not so surprising when you look at the rash of little issues the Pearl has. Loose battery cover, crooked logos, chrome flaking on the batter door, etc ;)

Did you take the phone apart to do this? It would seem like spraying that stuff in there would be tough.

I have a rubber case on the way and kinda hoping this keeps the squeak to a minimum.

The can comes with one of those thin red tubes for cracks and crevices....just spray it very lightly.

Dawgfan you are DEFINITLY not alone! My 8800 feels like it was put together in the dark.
Not solid at all! The sides squeak way too much for a device that's deemed top of heap in RIMS line up! Has anyone tryed the Black 8800 units put out by Rogers or Vodaphone? I'm curious to hear if they SQUEAK and feel like a broken down suitcase as well!

i was thinking of trying the spray on rubber coating. Spray thin layer of it inside the chrome side and put it back on. guys think that will work?

I must admit that this is my only complaint with the 8800 and it seems like there are resolutions. If it is easy to pull the sides and do some slight modification to quiet the sides down a bit I pretty much have everything I want in the 8800. Someone even mentioned aftermarket rails and if those came in a material such as carbon composite with some good rubber inserts to keep them quiet I would consider that too. Overall though, I love this phone. I thought I would not be able to really use the keyboard due to my paws but it is going great. Everybody makes mistakes in design and quality here and there, just look at Mercedes these days... If some slightly creaky rails are the worst I experience (and especially if the issue can be resolved easily and on the cheap) I chalk it up to hopefully temporary design flaws on RIM's behalf. Heck, how many of us here are going to be using the same BB for the next 2 years anyway? Seriously.

Squeak's here, was not an issue day one, it slowly developed...Nothing yet on device #2...

more squeks than a mouse on acid over here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone has mentioned aftermarket rails/sides could be manufactured. I actually would be interested in this if they would eliminate the squeak. I love my 8800 but the squeak is like a ding on a new car..it really doesn't affect the performance and can barely be seen but it just sux. While we are talking about it, my vote would be for some carbon-composite rails with some rubber sealing on the inside to keep the squeak-action to a nil'.

Mine squeaks on the volume control side.

Some custom rails would be tight.

I have sent RIM a very polite and sincere email regarding this issue. This is the first time I have been disappointed with the build quality of a RIM device. I have always loved their bullet-proof OS and hardware. If not too pricey, I would be interested in replacement (silent) rails possibly.

mine squeaks so bad i couldnt stand it. If i was holding the phone to my ear and adjusted the volume up or down all i heard were squeaks.
really bad . reallllly bad.
so.. After returning that phone and getting another that also squeaks.
I ran my fingernail down the side of the cheap plastic side and pulled the cheaply made phone apart a bit, then snapped it back ion place. I guess the crappy little plastic tabs got stretched out a bit and it now still squeaks bad but not nearly as bad as before.
This is without a doubt the cheapest, most poorly constructed piece of electronics I have EVER owned. Without a doubt. I like the phone as a phone it works pretty well, but on principal, I am returning this piece of crap (along with the hundreds or thousands of others out there)and maybe RIM will improve the quality

Mine also squeeks bad..... I don't get it, the smaller 8100 pearl is sides are so solid and tight but the 8800 are loose and squeek what is the difference? They are identical sides just except for the length....


Does anyone think they will supply updated side rails?

The phone is the awesome other then that problem, you would think something like this would never happen.... unreal... a $500 squeeze toy....

Well, after all my dog loves squeeze toys.........

Very minor squeak audible in quiet environments. Normally, this type of thing bugs me to no end. But this is soooo minor that even I don't mind it.

The OS is standard bullet-proof RIM quality.
The phone feels nice and weighty and solid.
The screen is beautiful.
The sound quality is great as I have yet to go past half volume.
The keyboard works great (even with meaty fingers when you get used to it)

The rails are the ONLY downfall of this phone to me and the FIRST time I have ever questioned the build quality of a RIM product and this is exactly how I stated it to RIM. I personally think it can be resolved with aftermarket rails and if so (and can be done for less than $20) I am still stoked about this phone.

My main concern was if the sides are this loose and squeaky during the first week of use what will 2 years of under contract with this phone be like...

Hopefully RIM or a 3P will come up with a solution to this minor but VERY annoying issue.

I got T5 screw driver from my coworker and took the 4 screws on the back out. I then used my finger nail to remove the side panels. I then put little pieces of black electrical tape inside the side panels where there was open space (don't cover any holes etc and don't use much). I put everything back to gether and no squeaks at all. It is perfect now and didn't cost me a dime. Unfirtunately this should not have had to happen to begin with.

This works much better then dental floss as the dental floss started to work it's way out after awhile.

Ok, so 8800 uses T5 and 7250 uses T6? I am getting this tool today so I just need to verify. I am going to try your trick and I have to get sand out of my gf's 7250.

....but you are crashing my hopes of some sweet carbon-fiber rails for the 8800!!!

