How to increase joystick spring tension

   Increasing spring tension on a CH Fighterstick can be done adding a couple of rubber bands to the existing springs. Regular office type rubber bands would be too weak so we'll use custom rubber bands off an old bicycle tire tube, which has one extra advantage: you can cut thicker or thinner bands to fit your own preference.

   However, rubber bands don't last forever. They need to be replaced every once in a while. I've been using this system for several months and I had to replace my rubber bands once, after about 3 months of usage (and im not the most delicate joystick user)

   Cutting your rubber bands nice and straight will make themlast longer.    I suggest to use a 26'' bicycle tire tube because that's what I used and it works fine. Feel free to post the results of your own experiments on our forums

    CH Fighterstick

 

   When you open the CH fighterstick's base you will immediately recognize the features depicted in this picture. Promised.

    Saitek x52

   The following is what I did to increase spring tension on a Saitek x52. I never tried the 'Pro' model but I heard from a couple of friends that the tension is good enough on that one. On the 'noob' model (non-pro) the tension was way too weak for my taste, so I came up with a simple solution... except finding out that someone else had already invented the exact same fix. But anyways, who invented it isn't that important after all; the important thing is that it works.

   Basically, you cut a 'pie slice' off a soda bottle cap and get a 'pacman shaped' thingy that you insert in between the x52's handle and spring. That's it.

   Here come the visual aid again. It looks almost as bad as an instruction manual for some trademark-infringing Chinese product...

    Saitek x52