...Creaky left palm rest fix?

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2112 · #1 Post by **2112** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 2:38 pm

Hello, I've had my ThinkPad T42P (2373KTU) for a couple of weeks now and at first I didn't notice any of the issues people have been discussing in this forum...however I now have a creaky left palm rest (probably did the whole time!). So I read somewhere that the installation of a PCMCIA card into the empty, creaky bay solves the problem(makes sense)...so my question is: what type of cards can I install in that slot that will not stick out of my computer? And has anybody tried this...does it in fact work?

ohman · #2 Post by **ohman** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 4:55 pm

Apparently you can just use a business card in there to solve it.

2112 · #3 Post by **2112** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 7:00 pm

...so I can put a business card in the PC card slot to solve the problem? How is that...is this safe?

#4 Post by **K. Eng** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 10:07 pm

I never understood how the business card trick was supposed to work. The creaking in the palmrest of the 14" T4x is IMO caused by the excessive flexibility of the palmrest, which is a result of the thinness of the plastic used.

A business card under the palmrest in theory would transfer some of the pressure from the left of the palmrest to the metal housing that surrounds the PC Card slot. However, in practice, I found that the metal housing of the PC Card slot is itself very flexible and not good at reinforcing the palmrest.

atlacatl · #5 Post by **atlacatl** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 12:34 am

Although, the problem with the creaky palm rest is really the flimsiness of the palm rest, the creaking on the thing is really caused by 2 pieces of plastic rubbing against the base of the palm rest.

I actually bought a new palm rest to get rid of the creaks on the left side, and the new one had the same problem...So, I started looking at the built in more detail and I finally figured out that the creak is caused by the two little latches (which don't latch) that are to support the palm rest...

These ones: http://www.josesandoval.com/images/ThinkPadPalmRest.gif

So, I grabbed my swiss army knife, and I took little pieces off (mm really) so that the latches don't touch with the base. These latches don't really do anything, since the palm rest doesn't fit properly, anyway. Well, at least on mine they didn't do anything, except rub, creak and annoy the hell out of me.

After this procedure, my palm rest is creak free. The lactches are located here: http://www.josesandoval.com/images/Thin ... mRest2.gif

BTW, you don't have to take the palm rest to get to this little latches. If you lift up the palm rest, you'll see them.

BTW2, play with your thinkpad at your own risk. This solution worked for me, and didn't seem to do any damage - However, you may not have the surgical precission and dexterity I posses to maneuver a swiss army knife

So, I'm not saying do it, I'm just telling you what I did and what really causes the creaking palm rest - Ok, the creaking of my palm rest...

2112 · #6 Post by **2112** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 10:21 am

...ok so I don't seem to be getting anywhere whith an explanation of how the business card thing works, and frankly unless I have to, I'd rather not take apart my flawlessly(almost) machine apart...so I took a look around the PC card bay and what I found was a tiny bit of space between the PC card bay (metal) and the plastic palm rest, and wouldn't you know it

a business card pushes right into this space sturdying (is that a word?) the palm rest just a bit...so far that seems to work great! Is this the "Business card solution"? is it ok to have a business card pushed into my machine (it seems to me that the only thing going on under there is the PC card bay, which to date I have not used).......

atlacatl · #7 Post by **atlacatl** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 11:20 am

I think that's the biz card solution...I tried it with my laptop, but, when the card was in, the left palm rest buldged a bit and it didn't look the way it should look: flat...

Great! At least you'll be creak free...

nesen · #8 Post by **nesen** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 6:09 pm

I fixed the creaking palmrest by putting a tiny little bit of "UHU tac patafix" on those latches.

This "UHU tac patafix" is like plasticine but gets adhesive after time when under pressure.

And best of all, you can always remove the palmrest without damaging anything, and it's not visible at all (palmrest doesn't bulge, and the plasticine isnt' visible either)

Maybe not the optimal solution, but IMO it does everything it should. Very nice to have a creaky free palmrest.

I'm lovin' it

atlacatl · #9 Post by **atlacatl** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 7:01 pm

So it is those little latches...Cool...

...Creaky left palm rest fix?

...Creaky left palm rest fix?

Flex yes, the creak is something else...

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