N64 Joystick Permanent Fix And Maintenance (Non Tape Method)

[@EvilMaxWar]

A couple details: 1. I highly recommend silicone grease, it is very stable and safe on plastics. White lithium grease gets kind of crusty over time. 2. I use compressed air on the joystick parts to remove the dust. Does a better job than just trying to wipe it off. As long as you do not breath in the dust :p

[@KokoroKatsura]

KITTY!

[@1122markj]

What mskes the compressed air method better than wiping it off? I'm about to all this and could use some help understanding

[@EvilMaxWar]

​@@1122markj It is faster and easier to not miss spots in the nooks and crannies of some of the small parts. But if you don't have air duster don't sweat over it just wipe it off.

[@CuhShark]

@@EvilMaxWar what brand sillicone grease do you use? I've tried white lithium in a spray can and a tube and neither really seem to provide much lubrication.

[@DarkCloudLightFF7DCL]

What about joy con butter?

[@froschlongleg4490]

0:00 - Intro 1:45 - Things you'll need 2:50 - Prevent this from happening 10:35 - Fix a joystick

[@TheTimothah]

Thanks for the white lithium grease tip! Although from my experience, the problem lies not in the white "bowl" piece, but rather the two black swiveling geared pieces. I'm fairly certain the white dust (although it is white) actually comes from the wearing down of the openings of these black swiveling geared pieces caused by the grey joystick. Adding to the bowl will definitely prevent the looseness of the joystick, but doesn't quite get to the root of the problem. The root of the problem, to me, is the fact that as the joystick wears, it is creating a larger and larger "dead zone", of which the movement of the stick is not being registering. What I ended up doing was applying JB weld across the holes in these black pieces, and carefully using a router to sculpt it back to it's original, non-worn, shape. That along with the lithium grease, they work like new!

[@davidodle782]

he did mention something about the black swiveling gear pieces at 19:18

[@masonbaker2377]

What about buying a replacement stick?

[@sethreign8103]

@@masonbaker2377 this wouldn't be a repair video then.

[@justmetal227]

This makes more sense

[@hernanpizarro8383]

In my experience the problem is with both parts. I fixed those two black gears on my controllers using epoxic putty and sanding them to shape and while it improved how the control worked and felt it still wasn't enough, the joystick still was a little limp and wasn't as sensitive in some directions while playing, so i fixed the white bowl part too and now it works as new, it still has some little details but other than buying a new joystick i think this is the best i could fix it.

[@RetroSnoop]

Man every time I try to repair any game items, I end up spending 3-4 hours either with no results or making the thing worse. I really respect you Luke haha.

[@xXxLAMBOFGOD12xXx]

Dude, you deserve way more subs! The information you're sharing is invaluable!

[@christiankurti6170]

Does the epoxy need to be japanese or can I use a non japanese epoxy with my japanese game system?

[@SihtamEmperor]

hahahahahahhahaa wtf

[@allenmckinney9533]

Christian Kurti rice milk.

[@andrethree7626]

Jdm mofu cka

[@danielhenderson762]

Region compatable epoxy lol

[@conradmacintyre10]

So, MOST of the important stuff happens off-camera/out of focus. :/

[@darkchild4neverever]

I always thought it was my fault specifically that seemingly EVERY controller would get loose. I started going 'easy' on controllers to prevent it. Wished I knew this back in the day.

[@Eddie2P]

cant wait till this can be 3d printed perfectly for an actual perfect solution

[@TheSonnyworld]

+Eddie Tupy I know right

[@rickyfennecken]

Shapeways sells 3D printed bowls for these n64 joysticks. I haven't bought one to test. Anybody wanna be the Ginney pig lol?

[@Chewee394]

thingiverse has the N64 joystick model for free. I just ordered a 3d printer and have 5 good controllers. just need to measure, model, and print the parts and clean everything up. It might have some problems with the gears though.

