Elecom HUGE trackball bearing replacement

[@willpimblett]

Really well put together video, I'd add during reassembly take care with the ribbon cables. My optical one kept wanting to get trapped between the body parts, would have damaged it if I'd tried to put the mouse together then. Tried poking it in but struggled, eventually used a small bit of tape to hold it against the body.

[@Vanillaessence]

I’m not even going to do this but I have to say this is the most thorough and and clear tutorial I’ve ever seen

[@mdombroski]

I have a tip to avoid removing the rubber pads. Take an exacto knife and cut holes around the screws. I just did this with my Elecom Deft. You can usually find the general location of the screws from a KZbin video and the point of the exacto knife can easily locate the exact locations. Then just cut tiny holes around the screws. This will make it easy to take it apart again if you want to do a switch swap or maybe even try a further upgrade to silicon nitride bearings.

[@franklafond]

Great video thank you! The most useful thing I learned though was to turn a screw counter-clockwise until it drops in to the grooves so you don't strip out the plastic. Brilliant!

[@LawyerPapa]

I suggest not touching the 2 screws under the long triangular pad on the right side. Those 2 just hold up the scroll wheel assembly only. The two halves come off without disassembling it into 3 parts. It will look like 12:35. It's simpler. You don't have to re-align the cursor speed controller thingy if you never touch that part. Also, you don't need to undo the whole cup assembly. you can just undo 2 for the optical, and 3 that are holding two halves of the cup. You can lift the dome and there will be 3 bearings.

[@wiegraf9009]

Thank you for the very clear and thorough explanation! No distracting music or anything, just exactly what I needed to know! The HUGE is working much nicer now. I also cut some small pieces of dense packing foam to put in the hollow parts of the palm rest in order to make the case more rigid and to dampen any sounds inside. It makes it feel a lot less cheaply made, even if the microswitches still aren't the best!

[@eccodreams]

Just finished doing this to the Elecom Huge I got for Christmas. Many thanks for the guide! Zirconia is INFINITELY better than the stock synth-ruby bearings.

[@pcfreak1992]

What an amazing tutorial! Straight to the point and with all the detail you need. 👍

[@drandrewtan]

I finally got around to doing this (I used a different mouse til now). Your instructions are perfect. Only thing I would suggest is using a magnetised screwdriver - really helps with picking up those small screws and also re-inserting them again. Thanks again for the video!

[@Skyburnbright]

Great video thanks! A note for people with the wireless version of this mouse, there are a couple differences but for the most part you can follow this video 1) There is no screw under a label. Instead, the last / hidden screw is in the battery comparment. The batteries need to be removed to access it. 2) The screws on the bottom of the mouse are T6 screws, not a standard phillips head.

[@taliharper8532]

Thank you for sharing!! I came to the comments with this exact question.

[@ivancorea]

I think it depends on how old is your mouse. Mine has standard phillips screws... although mine is cables (just like his) so maybe that's what makes it different?

[@BartekOdias]

Ok, first of all, great tutorial! However there's one very important thing that needs mentioning - the bearings should not move/rotate within their sockets. They should sit tight, immobile. At first I thought they should rotate as they do in skateboard bearings for example so I screwed the trackball cup loosely so that they can rotate. I even put little red dots with a fineliner pen on the white bearings so I can see if they rotate. Big mistake! The ball rolled loud and rough. So I had to take it all apart again and tighten the cup. Now it's better but still, the difference between the original ruby bearings and the new Zirconium ones isn't "huge" (pun intended). I expected it to be more noticeable. Some people actually report that their originals were not bad actually, like in my case. The zirconium ones are definitely louder and as somebody mentioned - "grainy". So I'm not really impressed. Another thing - when taking the trackball apart be very careful not to sever the yellow/red/black cable at the base. I moved the parts around and then had to solder the yellow cable back on. Stressy! Thought I broke the thing. Also, for the wireless version like mine, there's no hidden screw beneath the label. There's just one under the batteries. All the bottom screws are torx type.

