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What’s the right way to fix a squeaky controller trigger?
My beloved Duke controller has developed an extremely squeaky right trigger. It sounds like a mouse or bird is in distress every time I play something. My dog is getting concerned.
When I search the issue online, seemingly everywhere says to spray WD-40 on it, with people immediately saying “don’t do that” without offering any real alternatives. Given WD-40’s toxicity, I’m not comfortable using that for something that’s going to be in my hands for a long period of time anyway (plus it’s even more potentially toxic to my dog).
What’s the right, preferably non-toxic way to fix this issue?
In the mechanical keyboard community, we use several different types of Non-Toxic lubricants to smooth out the key press feeling. Different Lube/Greases that you could try are:
Krytox 205 G2 (Grease), 205 G0 (Grease/Oil Mix), or 105 (Oil)
TriboSys 3203, 3204 (slightly thicker than 3203)
Dielectric Grease
You're more likely going to be able to find TriboSys in stock than Krytox since the latter seems to be much more popular in the keeb community. They also come in small doses so you won't have to buy a large amount and waste the rest.
(I refuse to support amazon, so I won't be linking any stock of the above that they may or may not have)
This is very helpful, thank you. I also have moved away from Amazon so I appreciate you going through the effort to find other sources. Do you know if there is any big difference between using a grease versus an oil?
Oil has a thinner consistency (closer to water), grease is thicker. You'll get smoother action with grease than oil.
(Some more in-depth explanations are here, go to the
Oils, Greases, Lubricantssection. The explanations are in terms of keyboard switches, fyi)You can use a silicone based lubricant - these are safe for plastic and tens to be good quality. Use a TINY amount. If it's a spray you could spray it on a cotton bud and wipe that over the part that is rubbing, if you can get to it.
Personally I wouldn't want to spray anything into the controller.
If it's a part that gets hard work against another part you might want to use a dab of lithium grease.
Does a website like IFixIt have a teardown of the controller? Taking them apart is normally straight forward if you're methodical.and have a tidy workspace.
Good luck!!
Be warned not all silicone lube is safe. I used CRC brand, only brand I've tried, on a cheapie controller and it was very caustic to the plastic. Buttons work better now but they look a bit melted. I would've used grease if I had some.
Ah, right, thanks. That's important to note!!!
It does!
I wasn't familiar with that site. This is very helpful, thank you. I considered opening it up on my own but didn't want to mess anything up further.
iFixit is great! And FYI, they also sell really high quality electronics tool sets, and "fix kits", as well as spare parts for a lot of phones/tablets/etc. Their tools and guides have saved my ass (and my wallet) on more than one occasion over the years... and even very recently again too. Using their tools, guide and a parts kit, I recently replaced the cracked screen on my mother's iPad for $60, which Apple wanted to charge $250+ for.
Just an FYI for other use cases as well: WD-40 is not a lubricant, it's a solvent. It really shouldn't ever be used for squeaks, it'll work in the immediate short term but exacerbate the issue long term.