Real and Final Fix for Pre wobble!

**Rennat** · 06/19/2009, 10:36 PM

I have put together a great tutorial on how to finally fix the wobble issue on the Pre. So far there have only been half fixes that will or will not somewhat fix the wobbling issue.

My tutorial includes loosening then tightening the screws in the back, this will tighten the gap between the two halves. However, after you do that there still is a problem. Many Palm Pres have been modeled with slight defect that the top and bottom halves are separated by an average of 0.5 mm. This causes the two parts to be loose and you are able to twist the two pieces. This can be fixed by ether enclosing the gap between the two halves. However, you can not do this with out doing some serious surgery to your phone. The two pieces are loosely connected by the bars which help it slide up and down. You can see these by taking the back off and battery out, then slide it open and close the sliders. Because of this the pieces move up and down. You can fix this by adding some sort of leverage on one of the sides. This will make the screen stay steady and thus get rid of the wobble defect.
Videos
For those it 'didn't work' please acually do the whole tutorial. Just tightening the screws WILL NOT WORK!

Download Tutorial: DOWNLOAD(updated to PDF courteous to Mitalis)

**technoviking** · 06/19/2009, 10:41 PM

nice!

**ronlongo** · 06/19/2009, 10:42 PM

Interesting, Thx.

**donm527** · 06/19/2009, 11:09 PM

Don't you think that the gap if there intentionally to allow flex/twist?
Otherwise if tight over time cause stress to crack/fail?

**Drybonz** · 06/19/2009, 11:16 PM

That's good information... but I think this is more surgery than the average user wants to do on their phone.

**Rennat** · 06/19/2009, 11:20 PM

By doing the screw tightening it will tighten the bars which will lower flex/twist. This will not cause any stress to make it crack. You are not really tightening the bar directly but tightening the whole back, which inturn will tighten the bars. It is simply just correcting what the assembly line did not (that its tightening the bars).

And yes, this is alittle more than just a flick of the wrist. However, this is the best way to tighten the bars without actually doing surgery (modifying parts). It is not that much to allot of users though (i would think) because you are simply just loosening then tightening the screws. As I said above you must correct what the assembly line did not.

**Drybonz** · 06/19/2009, 11:24 PM

When you say "add leverage to one of the sides"... what are you using to do this?

**Rennat** · 06/19/2009, 11:29 PM

I am using a hot glue gun. This won't leave any marks on the phone if you take it off. I tried a whole bunch of other things but this was the best for the average user. This is just one possibility, if anyone has a better idea please post.

BTW it explains everything in the tutorial...

**Drybonz** · 06/19/2009, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by Rennat

I am using a hot glue gun. This won't leave any marks on the phone if you take it off. I tried a whole bunch of other things but this was the best for the average user. This is just one possibility, if anyone has a better idea please post.

BTW it explains everything in the tutorial...

OK, I just looked at your word doc... sorry.

Hmm... I'm not sure if I would try to tackle this or not. I'll look at it some more tomorrow.

**j2hott23** · 06/20/2009, 12:11 AM

I would like to see a pic of someone's pre with that gap. I've been hearing alot about it but, I really want to see what the big deal is. If someone could upload one that would be great

**Mosbb** · 06/20/2009, 12:11 AM

Another easier way is just to cut (depending on your wobble) 4-5 of those small mail labels or black tape. Cut them 1/4 wide (top of pre to bottom) and 1/2 side to side. Put one on top of the other and than:

Open you pre keyboard
Slide the labels/tape on the BOTTOM end of the SCREEN centered to the middle button
Push the labels in gently with a credit card (I used my old att sim "card") until the lables to not show.
Now press down gently on the bottom of the screen so the lables/tape will stick to the bottom of the screen.
Now close the keyboard and it should NOT wobble.

If it does you will need to add 1-2 more lables. Do this an it WILL WORK, and it's not hard at all. I would also tighten the screws on back WITHOUT taking the sticker on the top right of the back of the pre. With the lables you no longer need to remove that sticker.

And if you ever need to take it for repairs just remove the lables or tape and your done.

TRY IT, TRY IT, IT WORKS!

**Drybonz** · 06/20/2009, 12:21 AM

I am interested in seeing how these fixes work for people... I can't help thinking, though, that it really sucks that we are having to patch our new devices up with electrical tape and hot glue.

I already have a piece of electrical tape on the end of my battery to fix the "loose battery" problem.

**Rennat** · 06/20/2009, 12:44 AM

As for a video of the gap I'm going to post a before after video of my Pre tomorrow.

I tried electrical tape also but it seemed too bulky and in the way. Just 2 dots each side aren't very ubstructive.

This is quight a pitty that we are resorting to this! I really wish that Palm would have fixed their quality of the phones and made them better at lanch...

**Mosbb** · 06/20/2009, 01:02 AM

There is a way to do this fix without labels or tape. But it requieres bending the bottom of the screen upwards. What this does is it bends the railings upward and that keeps the top of the screen flat to the bottom part. There are two small ''tabs'' of the bottom part that sticks out so the top screen won't wobble side to side.

What's happening is that the top part of the screen does not lay flat to the bottom part so the tabs fall short and the screen is able to move side to side. So by bending the bottom part of the screen upwards it makes the top part of the screen flater which allows the tabs to hold the screen from going side to side.

If palm would have made those tabs taller the screens would not wobble. This is why the glue or my idea works because it PUSHES the bottom of the screen to meet up better to the tabs so the short tabs hold the screen. Same thing happens when you bend the screen up, just do it a little at a time. You will feel comfortable as you bend little by little till you get what you are aiming for.

**precrack** · 06/20/2009, 01:04 AM

VIRUS!!! jk, whats done is done life goes on..

**djdisturbed** · 06/20/2009, 02:10 AM

grrrrr,b/c i'm on an older mac (that is currently messed up so i can't download anything to read it) i can't view the the doc right, any chance you can convert it into a PDF and re-up it

**Rennat** · 06/20/2009, 07:54 AM

Here is an online wright up of it. CLICKY

**edgarwong** · 06/20/2009, 10:00 AM

also, the battery cover torques the phone at a weird angle and makes the gap bigger. Hold your phone flat and look at the gap under the earpiece.
now take the battery cover off
reinspect the gap, you will notice that is way smaller.
with the battery off pull the bottom half corner where it wobbles a little bit with you nail and you will see that a tiny amount of force will make the gap reappear. so i think that the screws getting tighten in the wrong order at the factory, which would make that corner pop up, plus the battery cover aggravating the situation is what is plaguing our phones

my top left corner of my phone clicks when i press it down. after taking the battery cover off the corner sinks down almost 70% less and the gap is much less visible.

**Big Dookie** · 06/22/2009, 05:27 PM

Hmm, I'm having the wobble issue but not the gap. If I only tighten the screws and do not mess with the hot glue stuff, will that at least eliminate the wobble?

**Rennat** · 06/22/2009, 05:31 PM

The screw tightening lessens the twist. If you tap on the top or bottom and it moves up and down, I would suggest doing the hot glue.

EDIT: If you do the hot glue a few times and get it right, you will hardly know it's there.

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