[@frankymanky322]

Here's a place that sells replacement parts. store.kitsch-bent.com/product/n64-joystick-gears

[@jasonale]

have you tried the replacement part? does it feel "normal"?

[@elementalfunk]

When he started counting screws on the back I thought "uh oh", then you did an awesome job with dremel and glue, you're a great hobbyist and it was very clear.

[@yam83]

Man, I just watched the whole thing, like it was nothing. I have never owned an N64, but this was so informative I barely noted the time go by. Props.

[@soundthehorn]

I guess some major Mario Party was played on some of these controllers.

[@tywinlannister8015]

+Brandon_Da_Mandon_87 Nope. Heavy Goldeneye and Perfect Dark did this for me.

[@williamragle1608]

+Tywin Lannister same here!

[@Smelliott0]

worst blister of my childhood

[@nutterbutt8yearsago993]

Donkey kong 64 and rayman 2 did this to me

[@Syntherus]

The vast majority of wear on mine can be attributed to "so long gay Bowser."

[@cheaple393]

I wish there was a service where you could send it in and they'd do it for you

[@90s_sascha]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6mxXpSwjqyAeJY&lc=UgygqQQ1lwcawUxhINl4AaABAg.9H_BhrNgAmf9Hb2r2WSu7j

[@reubenjoshua5362]

Hell no they can't make in of the worst things on the planet (n64 analogue stick) any easier

[@kylecomeau5316]

Non tape method, requires tape

[@Jallge]

+Kyle Comeau But it's not _the_ tape method

[@BLOODY__FATALITY]

Lmao my thoughts exactly

[@Vitoamiibo]

yeah fuck this guys video

[@RonyIsaPony]

@@Vitoamiibo lol human doesn't understand what the tape was used for

[@spigknot]

ROFLMAO

[@Billchatz]

Too much work man. I found this video AFTER I permanently fixed mine. I just used my girlfriends acrylic nail polish and uv light. I just painted on as many coats as I needed and cured it with the UV light between coats. Checked the fit as I went. Worked like a charm and its super smooth. No holes. No dremel. No sanding nothing. Only q-tips, alcohol, phillips screwdriver, and an acryllic nail polish kit. Maybe I'll do a vid if I ever get a camera.

[@calvinfranca8550]

plz do

[@GalacticHero12]

Hey I realize you wrote this comment a while back but if you could go into descriptive detail because that would be great as my mom and dad own like all the things you described plus it sounds easier to do the way you make it sound.

[@alisont5335]

Wouldn't that wear down pretty quick? Unless nail polish is meant to last forever.

[@billy-waynejeffcoat4828]

@@alisont5335 does nail polish last forever on nails? No it doesn't he just extended the life of his controller, he did not permanently fix it. It will still eventually wear down like the original. Best thing to do is to yearly clean and grease. Not a thin grease that the dude in the video used but something like silicone/ white lithium.

[@yam83]

11:12 Holy crap! It looks like teeny little Gremlins sneaked in there and chewed the hell out of it.

[@sklzlm]

I did this to my favorite N64 controller, and now it works like a charm! It's as good, if not better than when I first got it way back in 2000, Very informative video. Good job!

[@jandastroy]

I'm repairing one of these controllers right now. I love the information presented in your video! Some of it seems contradictory, but it is really just a matter of resolving the problem which you cover very clearly. Thank you for being so thorough in your details.

[@rlopezblue13]

Thank you Super Mario 64, Paper Mario and Mario Party for fucking up our N64 controllers.

[@NineNineNineCortex]

lol 1080 snowboard did that bro

[@jayrwinleblanc2823]

It's Smash Bros 64 for me! Things get really intense in that game.

[@gonzalezboy06]

Jayrwin LeBlanc yes they do me, my bros and friends used to skip school back in high school and play smash for hours

[@TheSynStalker]

It was GoldenEye for me, that damn chaotic game

[@Vanillaessence]

The fact that you have 16k + subscribers and still reply to comments suggests that you are the best at everything.

