Desoldering faulty analogsticks on wireless controller

How did you desolder it?I have done a few controllers and have had no trouble with it at all. I used a soldering iron of similar wattage without difficulty.

I used a 30 watt iron and some desoldering braid, braid against component and solder followed by a hot iron. It didn't seem to wick up the solder like it was supposed to, so I know something was wrong........just don't know what. Is there possibly an easier way to desolder??

The only other thing I use at times is a desoldering pump. not really any easier. Have you tried to heat up the wick first and then apply it to the component solder side and reapply heat with your soldering iron. Sometimes a bit of flux on the wick will help as well. Just out of curiosity, try to hold the iron against the solder without the wick and see if it liquifies.

The wick would get really hot to touch when holding to solder to try and soak up. Do you use your fingers to try and hold the solder in place? I soldered new thumbsticks in and had no problem at all with that process, it was only the desoldering portion. You mentioned flux, what do you do with that? Whats it for?

Flux usually help to remove oxidation and impurities when soldering. I sometimes use it when I desolder because it also act as a wetting agent and reduces the surface tension of the molten solder. This causes the solder to flow and wet the wick easier.