Use their website to submit a ticket, you should get a response in a day. Also there is a number to call (at least in the US) I'd try that as they answer right away, when I called them. Might be a bit more shipping and slower but, it's better than another $200 for another HOTAS. Got my new x52pro in a week.
Hardware & Technical X52 Pro Twist spring
- Thread starter Mallick
- Start date
Use their website to submit a ticket, you should get a response in a day. Also there is a number to call (at least in the US) I'd try that as they answer right away, when I called them. Might be a bit more shipping and slower but, it's better than another $200 for another HOTAS. Got my new x52pro in a week.
On my X52, the twist spring broke afterabout 4 months of very intensive use (1200 hours). I asked Saitek (Madcatz) if they could help. I had to provide photos of the device and receipts, then they asked me to send it back, which cost less than a fiver with Myhermes. They then sent me a complete new set of X52 Pro sticks. I think that's a pretty good service. I'm happy.
Pictures!
Phew, so that took longer than expected.. Two hours including a trip to the hardware store!
I got through the whole procedure, and now I have installed my own home made spring!
Pictures and comments follow:
After following this guide, I got to the innards of the stick. I didn't know it at the time, but the highlighted thing contains the broken spring. I thought it was the "hat", and that the cap was further down. Confusing!
Another angle. I don't remember how I got the second part of the stick off, but I was careful. I'm not sure I had to though?
THIS is not the thing I was looking for! It looks kinda like bullhorns, so I really though nothing was wrong after all, and started to reassemble... But alas, I the stick was still broken.
I carefully pulled / twerked the whole HAT thing off, until I got it!
I could see part of the spring sticking out. I thought I had to put it back in. Nope. More stuff should be sticking out.
I really struggled with this part, I couldn't see any way to get in there, and the grease was really obscuring what was there. Finally, I saw the hooks and grew an extra pair of hands to open it up. (Actually, I jammed a tweezer in between the parts and pushed the hook with a screwdriver)
The two pieces!
The broken spring!
My first (failed) attempt at a new spring, the old spring and the working spring I made, including new grease! (I think that's important?)
Aaaaand DONE! Only one bit left over. Still not sure if it was part of the joystick originally...
I hope this helps someone later. I have no idea how to turn images around, so... tilt your screen or something.
Phew, so that took longer than expected.. Two hours including a trip to the hardware store!
I got through the whole procedure, and now I have installed my own home made spring!
Pictures and comments follow:
After following this guide, I got to the innards of the stick. I didn't know it at the time, but the highlighted thing contains the broken spring. I thought it was the "hat", and that the cap was further down. Confusing!
Another angle. I don't remember how I got the second part of the stick off, but I was careful. I'm not sure I had to though?
THIS is not the thing I was looking for! It looks kinda like bullhorns, so I really though nothing was wrong after all, and started to reassemble... But alas, I the stick was still broken.
I carefully pulled / twerked the whole HAT thing off, until I got it!
I could see part of the spring sticking out. I thought I had to put it back in. Nope. More stuff should be sticking out.
I really struggled with this part, I couldn't see any way to get in there, and the grease was really obscuring what was there. Finally, I saw the hooks and grew an extra pair of hands to open it up. (Actually, I jammed a tweezer in between the parts and pushed the hook with a screwdriver)
The two pieces!
The broken spring!
My first (failed) attempt at a new spring, the old spring and the working spring I made, including new grease! (I think that's important?)
Aaaaand DONE! Only one bit left over. Still not sure if it was part of the joystick originally...
I hope this helps someone later. I have no idea how to turn images around, so... tilt your screen or something.
Yaw spring on mine broke two nights ago - was only jumping in for a quick bit of CZ action after a trip to MCR to watch Radiohead (yes, they were awesome - if u like that sort of thing. Which I do!).
After 5 minutes it popped and now I have perma-yaw unless I hold the stick just so!
I'm not buying another one at the moment, and I'm also not breaking it apart (I did however do the throttle detent mentioned on post #2/#3 about a year ago and that was a revelation).
So I'm just going to have to get used to it until I canafford justify getting an X55 to Lady Z 
After 5 minutes it popped and now I have perma-yaw unless I hold the stick just so!
I'm not buying another one at the moment, and I'm also not breaking it apart (I did however do the throttle detent mentioned on post #2/#3 about a year ago and that was a revelation).
So I'm just going to have to get used to it until I can
![Cmdr Delmonte[VR]](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/82/82957.jpg?1711998379){kind=avatar}
YES it can be fixed, i did mine, patience and a Key ring!
