Issues with Spindle and Friction After Disassembling Reloop RP4000 MK2

Hello,

I have a second-hand Reloop RP4000 MK2 turntable that wasn’t spinning consistently; it slightly slows down with each rotation. I thought it might be the problem described here, so I followed your instructions.

I opened it up, expecting to find a desoldered coil, but that wasn’t the case. However, I did notice some friction at the spindle, but I couldn’t figure out how to fix this issue. I put everything back together, and since then, the slowdown with each rotation has become even more pronounced.

Do you think I might have bent the spindle when removing it, and that this is why the friction has increased? I’m looking for help, but I’m not sure where to find it.