How to Oil a Metal Bearing To return your yo-yo to its initial glory, a little bit of maintenance is necessary. This tutorial is about applying oil to your bearing. This tutorial is intended for tug-response string trick yo-yos, such as the pictured YoYoFactory Arrow.
You’ll need a tissue and bearing oil (we recommend oil over vaseline for this process). YYF Looping Oil or REWIND Looping Oil are good options. These oils will last you a long time, so one tube is all you need.
0. Disassemble your yo-yo
Make sure you don’t lose any small parts!
1. Remove the bearing and place it on a Tissue
Click here for our bearing removal tutorial.
2. Place one or two drops on the side of the bearing
After dropping the oil onto the bearing, let it sit for 10-20 seconds for the oil to permeate the inner parts.
3. Wipe the bearing
We only want oil on the inside of the bearing, so take your tissue and wipe off any oil that got on the outside of the bearing. Oil is no good for your strings, so don’t forget this step!
4. Reassemble and enjoy!
Put it all back together and give it a throw. If the response is still too weak, start over and add more oil.
Note: Oil is bad for the plastic body!
Oil is an important element in yo-yo maintenance, but you can have too much of a good thing; oil is bad for the plastic in the yo-yo body, and can lead to cracks. Don’t forget to use oil sparingly, and wipe off the outside of your bearings well before reassembling the yo-yo. Keep your bearings, hands and yo-yos clean, and you’ll enjoy your yo-yo for years to come!