[@adameberbach]

Very true - I also put a little black dot on my balls with a sharpie and observed no rotation. Maybe the benefit of zirconium is that it is more slippery compared with synthetic ruby and allows the larger ball to slide better on them? In that case the roundness isn't as much of a factor as it would be if they rolled.

[@ekagaurangadas]

Your pad is so clean!

[@adameberbach]

Clean and dirty state alternate... a little bit of isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel gets rid of the grime quickly.

[@guywellman1919]

I just did my bearing upgrade to my wireless HUGE... too easy! Except for five odd T6 Torque screws instead of Phillips head on the base, I didn't see any differences worth worrying about over the wired version, EXCEPT that is, for the finished product. Why didn't they build it like that in the first place? A whole new experience! Thanks for the most excellent run-through.

[@agnosticpanda6655]

Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed showcase! Wouldn't have dared to reassemble my new mouse without this!

[@pimserv]

Great step-by-step tutorial, I would like all the tutorials were like this one! My new Huge was totally unusable for precision task, and it was a candidate for the upper shelf ;-), but after the mod (with G5 bears bought on Amazon), voilà, absolutely smooth, another world! Thanks a lot!

[@himbysc]

Worked like a charm, thanks so much! And I just pulled up the corners/edge of the pads just enough to take the screws out, and they re-stuck just fine.

[@andrewfox4467]

Absolutely superb. It had highs, it had lows but we made it in the end. A great guide, which sorted my HUGE out a treat. Bonzer! 🇬🇧

[@neilgroves1972]

Thanks for posting the video. I did the bearing swap taking apart the housing in a similar manner. I only then took off the optical sensor board and lense, removing only this ribbon cable. Turned the device upside down and pulled apart the ball cup. This left the bearings held in place by gravity. Changed the bearings, reassembled the cup., put back the ribbon cable. Done. It seems turning the device upside down makes this a whole lot simpler.

[@junelva]

Thank you for this very well produced video. I learned so much, enough to apply to repairing and modifying other electronics as well. I enjoyed taking apart this trackball and the ceramic bearings I've placed in it seem to help. The whole thing seems very thoughtfully designed. Thanks again, I have subscribed. :)

[@adameberbach]

Thanks! I learned a lot about making videos doing this one - I hope to have some more interesting stuff soon.

[@OEMichael]

Fab tutorial! Exactly what I needed to walk me through the process. Thanks!

[@amischair]

Loved this video. Precise and concise! Thanks for the great instructions.

[@ohms5054]

Thanks for the video. Get yourself a neodymium magnet or two. They come in handy when removing screws. You won't risk accidentally marring the plascitc witht those needle nose pliears (plus it's just easier.) Also, if you drop a screw on the carpet, Scan the carpet with the magnet in back and forth sweeping motions, to find it.

[@adameberbach]

Good tip. I recently got myself an Omnifixo so I am now well supplied with strong magnets!

[@ToasterBones]

Great video, thanks! I might have a newer model, all the screws on the bottom needed a star/hex bit to remove. AND don't try to get around unclipping the wire ribbons... I did and it made things more difficult than it needed to be :)

[@drandrewtan]

Fantastic video, fantastic step-by-step explanation! Really top notch stuff! Well done mate!

[@LP-mh6ri]

thanks, great video, explained every step of the process. Appreciate you put information on what to look for in replacement balls in the description, I tried to make do with the stock ones but the stickiness really gets annoying when something simple like copypasting a word takes several times longer because I´m fighting the trackball. Design is great though so I ordered some g5 rated ceramic bearings hoping they will smooth things out.

[@susesunshine]

Thanks so much for this detailed video

[@adameberbach]

Glad it was helpful!

[@michbushi]

put the adhesives on a bit of plastic foil/bag, for temp storage & reuse

[@andrewwildman6745]

Thanks for this video now I know how to fix my sticking trackball

[@Alex-pg6uo]

Great video, followed it and did mine successfully.