Once i got it all apart, and you do have to give it bit of a pull, disconnect a bad form a pin connector, used a small keyring bent out the ends to make two legs.
It is very doable just need patience, the odd leaver and brain power (Don't drink and dissemble, never ends well ;-) ) took me about 45 mins
Once i got it all apart, and you do have to give it bit of a pull, disconnect a bad form a pin connector, used a small keyring bent out the ends to make two legs.
It is very doable just need patience, the odd leaver and brain power
(Don't drink and dissemble, never ends well ;-) ) took me about 45 mins
Yaw spring on mine broke two nights ago - was only jumping in for a quick bit of CZ action after a trip to MCR to watch Radiohead (yes, they were awesome - if u like that sort of thing. Which I do!).
After 5 minutes it popped and now I have perma-yaw unless I hold the stick just so!
I'm not buying another one at the moment, and I'm also not breaking it apart (I did however do the throttle detent mentioned on post #2/#3 about a year ago and that was a revelation).
So I'm just going to have to get used to it until I canaffordjustify getting an X55 to Lady Z
Increase the center deadzone in your x52 control panel. It's what I did when mine first went.
When you get used to it, you find it's actually very easy to use, and I used it for fuel scooping, approx 20% yaw, 20% throttle and let it circle the sun sideways.
To add to this, I just repaired both of my X52s that had broken yaw springs..
I think details of how to disassemble the X52 are detailed above, but I'll just go over them again: Remove all 8 screws, then wiggle the guard/hand-rest off. It's a bit of a struggle because you need to go backwards and sideways at the same time. Once that's clear, you can remove the side-cover to get at the pot and spring arrangement. remove the two screws that hold it in and pull it off upwards, then prise the the two halves apart with a thin screwdriver. The spring sits inside. Put the new spring in and reassemble. There are tongus on both halves that go between the two spring ends to. if you've made the spring right, that will add a bit of pre-tension. It takes about 10 minutes once you know how it all fits together.
The problem is getting the spring. I couldn't find anything the same, so I adapted one , which wasn't too difficult. The spring size is 15mm dia, the wire is somewhere between 1.2mm and 1.5mm and two turns. The thicker the wire, the stiffer it'll be. There is room for three turns if you can't find a two turn one. A three turn one with the same wire dia will be slightly less stiff. The stiffness isn't really important. I ended up with 1mm wire with two turns, which has much less tension than the much stiffer original. I prefer it. It still centres perfectly.
I doubt that you'll find a spring with the right end arrangement, but it's dead simple to adapt one with a couple of pairs of pliers. One pair must have thin grips.. I bought my springs from Ebay, but I suffered from brain fade and ordered 12mm instead of 15mm. It was no problem to unwind them a bit and rework the ends to end up with 15mm dia and two turns. The picture below should explain it:
In the UK, these people have loads of springs that can easily be adapted. I don't think they have the exact one, but they could probably supply them if you order a 100 maybe.
www.leespring.co.uk
I think details of how to disassemble the X52 are detailed above, but I'll just go over them again: Remove all 8 screws, then wiggle the guard/hand-rest off. It's a bit of a struggle because you need to go backwards and sideways at the same time. Once that's clear, you can remove the side-cover to get at the pot and spring arrangement. remove the two screws that hold it in and pull it off upwards, then prise the the two halves apart with a thin screwdriver. The spring sits inside. Put the new spring in and reassemble. There are tongus on both halves that go between the two spring ends to. if you've made the spring right, that will add a bit of pre-tension. It takes about 10 minutes once you know how it all fits together.
The problem is getting the spring. I couldn't find anything the same, so I adapted one , which wasn't too difficult. The spring size is 15mm dia, the wire is somewhere between 1.2mm and 1.5mm and two turns. The thicker the wire, the stiffer it'll be. There is room for three turns if you can't find a two turn one. A three turn one with the same wire dia will be slightly less stiff. The stiffness isn't really important. I ended up with 1mm wire with two turns, which has much less tension than the much stiffer original. I prefer it. It still centres perfectly.
I doubt that you'll find a spring with the right end arrangement, but it's dead simple to adapt one with a couple of pairs of pliers. One pair must have thin grips.. I bought my springs from Ebay, but I suffered from brain fade and ordered 12mm instead of 15mm. It was no problem to unwind them a bit and rework the ends to end up with 15mm dia and two turns. The picture below should explain it:
In the UK, these people have loads of springs that can easily be adapted. I don't think they have the exact one, but they could probably supply them if you order a 100 maybe.
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