[@Cea_VR]

Thing with living in Norway.. just getting the rest I need for this (lube and glue) will cost me more than 4-5 joystick replacement parts from Amazon.. so yeah..

[@KieranJBoyle]

Hori tribute

[@Ucceah]

while you're at it, i would recommend giving all spots where plastic rubs on platic a little wipe with a greasy cotton swab, just to minimize future wear. white lithium grease is perfect, for it's aging resistance.

[@valevallo]

Hey lukemorse, I just wanted to comment and say your video was the best tutorial on repairing n64 controllers I could find. I used your method on all 4 of my controllers and its as if they are brand new! Thanks so much!

[@SuperDeluxe80]

i machined 4 sticks & the white seat out of aluminum and used a ball bearing on the bottom of the stick. smooth as silk

[@hobobob59]

God damn. did you do it by hand?

[@SuperDeluxe80]

***** nope, need a lathe, die grinder and something to cold press the bearing

[@backfromcuba]

SuperDeluxe80 this sounds sexy

[@iamadave]

Haha that's awesome.

[@mrpicklenickel]

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUKKKKEEEEEE!!! just got into the n64 again and was looking up fixes for n64 controllers, so glad i'm back on your chanel

[@Davidevgen]

ive been opening my controllers for years and greasing them with lithium grease. but using glue to fix the bowl. impressive :P personally i think professional grade super glue with a calcium like powder mixed in would work pretty good too.

[@Eskilz40]

Me too lithium grease will not ever wear out

[@billy-waynejeffcoat4828]

@@Eskilz40 maybe not in our lifetime but it will, also you still want to do a yearly clean and reapply of the grease cause dust, dirt, sweat will still seep into the joystick and contaminate the grease

[@Khelztube]

Awe dude, it's much easier to fix using melted nylon. This is a good tutorial but you made it more complicated than it needs to be. Then again, I'm not posting any tutorials, so good work. :)

[@error.418]

Greatly appreciate you putting in the time to make this video. I have a new appreciation for my controllers and you probably saved my 4 favorite controllers.

[@davescott8859]

This repair couldn't have been explained any better, thanks for sharing and Nice Work.

[@michaelkaminski84]

thanks for all your videos man, you're a real gem among all the uncountable gaming channels on this place. It's nice to see videos from a real, genuine hardware expert.

[@rolithesecond]

Hey Dude! Thanks for this. I tried it recently and it works like a charm. Onyl thing is figuring out the right amount of glue to use and how to get it into the right shape, so it doesn't stand out in the middle or it would get the joystick stuck after reassembly. Thanks to the hole in the bottom, however, you can as you said remove the glue and try again. First controller worked at once, but I had to try three times for the second one to get it right. Now they're both good as new. Thanks, man!

[@Command37]

Excellent video! You also speak with experience, confidence and fluidity. I can't express my gratitude enough for your solution to this age-old problem. Thankyou.

[@NotMoreGames]

Great stuff! I thought my controller was in good condition but when I took your advice to grease it, I discovered powder within - now cleaned and greased hopefully future proof!

[@chroboe]

miss these repair vids luke, thanks so much for sharing

[@TheCardGamerr]

I've been looking for a permanent repair for the N64 Controller thumbstick for years. Thank you very much, there isnt anything like this on the web! I've looked!

[@ClandonV6]

"Non-tape method." "So we're going to need some tape, and--" LOL Just teasing. :P Great video!

[@KathrynFortunato]

This is a fantastic guide - thanks Luke! I plan on getting some extra original controllers and replacing the joysticks with good replacements on eBay, but when I put them in, I'll do your maintenance recommendation and put grease in there to prevent future breakdowns.

[@overcooler]

Aaaand I just ordered a pair of GameCube style N64 replacement analog sticks. Whatever, I still have a 3rd N64 controller I can try this fix on. Thank you Luke, this is a great idea and a great tutorial!

[@TheChronoGamer]

Miss all these repair videos watched almost your whole playlist of repairs mostly NEO GEO but still very interesting for me!

