Okay so lately iv’e been having some issues with bearings. I use lighter fluid to clean them and I’ve been using onedrop lube. I clean the bearing, spin it dry, let it sit, spin it again and put just a super small amount of lube on it. Theres a very fine line between perfectly lubed and semi responsive even after some play.
Now the main issue I’ve been running into is the bearing is quite loud and isn’t very smooth no matter how many times I clean it. And when it is somewhat smooth after a few minutes it starts screaming again. And no matter how many times I repeat the process I can never get the bearing to be smooth like its new. Even if I use a brand new bearing and clean it after five minutes of play I run into the same issues. Is it a problem with the lighter fluid? Am I doing it wrong?
Now I’m not new to yoyo by any means but I’ve never quite been able to get consistent clean smooth bearings. How do I get my bearings smooth and quiet like new?!? Please help! thanks!
- rev
Personally I’ve had better results with 100% acetone.
If I have a really dirty bearing that just won’t get clean I’ll use the “paper slip method” and then a nice long soak- take it out, let it spin and dry- then back in for another soak.
That plus using a q tip to clean the bearing post and get all that gunk away and outta there seems to always do the trick for me
In addition to what was said make sure you leave them soak in the solvent long enough. Just bc you didn’t specify but if you want it super quiet just use a fatty drop of lube and play it for like a day or two semi responsive until it’s unresponsive again.
If ur bearing are consistently getting that way after five minutes of play and after cleaning and even with brand new bearing then I would emphasis what was already said about cleaning the bearing seat and response area. Also I would make sure u wash ur hands before a session as well. I always wash my hands before I grab my Yoyo and start playing. Aside from that, another thing u can do, and I know this is unconventional, u can use soap and water. Yes u read that right. Soapy water might help to loosen any stubborn debris by making it more slippy in there while ur cleaning, just shake well. Then immediately dry with paper towel thoroughly and use canned air to fully get all moisture out after. That’s not something I do really, but have once or twice but honestly if u want the best advice I can give u if u don’t want to deal with this problem at all.
Just buy good quality bearings. My personal favorites are topyo 5 cut bearings. I believe these are the best there is. They consistently produce the smoothest feeling Yoyo, they’re consistently quietly and ultimate go to when I need something reliable. It’s the bearing I go to when I have a Yoyo I love and I want to put the best bearing possible in it to make it top notch. They’re my go to when I have a throw that just feels like it’s missing something, doesn’t have that wow factor but I know it has potential, I throw a 5cut in there and boom. I do batch cleanings on the regular with all my bearings. Except those. I can switch a single bearing between several throws as I need it to step up in different situations so each one has seen multiple lives on multiple throws and they spin just like the day I got them. No exaggeration no lies. All facts. And idk if they still have them but the Chinese dollar store online sells a clone version of them and they are identical to the real thing. I think they are the real thing I wouldn’t be surprised if topyo is the one selling them or at least manufacturing them and gave the green light to sell them. U can get them in bulk or in packs of 3 which is what I did. I got 6 plus the few I already had from some of my topyos and those are my A team.
IMO, cleaning comes down to a) loosening contaminants and b) removing them. The size, shape and complexity of bearings makes “b” a crapshoot.
Soaking bearings in an appropriate solvent will break down any existing lubricants and some other contaminants. But if the bearing isn’t flushed adequately, residue will be left on the bearing surfaces. Dust, lint etc. that is not dissolved at all will also remain.
This residue will accumulate over repeated cleanings, making each clean less effective. Adding new lube will very likely cause these residues to migrate to the lubricated surfaces.
Running bearings under running water before the solvent dries may help flush them out. With the proper equipment, it is probably possible to do similar with the solvent itself. (I hope folks are careful when working with these solvents. The fumes are unhealthy and skin contact should be minimized.)
it would be logical to conclude this is a possibility, however, far from a foregone conclusion and almost certainly not the case since so many ppl engage in this process with perfectly predictable and successful result
honestly i want to echo the notion that several others have suggested, you probably have gunked up bearing seats. i went through your exact problem and swore up and down my bearing seats were fine when it was suggested. wasnt until i said well nothing else worked so what the heck and tried that I’ve never had the problem again. i use acetone on the bearing, 91% iso on the bearing seat, and never use lube. my bearings run dead silent, and i use hybrids which ppl say are loud by default
I thought this might be a possibility but I don’t know how. I put it in lighter fluid in a glass jar, spin it around for about a minute, take it out spin it dry and then put it back in for 5-10 minutes and spin it dry again. Then let it sit for about 10-20 minutes and lube it. That’s what I’ve been doing for years I’m not sure how it could damage it. Could soaking it too long damage it? And is acetone, alcohol, or mineral spirits better than lighter fluid?
cleans incredibly well, dries completely without leaving a residue that can cause friction. don’t even need near the time frames you mentioned. 1-2 minute bath, swish for 30 seconds, spin dry, skip lube, spin for days
he never said crunchy. he said loud and not smooth. but let’s just say for arguments sake you’re right, how is his cleaning process damaging to a bearing?
So no it’s not crunchy as if it’s damaged it’s just not totally quiet and smooth as it was when it was brand new. I don’t believe it’s damaged. Unless soaking it in lighter fluid for 5-10 minutes damages a bearing then that’s not it
Acetone is the way to go. As long as the bearing isn’t part plastic (rarely found on yo-yo bearings but it happens) you could leave it soaking in acetone indefinitely. It will cause no damage to the steel bearing.
A shielded bearing has shields on both sides that you can remove with a sewing needle. If you do not remove them you will likely never get all of the old lube and residue, grime, etc. out of the bearing. But be warned they are a nuisance to put back in and easily damaged.
It takes some effort to actually get a bearing all the way clean. It’s never as clean as you think it is. Dirt, dust, micro bits of string, leftover lube, etc. cling to the balls, the cage, and sit in the raceways. Even if you did manage to get it all out those particulates are floating around in the solvent and some of which will go back inside the bearing when you pull it out of the liquid. It can take 2-4 cleanings to get most of it.
For lubing the type of lube you use, how much you apply, and how you apply it can make a massive difference, and is easy to get wrong. I use a sewing needle to apply the lube and put a small amount on a few of the ball bearings.
After cleaning and lubing and using the bearing for several minutes if it starts screaming, and gets responsive, and seems like it wasn’t lubed at all then you need to use more lube. If it goes quiet and responsive then you either used too much or you didn’t play the yo-yo enough to work the lube around the bearing.
Another thing to note is the same bearing can sound different in two different yoyos. I have a couple in my collection that make the same bearing go from barely noticeable to screaming. It’s usually something you shouldn’t have to worry about.
