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X55 collar removal?


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I have a x55 for some time now and the stick is not good at all. Its has a lot of friction on the spring and the collar below it. Ik would like to know if it is possible to remove the collar and place a custom spring. If not, wat are your suggestions in making the stick less sticky? I already tried vaseline, wd40, lipbalm and the best so far... Cooking oil! Is it possible to sand it, using some very fine sandpaper?

Love to hear from you!

 

Grtz, Foxsailor

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WD40 is about the last thing you want to use. It's not a lubricant. Was the first thing I tried and a couple days later the thing was like a rock. I had to take it apart and lube it all up. The worst part was the piece that the gimbal rotates in, where some of the WD40 ran down the shaft. Not sure how to describe it, but basically it has to turn line 10-15 degrees when you move the joystick to the corners. I couldn't take it apart so I had to spend about 30 minutes trying to work grease into there.

 

The brand WD40 makes other products like 3 in 1 and silicon grease in spray cans. Honestly I would use grease from a tube or can. The spray can stuff is not thick enough.

 

I used some joystick specific grease, can't remember what it's called anymore. It was clear/white. The part that causes the most sticktion is the collar under the spring which provides the centering. There is too much play which means it sits at an angle on the shaft depending on which way you move the stick. You can lube it up, but make sure to remove any excess as it will also cause sticktion. I also would not recommend using any stronger than the 2 lightest springs as they make the problem worse.

 

I'm not sure what you are talking about by replacing the collar with a custom spring. It's the collar that centers the stick. If you somehow want to put springs on the individual axes in the base then you don't need to remove the collar at all, just remove the spring.

System specs: i7 3820 @4.75Ghz, Asus P9X79LE, EVGA GTX1080SC @2100mhz, 16GB Gskil DDR3 @ 2000mhz, 512GB 960EVO m.2, 2 X 512GB 860EVO SATA3 in RAID0, EVGA Supernova 850W G2, Phantek Entho Luxe White. CPU and GPU custom water-cooled with 420mm rad and lots of Noctua fans.

ASUS PG348Q. VKB Gladiator Pro w/MCG, X-55 throttle and MFG Crosswind.

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Normal wd40 is indeed not suitable for lubing the x55. Bin there. But there is the ptfe version.

https://wd40.nl/wd-40-specialist/hoogwaardige-smeerspray-met-ptfe/ Its in dutch, buy you het the point. It leaves a dry, non sticking ptfe layer. This should be usable.

 

What i want is a way to remove the collar and put onze big cone like spring in the middle. I already tried without spring and with rubber bands. Its to loose and does not centre properly.

 

I am just trying to find a solution for this problem.

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I would still prefer to use a grease personally.

 

Also, doesn't PTFE have a bad reputation for coming off cookware easily? I used to have a couple non-stick frying pans. Would never buy another one again. They wear out so fast even when using plastic or wooden utensils. I can't imagine it would last long as a lubricant between two rubbing parts.

 

Sometimes the quick and easy way is not the best solution.

System specs: i7 3820 @4.75Ghz, Asus P9X79LE, EVGA GTX1080SC @2100mhz, 16GB Gskil DDR3 @ 2000mhz, 512GB 960EVO m.2, 2 X 512GB 860EVO SATA3 in RAID0, EVGA Supernova 850W G2, Phantek Entho Luxe White. CPU and GPU custom water-cooled with 420mm rad and lots of Noctua fans.

ASUS PG348Q. VKB Gladiator Pro w/MCG, X-55 throttle and MFG Crosswind.

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Also, no offense, but why would you use Vaseline, lip-balm and cooking oil when you can just buy grease at the hardware store? It's like buying knifes and getting quarter from the bank to turn a screw so you don't have to buy a screwdriver.

System specs: i7 3820 @4.75Ghz, Asus P9X79LE, EVGA GTX1080SC @2100mhz, 16GB Gskil DDR3 @ 2000mhz, 512GB 960EVO m.2, 2 X 512GB 860EVO SATA3 in RAID0, EVGA Supernova 850W G2, Phantek Entho Luxe White. CPU and GPU custom water-cooled with 420mm rad and lots of Noctua fans.

ASUS PG348Q. VKB Gladiator Pro w/MCG, X-55 throttle and MFG Crosswind.

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Ah, but i only found out about the ptfe after i tried all of the above. I have read many forums, all about the same problem, with different solutions.

I have also ordered a cone spring from AliExpress with the perfect dimensions. Just to try, costs almost nothing. Fingers crossed:)

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Yeah, the centering mechanism is awful on the 55. It's really worth it just go up a grade and get one of the better sticks. Rudder and throttle you can make do, but the stick... I definitely recommend getting a good one. Probably anything would be better, which sucks because the grip itself is quite good.

 

Once you try something with a cam centering mechanism you'll never go back to that sloppy spring stuff again :p

 

I am finally phasing out my Saitek stuff after like four or five years. It survived, but I bitched about them constantly lol

Де вороги, знайдуться козаки їх перемогти.

5800x3d * 3090 * 64gb * Reverb G2

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I, too tried lubing up the collar, using dry electronic safe lube. Worked for a short while, and then back to catching/sticking.

 

Finally, I removed the collar AND the spring and hooked up 4 external springs instead. It worked .... OK. No center bump and smooth, with decent enough precision. But honestly, I am glad to have left all that behind ...

 

I now have a VKB Gunfighter Pro II, but even the TMWH + 20 cm extension (and ONLY wit the 20 cm extension) did a lot better.

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I Just dont understand why they made the centering mechanism this bad. Not just one, but all! The problem is that in that price range, there is not much choice. At least not about 2 years ago. I have seen the vkb and the virpil sticks, and they make my mouth water. But the price! I can not explain that to the 'queen'.

 

@bearfoot: do you still have pictures?


Edited by Foxsailor
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