[@MindDog64]

I was playing took a break for lunch came back 10 minutes later and played for 1 minutes the video was starting to go checked the AV cables came back 20 seconds later it just shutdown and didn't work since. And thanks for replaying back it's a honor to talk with you :)

[@zts24]

I took my controller apart and did this, my joystick feels great but now its not detecting my controller at all. What went wrong?

[@atsu0002]

Probably didn't connect everything

[@ClumsyTrashPanda]

Did you remember to plug it back in? There's a blue plug that goes from the joystick to the board. It's horizontal and plugs in on the right side when you open it up.

[@Polaventris]

Always heard this can be done, but never seen it how its done before. Thanks for the upload!

[@Grayden86]

People actually exist that will take time out of their day to comment "lousy camera work" the universe is fuckin wild . Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

Interesting that you decided to continue spreading the negative energy, I mean I didn’t even see that comment.

[@trick6952]

Thanks so much Luke I remember messaging you on this a while back and now you finally made a video :)

[@Drive-n-Vibe]

did nintendo put in lubricant originally or was there none anyway?

[@TheRoon04]

Old video but nope just plastic on plastic

[@Reemelix]

Love those dramatic shadows.

[@MFKR696]

You should never lubricate plastic parts with petro-based grease. I would use silicone lubricant, personally. Doesn't break down the plastic.

[@OGSERB]

I’m going to give this a shot. Got nothing to lose, mine is totally shot. I got one of those GameCube style replacements, way too sensitive. Thanks for the video!

[@TheKingdomOfDragons]

those U shaped things gets stretched out word on ours because the kids still try pushing the analog farther then it can really go (which can also give it that slack with the stick) .. i use a hair dryer on it while lightly squeezing it towards the stick with needle nose tool.. then keep it held like that till it cools down :)

[@nicememe8608]

Cool idea

[@jrgudac]

Edit* there is a second half where you show the exact thing I was typing about below. If you are watching, skip to 11:45 and that is where the real fix is. You should grease it after it is fixed and feels correct. Not sure why the first 11 minutes of this video exist. Old Post: How does this work for any duration of time? The fault in the stick is that the bottom of the stick rubs against the bottom of the bowl that you put the grease in. Over time it hollows out the bottom of the bowl and the stick essentially sinks further into that housing. As it sinks, there is less pressure holding it up and it begins to wiggle. Your short term fix maybe gave a little bit of padding to push the stick back up temporaraly. However, as you use it, it would quickly push the grease away and the padding would disappear and the stick will sink back again in no time at all. A hard resin filler in the bottom of the bowl has potential. This solution is a waste of material and time. If you get a cavity, you don’t put a bunch of toothpaste on it. You fill it with a hard material that will withstand impact.

[@TwizSavage]

Check that the little black sensor wheels are not damaged. That's what sits in front of the chip. There might be something wrong with the one that controls the left and right movement.

[@megamancards]

Hi Luke, I love watching your videos. Today I bought an Ice controller with a bad stick for $3.50. I had also replaced a stick previously with a gamecube-style analog. I tried your method to good success in fixing both the Ice Controller and the left-over analog from the previous project.

[@SoilentGr33n]

20:01 : Instead of reshaping it, just put a small drop of glue on the end of the joystick. It will make a round shape like the original. If your joystick ends up with too much tension, sand down the glue ball until satisfied. Also mind the black cage shape, as explained in the video. There are a lot of variables you can play with when fixing up loose joysticks, mind them all and go with the one that makes the most sense for your particular situation.

[@DashRetro]

I like your thinking, but I think the wear and tear on the bowl tends to be mostly around the center. Effectively extending the stick would cause it to feel normal in the center, but too tight around the edges.

