Hey guys. I have 3 raiders, got them for like 10 bucks. I really want to start looping, and the raiders right now aren’t that good at looping… or anything really. I read that you could put the loop 900 spacers in the raiders, and i found them on the yoyoexpert store for 7 dollors with shipping. If I wanted to do it to 2 of the 3 that I have for 2a, I would spend a total of 11 dollars. Do you guys think that it’s worth it? When the YYF spacers are in is it good?
1 drop of thick lube in each bearing in each Raider might go a long ways for your looping. Maybe 2 drops.
Ok, but should i change the spacers? If I just put lube on the axle without changing the spacers will it be good for looping?
Put lube on the shield of the bearing and let it seep into the bearing. Spin the bearing a little to help it work in faster.
That might be all you need to do.
I’d have to look at one of my Raiders, it’s been ages since I took one apart. I think there is some method of shaving down the spacers to make them slimmer.
One of the issues to keep in mind is that the Loop900 is an adjustable gap looper, where in comparison, the Raider is a fixed gap looper. You’ll only be able to adjust the gap via making the spacers thinner.
what is the sheild of a bearing?
What this video on how to de-shield a bearing. It will be made clear:
It’s that flat parts(top and bottom) between the two metal circles at the inside and outside of the bearing.
Note: You may not need pliers to remove the bearing.
Since the Yomega Raider was released, it has been a staple tool of all AA yo-yoers in every competition. This year, Shinji used them to win the AA Worlds, and in past year, nearly all winners used Raiders. However, Raiders are not good for AA unless worked on, but if you put in the time, you will be highly satisfied with the fruits of your labor.
Steps on Modding a Raider:
(Tools Necessary: Micrometer/Calorimeter, Sandpaper/MetalSander, super lube grease not spray, patience)
-
A Raider comes stock nearly always with metal spacers. Spacers are the two sleeves that fit over the central bearing which the yo-yo rests on. For this mod, you must remove these metal spacers and replace them with plastic nylon spacers. These can be easily acquired through online dealers such as here at the YoStore or directly from Yomega.
-
After the metal spacers have been removed, now comes the grueling task. With a calorimeter/micrometer, you must measure your plastic spacers current height. It will probably be around .110 or .100 inches. This is too wide for looping tricks so you much sand these spacers down to .090 inches. This will decrease the gap size and improve the responsiveness of your Raider. When sanding down the spacers, make sure you sand in a circular motion to keep the spacer even.
When you are sanding the spacers, you have the choice of which side to sand. The flat side will make the yo-yos loop flatter while the other side will make the yo-yos push out more when looping instead of downward.
After the sanding is completed so that the height is .090 from .110, clean off all the sanded away plastic and maybe clean them slightly with water. Make sure they are dry and have no plastic particles are on them. Plastic particles can get into teh bearing and cause dmg or unnecessary friction. -
After the sanding is complete, take some grease (preferably super lube or soemthing teflon based because it will burn off slower), and lubricate the bearing with it. Make sure there is a LARGE amount so that you know the grease is inside the bearing. You can never have too much grease on a AA yo-yo in my opinion because after playin for a very short time, the stuff burns off, like super quick. You may remove the shields on the bearing to make this job easier.
-
Now that your spacers are sanded and your bearing is finely oiled/lubricated, put the yo-yo back together again.
Raiders as looping yo-yos, work best when coupled with slick-8 string or regualr 8 ply cotton string which is the default yo-yo string. This sting is thicker to help with the responsiveness. Also, it is usually sold in longer lengths. After putting on strings, make sure to cut them to personal length preference. It is good to keep the string short because it makes the yo-yo faster and more responsive to some degree. And there you go. You now have the perfect looper yo-yo, the moded Yomega Raider.
Source - Link to competing site removed. Please do not link to competing stores web sites or forums.
-jhb8426-
Should I double wrap the loop attached to the yoyo?
For the ordinary, average guy just learning to loop this is way overkill. Keep the bearing well lubed, and maybe add a duncan friction or sili sticker and it will work fine.
Yes, it helps.
It’s a bit extra but I figured I’d dig it up in case