Yoyo Bearing Care & Maintenance: Everything You Need to Know

If your unresponsive yoyo suddenly feels responsive, stops spinning smoothly, or starts making strange noises — chances are your bearing needs maintenance.

This guide will explain why yoyo bearings require care, how to prevent issues, and how to clean them safely like a pro. For responsive bearing care go to the bottom of the page!

 

Why Do Yoyo Bearings Need Maintenance?

Think of your yoyo bearing like the engine in a car — it’s a moving part, constantly spinning at high speeds. The engine needs to be serviced regularly to ensure it is running smooth and continues to operate at its best. For yoyo bearings it is the same; even with factory testing and quality control, bearing responsiveness is unpredictable by nature due to their size and environment, and will eventually need servicing. We are talking about tiny parts where the smallest amount of dirt will affect the responsiveness.

An example I like to give is matches in a match box. At the factory, how do you test the batch is good? It is not possible to test every match, because you’ll have no matches left… Yoyo bearings can be tested but if extended spin tests are done - ironically, that could reduce the bearing’s lifespan — it’s like using up your best match before you light the candle.

 

What Makes a Bearing Go Responsive?

Even the best quality bearings can become responsive if exposed to certain conditions. Here's how to keep your bearing spinning unresponsive and smooth:

• Avoid Sudden Temperature Changes: Going from cold aircon straight into hot, humid weather can cause condensation in your bearing — leading to rust or temporary responsiveness.
• Don’t Take Apart the Yoyo Unnecessarily: Especially if your bearing is unshielded, opening the yoyo can let in tiny particles of dust or fluff. These microscopic intruders can cause big issues.
• Use a Knot Picker: Got a string knot? Use a toothpick, knot picker (but avoid metal tools that may scratch the yoyo). This avoids opening the yoyo and keeps your bearing area clean.
• Remove the String First: If you really must open your yoyo, remove the string first. The fuzz from the string can get into the bearing and shorten its life. Most of the string fluff is not visible until you use a blacklight. Even though you can’t see it, it is there for sure.
• Keep Your Strings Clean: Sweaty or grimy strings can lead to corrosion over time. Regularly change your string to keep both your bearing and yoyo in top shape. I like to give this advice for storage too; if you’re not going to play the yoyo for a while, store it with the string off.
• Use a Proper Bearing Tool: Avoid using pliers! They can warp the bearing casing or leave tiny scratches that accelerate rust. Invest in a bearing removal tool — it’s worth it, and they’re very cheap. 

 

How to Clean a Yoyo Bearing (The Jono Way™)

When your bearing starts acting up, a good clean can often bring it back to life. This is my way of doing it (Jono's) — drawing from my engineering background - I worked with RF electronics which required ultra-clean connections.

Recommended Cleaning Agent:

• Isopropyl Alcohol 99% – Used in professional electronics. Leaves no residue. Fast evaporation. Availability varies depending where you are. I got mine from Lazada.
• Lighter Fluid – Common in yoyo tutorials, but can leave behind a slight residue. It works, but long-term effects are not fully known.

It really comes down to availability, use whichever you have access to!

 

Step-by-Step Bearing Cleaning Guide

• Leave shields on – If dirt can get in, it can come out. De-shielding isn’t necessary.
• Soak the bearing in isopropyl alcohol for approx 1 minute.
• Spin it gently using a chopstick, toothpick or bearing tool to help loosen dirt.
• Soak again for another minute and spin again.
• Let it dry completely on a clean paper towel (lint free if possible)
• Optional: use an air duster (compressed air) to speed up the drying and blow off the small particles
• Use a small amount of isopropyl on a tissue and wipe down the bearing seat
• Test the bearing in your yoyo before lubing. If it spins long and remains unresponsive, you're done.
• If it’s still responsive, repeat the cleaning.
• Optional: Once cleaned, add a tiny drop of thin lube only if needed — this helps reduce noise and extend lifespan, but too much can make it responsive.

💡 A loud bearing is not a necessarily a bad bearing. As long as it spins well and stays unresponsive, you’re good!

The BEST way to clean your bearing is to... wait you don't need to if you keep it clean in the first place - Jono, 2018

 

Signs It Might Be Time to Replace the Bearing:

• You hear grinding noises, not just loud spinning
• It stays responsive even after multiple cleanings
• The bearing feels rough when spinning by hand

Sometimes, bearings are just worn out or internally damaged. When that happens, it’s time to grab a new one

 

Responsive bearings (for responsive yoyos)

There is a much larger tolerance for responsive yoyo bearings compared to unresponsive because if they start to slow down... they still work as they are supposed to: responsive. If however the bearing is broken in and starts becoming unresponsive, you can add a drop of thick lube (high viscosity). For bearing care and avoiding corrosion, follow the same care tips as unresponsive bearings; the main tip would be keeping a clean string on the yoyo. This is something I came to realize after finding many rusty bearings on my older collection.

 

Still Have Bearing Issues?

Send us a message yoyoshopsg[at]gmail.com or WhatsApp +65 85123457 — we’re always happy to help troubleshoot. Or grab a fresh bearing from our shop here.

 

📌 TL;DR – Quick Bearing Care Checklist

✅ Avoid sudden temperature changes
✅ Don’t open yoyo unnecessarily
✅ Keep strings clean
✅ Use a proper bearing tool
✅ Clean with 99% isopropyl alcohol