T500 keyboard flex fix mod

The left side of my keyboard and bottom right corner had a lot of flex. So I placed felt pads inside the computer as shown in the pics. The keyboard feels much more solid and less flimsy when pressing the keys.

I see zero risk with the lower right pad.
But I am not really sure if the left pad is sitting near a high heat source and could eventually cause a problem. I don't think it would, but time will tell.

 

Is this the "original" keyboard / housing or the "modified" one? Owners should not have to mod their notebooks to have a basic expectation of a quality notebook: zero keyboard flex! And from Lenovo!

A basic of avoiding damage to the wrists/hands of a typist is that the flex and adjustment belongs to the hands, not the keyboard. In a keyboard the only "give" should be the "travel" of each independent key. There is no place for the keys as a unit to "give" or to displace. If keyboard as a whole "gives" it distorts the reaction of the hands, which have to overcompensate. Next thing you will get is RSI, fatigue etc. -or an external keyboard

 

The T500 keyboard on my system is the original one that came with my new system I bought about 3 weeks ago. Part number 42T3904.
The metal backing on the newer keyboards have less metal than the older ones and they bend/flex downwards when the keys are pressed, especially on the left side of the keyboard.

Here are some pics of the older more sturdy keyboards I found on Ebay. I googled on the part numbers which came up with the model numbers these boards where built for. This list is not comprehensive. It is just a sampling of what I found googling.

42T3904 - This is the same part on my T500.


42T3970 - This looks a lot like the one on my T500.


42T3109 - R61 and T61


42T3177 - T60 T60P T61 Z60 R60 R61


39T7148 - Z60, Z61, R60, R60E, T60, T60P

 

did lenovo fix the t400 flex and not the t500, or are you just showing how to do it to the pre-updated t500s.

thanks

 

The keyboard on the right is a T400. It looks the same as the T500.
So both models shipping today have the flex problem.

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4569

 

In hindsight, I'm glad I was on the bandwagon for the keyboard replacement program that ended in March. Lenovo's solution has been far from satisfactory judging by what I've read in the forums since then, and they've probably got too many of the new keyboards in stock that they couldn't otherwise get rid of quickly enough.

 

wow, this is an amazing thread! it indicates that, despite other suggestions to the contrary, the "new" keyboards are in fact not flex-free, and only those who have the replacement-program keyboards have the flex-free keyboards of before. so i am so relieved that i didn't buy the W500 I just about clicked on - I was prepared to cope with a WUXGA screen of a mere 175 nits (inferior to my 4 /2 yr old WUXGA), but a horrid keyboard as well, no way! After all, it is the screen and the keyboard that is one's primary experience of computing (with some help from a mouse, etc). maybe it is really to difficult for Lenovo to fix this round of Thinkpads - after all, it is not just the keyboard, but the structure beneath it that has been changed...

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=4835854#post4835854

my experience and FIX

 

I hadn't seen your thread until now.

Actually I had called Lenovo tech support a little over a week ago and complained about the keyboard flex. But I didn't ask for a specific board replacement like you did.

The tech support person sent me a replacement. Unfortunately it was the exact same part number. Infact, the new board felt worse than the old one so I reinstalled the old board.
Lenovo sent a box to return my old keyboard. But I will be returning their replacement board instead.

 

Hi guys,

Sorry for grabbing this old topic.


My new T500 was made on 2009-12-25 and I can tell from pics that mine and joey-t T500 have additional bracket in the middle.

Just compare to this photo from NBR:


The thing is that I can still feel flex on the left with it

Im curious why they didnt add any more of that bracket on the left side as they did with t400... it would be okay then ...

I think I will be getting new keyboard ... maybe with 39T7148 which has as little as possible holes ?

Anybody can recommend some rock solid replacement that you can still by new today ?


Thanks

 

The felt pads are a fix, IMO.
I don't see any reason to get a new keyboard.
Both fixes require opening the computer, so their is no way to avoid messing with the computer's inside.
Where I work, we have many different older T400 models with the old keyboards. IMO, the older keyboards are OK, but not the best I have seen. The best keyboard I have tried is the Dell Vostro.
IMO, the felt pad fix feels as good, or better, than the older T400 keyboards.

First remove 4 screws for the palm rest.
Then remove 1 screw for the keyboard.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-71313
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-71315

 

I know how to open it, I did it

Damn but why they didnt put that bracket on the left like they did on T400 .... Im sure this would help a lot.

 

The brackets do not fix the flex problem. Maybe the flex was worse before the brackets were installed, but us folks with the brackets are still not happy.
Lenovo needs to find a better fix.

 

Im affraid they dont care anymore and keep on thinking that nothing like flex have every existed. My X61s is really very very solid. I push so hard and I cant see nay flex ...


Old times gone

 

Wow, I wasn't aware that flex was still an issue for newer T500's. I was just about to order one. I'm guessing it's still not a deal breaker, but I thought they would've swapped out keyboards to the older designs by now.

 

I recently got my new T500, lots of flex on the left side, I'm going to have to do the fix.

P.S. Is it just my keyboard, or is the T500's keyboard not nearly as good as the older thinkpads(I'm coming form a T41, T42)???.... the feedback in the keys are really soft, as bad as any consumer grade keyboard, it's about as bad as my Dell Inspiron laptop. It is no where near as tactile as the keys on my 8 year old T41.

 

Hi....

Tell me you folks who have opened up your T400/500 machines. On the RIGHT hand side (extreme edge where the ThinkPad logo is), is there a screw at the bottom that holds the case to the palm rest?

In my R400 there isn't any - in fact there is no provision for any. So, while the keyboard is firm (no flex, though I have asked for a solid backplate Keyboard, from IBM/Lenovo India), there is a flex/movement/creaking on the right palm side. When I showed it to the techs at the ThinkPad Center, they were dismissive of the problem. I also wonder how the palmrest (on the right hand side) remains firm and fixed to the bottom frame?

Here is what I mean...the place where the provision of the screw is missing and where the palmrest is not set tight against the bottom frame.

 

@ lines of flight....

have you taken off the palmrest and keyboard yet?

 

I think I had the same problem you are describing.
I had a gap between the palm rest and lower/bottom plastic casing.
The two pieces moved/clicked when I would touch the front right corner of my laptop.
My solution was to stuff thin cardboard, a little thicker than a match book, inside the gap.
This firmed up the two pieces of plastic and they do not move anymore.
Below is a pic of the cardboard stuffed between the plastics.

 

Keyboard ordered. Will take 3 weeks to arrive ThinkPad Center says. Paid for it already (since I have not complained about the keyboard and I want a spare KB). On the palmrest issue, Lenovo warranty customercare is thus far absolutely silent. They recorded the complaint, but have done nothing since. I removed the palmrest and reset it, but nothing more than that. Thanks for the PM.

 

@ joey-t...thanks for the pic and what I think is an interim solution. But this is a brand new machine and I think it behooves Lenovo to fix this. But eventually, if they don't your solution will be the thing to do I guess.

 

Following this thread:

where/how to order replacement T500 keyboard?? - Page 2 - lenovo community

I called tech support and complained by keyboard flex on the left side, let them know that part 42T3209 fixes the problem.. The tech immediately going into the process of sending me a new keyboard next business day.

So I will be posting back and update the result.

 

Update:

I received the keyboard today and it is in fact with the metal backing. The keyboard feels heavier and sturdier, and typing feels sharper.



This is the keyboard, compare to the perforated one below:



I am happy!!

 

@killer23d...that is exactly the keyboard I got as a replacement.