[@SoilentGr33n]

Jake Dooley You are actually partially right. I tried it on two of them and it worked really good for one of them, but the second one did exactly as you described. So the wear pattern of the bowl also has to be taken into consideration when choosing a method, and they happen to mostly wear down the center. So I also like YOUR thinking cheers

[@Thalanox]

Instead of using a cloth to wipe and rub the old dust out, I'd recommend using a q-tip and some rubbing alcohol. You can get q-tips or cotton swabs that don't fray easily. The rubbing alcohol helps the dust stick to the cotton, and the rubbing alcohol evaporates cleanly and is safe for most surfaces.

[@kassie2k4]

I wonder if anynyan has tried to model and 3d print replacement parts for these, it seems to me like that would be the best sollution, and perhaps some changes could be made to the existing design of the components to prevent this sort of ware while using the original stuff or replicas

[@rolithesecond]

If you don't happen to a have a dremel, you can get that center plastic thing of with anything sharp like a box cutter, just make shure it's pretty plane. For the drilling I suggest using 1.5 mm drill. Seemed to be the best size for me.

[@SuperMrJack64]

a little bit of life in it?? the joystick isn't done untill your thumb is BLEEDING, but seriously though, this is the most definite repair tutorial ever, thanks!

[@jeff15]

Thanks. All this time, I never knew what the white powder from around the stick was. Have you tried the new hall effects joystick for this controller? Less maintenance.

[@329712]

Wouldn't adding epoxy to the bottom of the joystick have the same effect as adding it to the bowl. It should tighten it up and it would be easier than removing a placement prong among other steps. If you add too much sanding it off would be a breeze.

[@SimonSemore]

Yes but like he says, the reason for the wear n tear is that the bowl is a lighter plastic and it would continue to deteriorate to the point where the stick puts a hole in the bowl. The epoxy + lube should make it last.

[@Red5.]

Great vid, I ordered a new one but figured I would clean this one and put away as a spare. Thanks!

[@jasonbrown467]

most of my uneven wear seems to be up higher around the upper part of the bowl. i would say roughly 60% up from the dead center bottom of the bowl there is a un even bumpy ridge around the entire circumference. to me it seems like you approach applies new material to the bottom of the bowl. i have only taken apart one of my old n64 controllers, but i left with the feeling that all of my wear on all the controllers is going to be like i described above. am i misunderstanding something? i expected you were going to fill the bowl and then had some genius way to cut the bowl back into its 100% shape

[@Izitnu]

I just did this fix to one of my controllers and love it! Thanks for posting the video. I plan to do it to the others.

[@MarkNESStarFox]

I never really thought about the white "bowl" being a worn out piece. Thanks for posting this video, because I wanted to restore loose Nintendo 64 Control Sticks, but never got good at it. I'm actually not sure if I should keep them anymore...

[@jeffziesk9525]

THAT CONTROLLER IS A GOOD FIND! As far as N64 controllers are concerned.

[@HalfBlindGamer]

Awesome vid Luke, love these repair vids. You really know your stuff and explain it in an easy to follow way. You also make sure we see exactly what you're doing (got to love those repair vids with the camera at the other side of house so you have no clue what's happening at the fingertips). Very handy fix and one some of my N64 controllers surely need! Thanks man!

[@WastedHog]

Was this scripted? Your commentary is solid!

[@flachboard84]

If I still have a loose joystick after following this video, what should I try doing? More lithium grease? More epoxy glue? Thanks

[@lucasramosp]

I used Cyanoacrylate (AKA Super Bonder here in Brazil) from Loctite, instead of epoxy. Worked perfectly. :) Thank you very much!

[@allredhead]

I used graphite instead of the type of grease that you used as an example. It did make the joystick MUCH smoother, however, it didn't fix the looseness of the joystick.

[@regarddefeu]

I did this back in the days, I remember that there was a white powder in it when I open it so I used baby powder to replace it. It may be not permanent, but it felt like new it terms of feels and sound when using the joystick. Also it's dry. I found it worked great for me

[@BackyardBasher83]

Thanks for listing this site because this is way cheaper and quicker! Hell, a dremmel tool is $100 alone. Sure you could do this repair without one, but it's a handy tool.