[@JosephChiocchi]

thank you for this excellent tutorial

[@mdombroski]

I have fat fingers and have to use a magnetized screwdriver to maneuver small screws. I just swapped the ruby bearings in my Elecom Deft for Zirconium ones. I did not wear gloves and I had no trouble picking up the bearings with my fingers and inserting them. I did had to use a pick to push the old ones out.

[@mdombroski]

Not trying to be a smart aleck or anything. All these videos with people using tweezers and even masking tape to secure the bearings had me paranoid about losing them.

[@adameberbach]

@@mdombroski I only wore the gloves because I had a big scar on my hand! Even so they are tiny and easier (for me) to pick up with tweezers.

[@noskerdycatUSA]

Can't get much better than this! Thank YOU!!!

[@explosionsofawesomeness959]

thanks man! you were a lot of help

[@janns2001]

it was a huge difference, thank you for sharing

[@munzutai]

I exchanged the default bearings with ZrO2 G5 bearings and don't see much improvement. In fact, the ball seems even stickier now. Maybe I just have to break them in?

[@MolyMan0o]

Thank you very much for this excellently made video. I subscribed to you because of just this vid. I just got my HUGE today and was trying to decide if I am going to upgrade my bearings. Thanks to the clear directions I am going to! Question for you though. Where did you get that mat and what is it called? Also, what are your thoughts on using graphite powder on the bearings also? I've seen a few people recommending it.

[@adameberbach]

The blue mat is a silicon soldering mat that I bought from Amazon. Many brand names can be found, wide range of prices for what seems like the same thing, I just picked the simplest and largest one I could. I have never tried graphite powder, maybe it would be smoother? But graphite is eventually going to end up on your fingers, keyboard, desk, so I feel the ball is smooth enough without.

[@icewindzg]

Would I be correct in that removing the two screws that are underneath the scrollwheel assembly is not actually necessary for this process? From what I see in the video, it does not impede the top section from being removed.

[@adameberbach]

Correct, you can leave the lower part of the ball cup attached to the mouse top. It is good to place it on a level surface for the ball replacement but not essential.

[@merrickx]

My HUGE develops stiction after a few minutes of cleaning. How long do the swap bearings produce smooth movement?

[@ArchitecTJ37]

Only 12 subs....WTF.....At least now you got 1 more from mine. Go from 12 - 13 at the time I sub, you totally deserve it.

[@adameberbach]

Thanks mate. I'm not a "serious" youtuber, I don't do promotion and videos are not very regular. But there are two projects coming up...

[@asraiSOA]

Putting a link to the mat you're using in the description would be helpful.

[@adameberbach]

The link is now in the description - I'd buy it again if this one wore out.

[@asraiSOA]

@@adameberbachExcellent. Thank you.

[@TVperson1]

Can you do a similar replacement on the Mx ergo?

[@adameberbach]

I would be happy to produce a similar video but I do not have a Logitech MX Ergo.

[@mugichi8597]

HUGE trackball for SMALL hands)))

[@3DComputing]

where do I get that mat ? thats awsome for not loosing screws. And great video. Thanks

[@adameberbach]

There are many different silicon mats on Amazon (where I found this one). Just make sure the one you get is the right size for your work surface, they come in many different sizes but they all look to be around the same size until you read the specs 🙂

[@johnsuarez1404]

Dude THANK YOU

[@ophidslammish1368]

I got a quick video on the subject with 40k. I'm real sad to see these bearings are still being sent with the product

[@starfoxdelta]

Would this work for the MX Ergo? :0

[@acoustistudio]

can we, should we do this to elecom's deft pro as well? does that trackball have same "issues" ???

[@adameberbach]

I don't have one to look at but from their illustrations it seems to use the same synthetic ruby 2.5mm bearings and would probably benefit from a similar operation.

[@8BarLoops]

Awesome. Thanks

[@thecursed01]

Damn. Didn't help me. Couldn't get it open. Removed all screws but can't separate the two parts. Where the cable goes in,it won't split. Like there's still a screw or something but i found nothing i could access. Edit: broke/found the missing detail. There's a thing you'd need to push in from the outside at that spot. I lifted it up in an angle and it broke.

