# Simple Yoyo Tuning

**URL:** <https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/simple-yoyo-tuning/300628>\
**Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\
**Created:** [March 28, 2019, 10:56am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/simple-yoyo-tuning/300628 "2019-03-28T10:56:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![noodles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/noodles/32/36467_2.png) [@noodles](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/noodles)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 10:56am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/simple-yoyo-tuning/300628/1 "2019-03-28T10:56:19Z")

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To make it smoother and play better overall.

Here are some steps to take

SEAT:  
You can clean the bearing seat by getting a tissue, pinching the small metal part that makes up the axle hole and twisting. Not too hard! If you get black grime on the tissue you are doing it correctly.

AXLE:

- Flip it the other way
- Cut a small piece of Teflon/Plumbers tape with scissors and wrap about a **3mm wide strip** of it around the end of the axle.
- Loctite the axle using blue loctite on the non-hex side of the axle. Lightly lube the other side, the hex key side, before reassembling. This way the axle always stays in and the yo-yo unscrews from the correct hex key side every time.
- Change out the axle (might have wrong size axle pre-installed)
- Twist the axle halfway into the side of the yoyo, leaving a bit of room for the axle to find its sweet spot (@JohnnyJ 's addition)

BEARING:

- Flip it so it goes into the other half of the yoyo
- Lube (not too much)
- Deshield
- Clean (mineral spirits/lighter fluid)
- Change and replace (this can actually have a decent effect)

PADS:

- Replace
- Try different pads (silicone?)

OTHER:

- Adjust Tightness
- Sanding halves on a hand drill… only if you wanna risk it

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**Author:** ![JWaugh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jwaugh/32/42366_2.png) [@JWaugh](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/JWaugh)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2019, 4:57am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/simple-yoyo-tuning/300628/2 "2019-03-30T04:57:07Z")

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I am unsure how to change and replace my pads? 🧐

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**Author:** ![JWaugh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jwaugh/32/42366_2.png) [@JWaugh](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/JWaugh)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2019, 5:02am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/simple-yoyo-tuning/300628/4 "2019-03-30T05:02:52Z")

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It was a joke, change and replace are synonymous. Thanks though lol

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**Author:** ![JohnnyJ](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/johnnyj/32/94616_2.png) [@JohnnyJ](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/JohnnyJ)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/simple-yoyo-tuning/300628/5 "2019-03-31T01:38:46Z")

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Great post @noodles, much needed.

I wanna add; sometimes tuning a yoyo can be as simple as screwing the axle into the half the perfect amount.

I know it makes logical sense to screw the axle all the way into the yoyo until it’s snug, but sometimes giving it a little bit of wiggle room and not screwing the axle in tightly helps smooth out a yoyo as well.

Not every yoyo, but it’s made huge differences in a bunch of them for me.