Side Cap Bearings, Stacks, Side Stacks, or Hubstacks are a yo-yo design element or auxiliary modification consisting of bearings that are added to the hub and covered with caps, exhibited on many yo-yos including the MiRoC, eight8eight and 4xl. The purpose of Hub Stacks are that they allow the player to grab the bearing caps while the yo-yo is spinning, allowing for a variety of tricks that were previously not possible. The most popular setup for Hub Stacks is when the inner race of the bearing is resting on the yo-yo "post" and the outer bearing race is resting on the cap, making it easy to grab with much less friction, making the yo-yo spin freely in between your fingers like a gyroscope. Side Cap Bearings are also commonly known as side bearings, bearing caps (AnY) and hubstacks (YoYoFactory).
History[]
The Side Cap Bearings first showed up as Modders adding ball bearings to the sides of their yo-yos. Yo-yo maker and modder Frank Difeo of Dif-e-Yo eventually added bearings to the side tips of the Spike-Fly to make the Gladiator, which he described as a “bearingized” version of the Spike Fly. Next, the AnY MiRoC was the first mass produced yo-yo with Side Cap Bearings, naming them Bearing Caps (However, this design had problems with the caps staying on the yo-yo). Soon afterwards, YoYoFactory came out with the G5, installed with side cap bearings referred to as Hubstacks. After this many other companies have followed suit, creating a variety of side cap bearing yo-yos that have helped change the way yo-yos are used and perceived.
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