[@pw7752]

LOL can't hear you at all when you start the heat gun!

[@Ace_Disaster]

So I just did this, I almost screamed, almost cried, pulled my hair out. It was so going great until I made a mistake. It wouldn't go back together. And what had happened was that when taking it apart I couldn't get that black yellow red connector to unplug, so instead I unscrewed the board from the cup on the other end. Then I reinstalled the board upside down, and couldn't understand why it wouldn't all fit back together at the end, it's cause I had put that board in upside down and hence put it in the way. I am very dumb

[@adameberbach]

Looks like you worked it out though, now you know better next time. I could not count the number of things I have destroyed in learning to do this stuff!

[@rafaeldickens]

Guess who's doing this tutorial: A) an Avatar, B) Dr. Manhattan; C) Diva Plavalaguna 😂🏳️

[@adameberbach]

You missed Papa Smurf....

[@_BangDroid_]

I thought I was hearing All Aussie Adventures with Russell Coight for 2 seconds

[@adameberbach]

Thanks mate!

[@euphanasia210]

I bought one of these and the ball is too big! 🤣 j/p

[@MrEMann]

Why would I buy a product that requires modification out of the box? Thanks for showing me what I won't be buying. Good grief. Edit: if you continue to buy subpar products the company will continue to make, wait for it, sup-par products. Yay, mediocrity!

[@adameberbach]

Interesting philosophy; I prefer to think that it works well out of the box but can be made to work better. What are the perfect trackballs out there? I don't know of any.

[@Amy_A.]

I think the issues people post online may be exaggerated due to the break-in period of the trackball. The first day I got it (3-4 days ago), it was almost impossible to do small motions without it jumping way past where I intended it to move. It actually felt borderline unusable, and I was considering returning it. So I went online, did some research, assumed the bearings were the problem, saw I could replace them, and placed an order. They arrived today, and as I was replacing them, I realized that the initial jumpiness I'd seen had gone away entirely. I still did the replacement, and it's definitely a small improvement from the ruby bearings, but I wouldn't say it's required :)

[@AdultshopitCoUk]

@@Amy_A. Just bought one, first time, use today the huge one and its rolls just as easily as my slim blade or others I have.

[@kyotra]

Oh no, people have to do some _work_ to get exactly what they want! How terrible! Compared to mice, the trackball market is super limited - people have to make do with what they can find. Aside from that, some people simply don't mind modding things _because they're not lazy._

[@OmarLivesUnderSpace]

Have done the same operation, almost step in step as you and this kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpjWpWqAls50l5Y dude did, yet the stickiness has barely gone. What might I have done wrong? Is there anything that can be done wrong here?

[@adameberbach]

Is everything perfectly clean? The tiny white balls do not move in their sockets but they must be clean and the main ball must be clean to minimize drag. Other than that are the balls placed perfectly in their sockets and is the cup that holds the main ball fitted together exactly?

[@WyvernDotRed]

Firstly, my Elecom Huge hasn't arrived yet, so this is based on my M570. Try getting a thin coat of skin-oils on the ball, like with glass trackpads, it needs this to run smoothly. This can be done by rolling it in your hands or against your forehead a bit and can drastically improve the smoothness.

[@OmarLivesUnderSpace]

@@adameberbach Somehow, I read your reply only now (/ω＼) Sorry for that Yes, everything was clean (as much as it's possible in an ordinary room) and perfectly fit, nothing is loose

[@OmarLivesUnderSpace]

@@WyvernDotRed You mean, THE ball? Not the bearings?

[@WyvernDotRed]

@@OmarLivesUnderSpace I mean the ball, not the bearings. Greasing the bearings barely makes a difference as the contact area just rubs clean. Very lightly greasing the entire ball, with your own natural skin oils, keeps the contact area lubricated consistently. This is what the "running in" of trackballs actually is, at least judging by the one I have currently.