[@MrThejoff]

@lukemorse1 this repair looks great for controller feel but it doesn't address controller performance due the wear between the stick and the parts it slides through. What we need is a way to build back up those cage parts to get factory like performance back the way the tape solution does. Thanks for the advice though i like the advice about building out the bowl i'll be doing that one for sure.

[@Sicofonia]

Excellent video. I just happened to try to fix one stick 2 days before you published the video (using the so-called tape method) and the result was far from being satisfactory. Yours makes much more sense and it seems to be a more durable and reliable one. Thanks for sharing mate.

[@TheRadChannel]

Why not just stretch out the spring a little?

[@JoeyGero]

Nice video man! thats the ice controller from JP? Very cool

[@cutemimi25]

It's also available in the UK under the Super Mario edition.

[@gameglitcher4]

I wonder if it's possible to keep the prong in the bottom case part, connect the drilled joystick bowl and the bottom case and superglue/epoxy it from there. Of course the bowl may stick to the bottom case for good but It may keep a better structure or bond. Just a suggestion out there.

[@cutemimi25]

You're a lifesaver Luke, I did exactly what you mentioned in this video and you are a lifesaver.

[@KokoroKatsura]

a n i m e n i m e

[@MentaireRudy]

It's done on my 3 controlers, it realy work better, many thanks Luke

[@veganflyasassin]

any tips for sanding down the epoxy resin? Kind of hard to get in the because it's such a tight space.

[@iamadave]

Round off a pencil eraser to round trip and tape sand paper to end of it. Twist pencil to sand. 2 years ago? Frig hope you found a solution ....

[@Stiv64_]

Makes me wonder why Nintendo didn't use some grease in the first place? Does it smell weird after some time? Or was it a matter of low production cost?

[@8-bitBishop]

Great method. One pointer though, there is no need to tape the bowl to a corner. Simply remove the two gear wheels and set on a flat surface until dry.

[@MommyHunterPS3]

tug of war mario party fucked up all joypads.

[@michaelmyers5183]

I literally tore the skin off my palm 2 nights ago in that mini game haha. Now i have to fix the controller too, but i won the mini game 1v3. :)

[@alexpencek2172]

I used to play that game all the time with some of my friends but eventually the joy sticks got tired and quit working

[@Nardz024]

Mommy_Hunter Yes, that and that bitch ass rowboat paddle game. The crucified bloody center of your hands afterwords was pretty sweet too. Damn that was a good game..Kids don't even know these days.

[@alexpencek2172]

A n64 is all I ever had and I'm 14

[@Nardz024]

Awesome! but unfortunately that is not usually the case. These days most kids are playing some sort of COD Modern Stoolfest and in their opinion about everything else is that it's either kiddie, lame, gay, or the graphics suck. But good for you, It's cool to see that there are still people gaining interest in the classics. Have you beat Zelda OOT yet?.

[@PaisaPK916]

can you make a tutorial for fixing the cages? my n64 cages are completely worn out and i wanted to see how you would do it

[@CRTcade]

Very nice fix man. I've got a couple of N64 controllers that I might well have to try this on.

[@danieldubberly2083]

I found some N64 joystick assemblies on AliExpress. They were about 3 bucks each and they have the plug-in harness. I ordered 5 and all were tight. They just take about a week for delivery.

[@rush2802chuo]

I followed your tutorial, quite useful but i have a problem, although the Control Stick feels A LOT better, it doesn't work as it should, pressing left or right moves normally to one side but lacks response to the other side... opening and closing sometimes inverts this (ex. Left works, Right doesn't, after opening Left doesn't work but Right does), what do you think could cause this?

