How to Repair N64 Controller Wobbly Joystick - YouTube

How to Repair the Wobbly Joystick on the N64 Controller
In this video, I take a look at the N64 Controller and repair the wobbly joystick.
Australian eBay seller - 10 pack - $3 AUD ea ($30 total is fkn expensive but local for Aus buyers)
goo.gl/xhzYKt
The maker of these parts is here, so US buyers should go direct. Unfortunately for us in other parts of the world, the shipping was huge and not worth the money or the wait.
store.kitsch-bent.com/product/...
The seller offers these shipping options.
International Economy - $14.00 USD
2-8 Weeks
International Priority Air - $33.00 USD
1-2 Weeks
International Express Air - $60.00 USD
2-7 business days
Please comment if you have any questions.
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[@ThePreciseClimber]

"So stick with me." You just had to...

[@mtoad]

i will stick with you to watch how you repair this stick

[@uncut_cowboy]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share where exactly the failure is occurring! Just what I was looking to be educated on!

[@GadgetUK164]

Great video =D Fixed a few of these myself - I find it easier to just swap out the stick for a replacement stick. It doesn't work out much more expensive and saves a tonne of time.

[@eric90000]

Where do you source your new sticks pal? I'm in Ireland so I could prob buy from the same person as you...

[@watmky]

You might want to consider lightly sanding and polishing the end of the stick after the glue dries. The glue can be hard and rough and shred the bowl. I usually de-burr with 3000 grid sandpaper and some plastic polish.

[@PluckyD]

Great vid, thanks for uploading!!!

[@The_SegaHolic]

You do good stuff yourself. 😜 Consider using silicone grease from Shin-Etsu, which is the stuff that Sanwa (Japanese arcade manufaturer) for their arcade controls. It does not eat plastic, and really will help plastic on plastic rubbing.

[@camfratus8636]

This is amazing!!! Thank you!! :)

[@wasco1989]

Haven't been able to watch the whole video yet but did you buy their replacement bowl and joystick as well

[@bulletproofpepper2]

Thanks for sharing!!!

[@TeslaDRay]

great vid. also sucks when the rubber on the button pads starts to split. especially on the d-pad. you can tell it is starting to when you have to mash the d pad harder than normal.

[@aussieguy1012]

Did not know this repair existed.That shipping is absolute bs.Well repaired as usual man,nintendo really cheaped out on this design I think.But yeah as stated some lube will help also Id imagine.

[@chairgaming1997]

I just got n64 and the stick is fairly decent it definitely has worn a bit but not too much im wondering whether it would be worth replacing now

[@tyriedle2658]

U rock bro.

[@Kapojos]

What kind of butter did you use..?

[@koffieleut]

There is a video where they explain a permanent fix for the stick. It haves something to do with epoxy in the white part and and some grease inside of it.

[@Pulverrostmannen]

I have a whole shopping bag full of these wobbly sticks. I might as well go wild on them and see which of the tricks works best. There are many ways but not really any obvious way to fix that wear in the bowl. I kinda imagine making a glue form using a ball of some sort to rest in there while the glue dries that you remove to get a smooth decent form again. I gotta spend some time in the lab when I don’t have anything better to do

[@alesta2212]

you sound like Modern Vintage Gamer

[@GlobalGarageAus]

We’re both Aussie

[@darrellpidgeon6440]

Valuable information! Maybe now I can repair my controller's wobbly stick and play Zelda-Windwaker again. Thanks!

[@TECuber99]

Windwaker is gamecube. I think you mean Ocarina of time or majora's mask

[@ext93]

@@TECuber99 I believe they released a version of Windwaker for n64 just before GameCube was released. So they may be correct Edit: I was thinking of twilight princess. TP was released on GameCube before the wii version was released. WW was not released on n64 prior to GameCube

[@enzomiguel9372]

can i use shoe glue

[@adilator]

I made the mistake of messing with the whole bowl itself and now it's not rounded anymore. So I just went and bought a new stick part.

[@Porthin]

Can you 3d print the parts?

[@AxlAX]

No 3D printing isn't recommended.

[@HalianTheProtogen]

Where's your channel's theme song from?

[@GlobalGarageAus]

Just here...It's custom made.

[@sportslorry]

I personally prefer the "GameCube" style replacement sticks you can get on ebay. More durable but less accurate. Good for mario kart less good for super mario 64. They also feel smooth like modern joysticks.

[@watmky]

I haven't found any that don't have a huge dead zone in the middle and/or weren't "quite" analog (meaning it didn't do full 360). Were you able to find a good manufacturer?

