Top Deck being sometimes responsive?

So I’ve had this One Drop Top Deck for about a month now and have been using it about once a day at least, so that means the response pads must have been broken in so that shouldn’t be the issue. I’ve swapped about 3 different bearings on the yoyo and the result is still the same. When i tug at the yoyo I can see the string wrapping around the yoyo and 1 out of about every 10 tugs it comes back to my hand. If the issue isn’t the response pads or the bearing, then what could it be? Keep in mind the 3 bearings i tried on the yoyo work perfectly unresponsive on other yoyos. i


Heres a photo if someone might catch something wrong with it. I appreciate any help or feedback with this issue :slight_smile:

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I’ve had this issue with a couple throws this year. It was a Ti-Vayder and a Direwolf. are the bearings still unresponsive in other throws after being in your top deck? my issue was the bearing seats were dirty so stuff would get in anytime a put a new bearing in.

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Are you using really thick string or anything? Are you putting your string on with the yoyo unscrewed, and then screwing it together?

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I’m just using Slackies string with the yoyo. Also yes the bearings are still unresponsive when they are in other yoyos. I also vary between screwing the yoyo with the string on the bearing in and screwing in the yoyo and putting the string on after, but I make sure the string stays on the bearing and doesnt get stuck in between when screwing it in.

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Sometimes even the smallest strands getting stuck when you’re screwing together can cause some responsiveness - I actually just had this happen the other day. But if you’ve tried both ways that’s probably not it.
Does the bearing click in? Does it seem difficult to put the bearing in or anything?

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The bearing does actually click in, making the removal only possible with a removal tool, which was surprising because my yelets, overture and MC didn’t have the bearings click in with them.

Is a tighter bearing seat normal with the Top Deck?

I’d actually say OD is more known for not having super tight bearing seats, because they like it to be easier for folks to change their bearings.
Have you tried all different kinds of bearings? Flat, KK, CT, etc?

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Did this happen on the 10 ball flat bearing it comes with?

Yeah I thought all of their throws are supposed to not have tight bearing seats. Ive tested two one drop ball bearings (1 of them being the original one it came with) and one concave on it.

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Oh interesting, this gives credence to the “wipe down the bearing seats with a lint free cloth” advice…

This is really weird - not sure what else to suggest to try :confused:

There are only so many variables. If the string is chasing around the yoyo when it’s sleeping and you pop it up the bearing’s outer race isn’t sitting still, which it needs to for the bearing to be unresponsive. If the bearing works correctly in other yoyos then there is a problem with the bearing seat. Something is touching/rubbing the outer race of the bearing. Difficult to diagnose what that is without having the yoyo in hand.

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It is rare but I have seen “jacked up bearing seat” cause this. As you correctly pointed out, if you swap in a known good bearing and it’s still playing weird… it has to be the bearing seat (or some other property of the yo-yo halves).

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Hm, I guess I’ll try to clean out the bearing seat when I get the chance. Would just cotton swabs and water work?

Because I don’t think I have a lint free cloth in my possession.