clean it at your peril.

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:rofl: :rofl: OMG

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On the topic of bearings, can a bearing be spun too fast?

Im sure there is a thing as too fast but im not sure how fast that is. I have spun up metal bearings really fast using compressed air with no detriment. I have spun a ceramic too fast though and had it come apart. Learned a valuable lesson from that incident.

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yes and if you are better at Math than I am you can calculate it.

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I didn’t know that i needed to clean it so soon. I looked at the bearing, and it is rattly inside. Do i need to get a new bearing, or just clean it, or what. Thanks for all of your suggestions!

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Clean it.

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For me it’s almost always the bearing shields making the noise.

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