[@katanaswordfish]

Super late reply, but, I had a similar issue with mine (up, down, and left worked.. but right didn't work at all!) after adding some grease. The problem is likely due to dirt/grime on those black disks that are attached to bowl OR some dirt/grime inside the optical sensors on the bottom of the small PCB that's inside the stick housing. Basically, the N64 stick reads movement by shining a LED light through the tiny holes on those black disks. So on one side of the disk there is a light, and on the other side there is a sensor. Hit both of those pieces as well as the disks up with some compressed air, and if that fails, try carefully cleaning them with some rubbing alcohol and a small, soft cloth (there isn't a lot of space, so you may want to wrap the cloth around the edge of a thin credit card or something) and finish up with more compressed air. Avoid getting grease on the disks or inside the sensors. Also when you put it back together, you can try rotating the black axis disks a little bit just in case one area of the disk is defective. Good luck!

[@Kuson2]

Awesome idea there Luke. I might have some grease in the garage somewhere, but before I go digging around out there, do you think Vaseline would work? I know it eats away at rubber compounds like latex but you you think it would be ok to use if I come up negative on the grease? If not I could just wait until I have some but if you think that would be ok then I could set that up asap. Awesome video like always, thanks for all the tips and have a great one. ;)

[@neshead80]

This is brilliant! Any ideas on fixing torn rubber pads in a PCE gamepad?

[@maffegoser]

Hey Lukemorse1, thanks for sharing this great instructional. One little addition: It is important to use PLASTIC SAFE grease. Otherwise the plastic will soften and be damaged easily in the long run. Nonetheless great video and I'm definitely going to try this method!

[@nokbient]

Hmm, question. How much worse would it be if I used super glue rather than epoxy? Wouldnt the grease counteract the fact that it has slightly more give to it?

[@RAPTOR948]

Could you do a tutorial on repairing the sensors for the D-pad and other face buttons? the own button on my favorite personal controller has become almost completely unresponsive unless I apply tremendous force.

[@toshineon]

I'm definitely gonna use this method to restore my old N64 controller that came with my system back when.

[@e5frog]

So, put that white part on a small woodblock or similar. If you mix the glue that fast, don't you get a bunch of air bubbles in it? Can't help thinking of Howard in The Big Bang Theory sometimes when I hear you talking. ;-) It would amaze me if the glued part wasn't noticed if the surface isn't smoothed out with sandpaper before assembled. Pure Petroleum Jelly (vaseline) is considered safe for plastic, they tend to blend in a bunch of other stuff in various kinds of white lithium grease - is that really a better choice?

[@diegouv9585]

Greetings. Hey mai, is the white lithium grease the best lubricant, or wich is it?

[@BethesdaStudio]

Anyone know if original jb weld or the quick cure works better? Maybe a link to something well proven for this?

[@MarkNESStarFox]

I can understand for the Pokemon Stadium mini-games; the Ekans mini-game and Hitmontop in my opinion are the 2 main mini-games that would wear out the Control Stick. Mario Party would also be a suspect of worn Control Sticks.

[@latuman]

I complained about this issue years ago, like ten or twelve years ago to a Nintendo importer. Through them I could order brand new joystics for 10 euros a piece, which isn't too bad. I was stunned they were still available. Obviously this video is not a fix, it's a desperate attempt to prevent the inevitable. I'd like to know if you can still get the new joysticks.

[@arthurdunn1447]

What kind of grit of sandpaper do you use when you sand it down? Also what kind of technique do you use to get a nice spherical concave bowl shape when you sand? I think I was using some sandpaper that wasn't coarse enough. Thanks!

[@cpu64]

mine never wore out, still perfect since 96. I opened them as soon as I got it and found that flaw on day one.

[@pjnightingale4423]

So u just added grease on day one? Or what did u do?

[@cpu64]

@@pjnightingale4423 yep. It came bone dry and thats just asking for premature failure.

[@pjnightingale4423]

cpu64 what did u lube it with?

[@cpu64]

@@pjnightingale4423 white lithium grease. Its safer for plastics.

[@pjnightingale4423]

@@cpu64 have u ever needed to re apply any?

[@duzhang]

Many thanks Luke, this is very informational and thanks for the excellent tutorial. I know a few of my N64 controllers will require some repairs and thanks to this, I can make them almost like new again.