Any suggestions to stabilze left palm rest on T40p?

[gtratter]

I love my T40p with just one minor exception. I don't have any PCMCIA cards in my machine and the result is a constant slight flexing of the material below my left wrist/palm while typing. Are there any aftermarket products I can stick into these slots to stablizie the feel?

[sktn77a]

You could buy a type III PCMCIA network card (preferably an "untested, as-is") one off e-bay. It's the size of 2 type II PCMCIA cards and will fit in the slot and fill it. Or two, dead, type II network cards. They'll fill up the slot also but I don't know if that will stop the flexing - I suspect the actual deflections in the plastic are pretty small.

[K. Eng]

I don't think there is an easy fix for the left palmrest flex.

The thin palmrest plastic is arched over the metal housing that contains the PC card slots. The problem is that the metal housing is not providing any support for this plastic. Putting cards in the slot doesn't help this.

I have tried thin foam, but this only causes the palmrest to bulge upwards. Paper about the thickness of a businesscard may work, but I have not tried it.

[gtratter]

Thank you both - I think I will try the paper route....

[Nabeel]

Actually what I did was...

To the left of the little tabs there's that strip of plastic that seems to hold it up (not hte door, the plastic that's there). Well there's a little gap between the top of the palmrest and the top of hte plastic...well I found out when I stuck my nail in there, it wouldn't creak. So I took a wooden toothpick, mashed it in, and then broke it off. I can't notice it, and no more creaking. I'll try to take a picture.

[atlacatl]

Nabeel, we found the same solution. I've been meaning to post the solution, but I hadn't taken the pictures.

Here they are - You have to look closely:
1. These are the little latches: http://www.josesandoval.com/images/ThinkPadPalmRest.gif

2. This is where they are once the palm rest is installed: http://www.josesandoval.com/images/Thin ... mRest2.gif

The palm rest creaks because of these little latches. The idea of them being there makes sense, however, they don't quite fit to the milimeter. So when any pressure is put on the palm rest, the latches rub against the other plastic and it creaks.

I got my swiss army knife and shaved off little pieces off the latches. If the palm rest bends, I can't hear it - The creaking noisy was extremely anoying. Now, the T40p, is the best machine I've had so far. Ok, except for the pulsating 5 sec. fan

[JaimitoBond]

Type III cards will work, but I don't like having something in there if I'm not using it. Besides, it adds a tiny bit more weight.