I’ve been doing some 2a lately with a pair of yoyojam unleashed. Over time the adjustable gap loosens up, so if I try to adjust it to my preferred setting, it will be too loose and will start to unscrew. Thus, I just keep my yoyos at the tightest possible. While I still can do around the world, it is much more difficult, and I’m afraid it is rather rough on the string. I thought perhaps using Dif-E-Yo Shims to widen the gap would work. Dif-E-Yo Shims – YoYoExpert. Anybody ever tried that? How did it go?
I have tried metal shims that were similar to the Dif-E-Yo shims but made by a different company, and I have tried the Yoyojam brand shims; neither work. The main problem, as far as I can tell, is that the shims are too wide and rub against the bearing causing it to not spin and making the yoyo very responsive.
Something you might want to try is putting some lock tight on the axle. I have never done this, but it might work. Although, it probably would wear out over time and need to be reapplied.
I really wish there was a way to fix this problem. I have two Unleasheds that I can’t use because of this very problem.
I know why the shims don’t work. The unleashed does not use a C bearing. It would be nice if they made some the right size.
Yes, Philip knows the answer here. The solution is to make your own either from thick paper stock or the clear packaging plastic that most everything comes in. You can generally use a round paper punch to cut them, then use a sharpened tube of the right size to cut the hole for the axle. You may have to stack them to get the right gap. You might also find metal washers of the right size in the small parts bins at the hardware store.
I don’t know if you can still find them anywhere, but I bought some metal shims several years ago called Merc shims that do have a small enough outer diameter to work in small bearing YYJs (they also work with size C bearings since they have the same inner diameter).
You could also try plumbers tape on the axle to tighten the fit.