[@elamriti]

he ript you off you can buy them for 0.87 dollars ! times 10 thats like 8 dollars / 30 dollars for 10 is insane

[@GlobalGarageAus]

Shipping to Australia was a killer, so buying 10 from the Kitsch Bent direct was $29.87 AUD (23USD). Basically the same price and much quicker to buy locally off that eBay seller for me. I agree it's a rip off, but I wanted to test the parts out and make this video.

[@feski1]

4.24 Cradle.

[@Duharshy]

YOU CALL THAT “REALLY” WOBLY?!?!?!

[@austinborton8693]

I still can't believe no one has capitalized on making new "bowls" for the joystick.

[@RippRoast83]

Austin Borton there is one seller on ebay. I was tempted to buy it but instead just went with a new joystick all together.

[@KitsuneJimmy]

And now SteelSticks has made a bowl, as well as metal versions of the original parts, but its not massively available yet

[@SLRModShop]

Fuck, I was disassembling my controller at the same time and then you said "so I ordered those new parts"... Fuck, I thought this repair didn't involve new parts ^-^

[@emmettturner9452]

Kitsch Bent gears are crap. They are warped and do not fit properly. Their bowl and stick are mostly fine. The thing is, you can replace all three with parts from a brand new original stick and it still will not get rid of all the slack. I've had a video ready to upload for the last month and a half where I tested this using parts from an original, never-used joystick and Kitsch Bent parts to reveal the problematic part, which is one you still can't buy replacements for. It really surprised me because the wear point is really subtle (simply can't inspect it visually). Edit: and now that I've seen more of this video I see that it also perpetuates the "slack is caused by worn gears" myth. I've known that this was false since 1996! That's because the sticks start grinding before the gears start wearing. By the time the stick and bowl wear down enough for the ball to pivot lower to wear the gear, your stick is too far gone anyway.

[@GlobalGarageAus]

Thanks for your input. What do you recommend for a proper repair? I'm certainly no expert with N64 repair, but I think these Kitsch Bent parts do work quite well. Maybe the quality has improved over time?

[@conradmacintyre10]

What is needed is a shim that goes around the base of the joystick ABOVE both gears. I make them by hand out of old pen bodies. They are a HUGE PITA to make. I would LOVE if someone could mass-produce these shims. I would buy like 100 of them. That will fix 90% of the problem. But replacing the gear will help keep the stick super snappy. So that's certainly not wasted energy.

[@conradmacintyre10]

Additionally, if you repair (or upgrade) an existing controller with this shim, it will NEVER wear down the bowl again, because it's suspended above the bowl and never actually touches it anymore. Gears will still wear over time, though.

[@emmettturner9452]

Conrad MacIntyre The thing about the gear wear is that it is accelerated by the regolith produced from the stick and bowl grinding. Suspending the stick stops the production of regolith, further improving the longevity of the gears. As long as you clean the old plastic dust out and lubricate it should prevent the gears from wearing significantly too. Anyway, many have noticed even way-back-when, lifting the stick stops the grinding and reduces slack (eliminates if the gears haven't started wearing yet). I have experimented with 100% new genuine sticks removed from my perfect condition slack-free unused/never used controllers and determined that even a new stick, new bowl, and new gears will not eliminate the slack. Somehow, it's the module's top housing. As soon as I swap the top housing from a new/never used genuine control stick module (along with the aforementioned parts) I get 100% slack-free like-new stick, even if the old part doesn't look bad or worn at all. I am going to experiment with making a mold of my new/never used parts but if I could see what you are doing to support the stick I may be able to make a mold that incorporates your fix.

[@emmettturner9452]

Global Garage My parts were ordered from their site directly in June and received in July. They are a bit springy/flexible and, thus, they do not hold the proper shape and often interfere inside the controller. Many people resort to sanding them. In my experience it really is better to find good genuine gears and refurbish the bowl/stick with Kitsch-Bent parts. As mentioned earlier though, even original genuine OEM gears, bowl, and stick will not completely eliminate the slack and restore it to a like-new state. For that, you need a replacement module top housing, which no one seems to make yet. :( I'm experimenting with making replacements for that myself.

[@celebratelife865]

This video title is misleading and does not show how to repair a wobbly joystick. It shows how to replace the parts in a wobbly joystick that are purchased from a retailer who is no longer selling parts. There is a huge difference between repairing a wobbly joystick and replacing a wobble joystick.

[@Alice.59]

well you can't "repair" those part or maybe with resin , but is a lot of effort just for this as for where to find those part , just search "Nintendo 64 joystick gear" you will find a lot of retailer selling those part

[@enzomiguel9372]

r

[@VQ1whales]

If your replacing it with a new $10 joystick assembly... Take it apart and pack the cup with dialectical grease. It will feel , work and last 100% far better.

[@takatoukitte]

You don't repair anything you're just cleaning and replacing the black pieces... Doesn't really worked for me if I compare to a brand new controller..

[@midodido5809]

you are very magnificent