Yes the 8800 uses T5. The screws keep getting smaller and smaller.

Sounds like you created a very practical fix. Keep us posted how it is after you have used it awhile after this modification.

Cheers.....

WD-40 solved my squeaky sides

I'd prefer not to use oil as I like to blow the dust out with compressed air. The oil will attract dust and cause it to stick.

I was joking I would never do that to my Baby

First of all, I am not sure I would recommend most folks doing this. There are two little prongs inside of each rail that connect it to the device. You can tell they are delicate and if you break them, you are pretty much SOL unless/until you can get RIM to mail you some more.

With that said I armed myself with some dry silicon, a T5 and some electrical tape. When he said thin strips, MAN he meant THIN. Not only thin in length but thin in width of the tape as well. I learned today that electrical tape comes in different sizes and widths. I think my mistake was buying tape that was too thick as I ended up having to remove pretty much every strip I put on the inside of the rails in order for the rails to fit flush against the device.

When all was said and done, the inside of my rails were sticky from the tape but really had no tape as I had to take the majority of it off.

So I put/clip (carefully) the rails back on, screw in the 4 bolts near the battery and NO SQUEAKING. Not only no squeaking but my side buttons actually seem to be working independent of the rails. If you have squeaky sides you know what I am talking about. Now when I press the button on the left to activate my BB Messenger, all I feel go down is the button and NOT the rails!!! I am clicking it now in disbelief!!! Volume buttons the SAME thing, I can click them and not feel the sides move!!

To be honest, I really don't know what the heck fixed my issue as I had to remove most of the tape I applied and I never used the spray. It could just be that from the factory the rails are not being seated or clipped on very well. I don't know. I am stoked though as I now have the phone I thought I was buying.

I am still interested in some carbon fiber rails if someone wants to make them though!!!

Ironically, a rubber case I ordered came today and I am trying it out. I bet I have pulled it out of that case 5 times already checking for squeaking and luckily hearing none. I am not sure if I am going to use the rubber case as I am thinking of trying that new Seidio clip case that just came out, ESPECIALLY now that I have quiet sides.

Hope this helps somebody and I am serious in saying be very careful if you decide to pull the rails (prongs are located at bottom and middle of rail but not at the top - could be the issue).

I just hope we don't have to go through this in the future and that RIM will listen to our comments and keep us loving our Blackberrys by making high quality products like they have a history of doing.

Speaking of the Blackberry rubber case..how in the heck did they make rubber that is more slippery than the 8800 itself? That is just crazy. Maybe it just needs to be broken in..

Dental floss... god, I love the internet. This solved the problem with the squeaky right side of my pearl.

That's strange... My 8800 is the sturdiest rim I've had. The sides are tight and I can't even imagine what some of you have experienced. I guess its dependant from model to model. Some people have complained about the keyboard also (space bar), but my keys are very snappy, although not as much as the 8700 of course.

The one and only missing thing missing is 3g or wifi... Although not a big deal to me. That would eat up ridiculous amount of battery anyway imo. Nothing on this phone really begs for true broadband as edge does everything just fine, even gps navi.

Just my 2 cents, and I hope everyone has better luck.

Hello All,

I tried to dental floss trick and it works like a charm. Like you guys described I inserted a piece of floss on each side and I left about 1.5 inches of floss on the back side hanging next to the battery and placed the battery cover on top. This way you can easily remove the floss later for whatever reason (including sending the unit for service ! ) or you can adjust if it gets loose again.

-Bohs

Actually there is even a little groove against the rail under the battery cover you can tuck the floss into, it will keep it from coming out, yet you'll have enough visibility to pull it back out with a tooth pick.

You can also use the tooth pick or a corner of a thick piece of paper or such to easily push in the floss in the front and back (above battery cover) as well. This works very well and proves that it is something very minor which im sure rim will put an end to soon.

I did the same mod last week. Took the 4 screws off under the battery cover (just used a eyeglass screwdriver) poped the sides off from the bottom up, cut tap and put on the sides of the BB (2 layers for me) then put all back together.. no squeaking...Not lose at all! Perfect.

my dilema is that my 8800 is less than a week old and already squeaking.... i have 30 days to return it and get a new one or another phone. i however love the 8800, should i get a new one from cingular and hope for the best..... or should i just try to fix the one i have?

has anyone noticed any of the later releases being any better?

Believe it or not, i saw 4 8800's that were released last week and NONE of them had ANY give on the side bars. Will they develop over time? I dont know, but mine hasnt even budged in over a week. Not even 1 light "crackling" sound, even with all the times i've put pressure on the sides to test my phone's build quality (due to all this talk in the forums). Although i do think it'll only make it worse over time to keep testing it.. lol

This is actually my 2nd one. The first one i had to return because of a software issue actually. And this time when i went in, the cingular rep said he could show me all 4 which he had in stock and i felt them all to get the "best" one... but honestly, they were all very solid, especially on the sides. With the sides being solid, i then looked to the keyboard and tried to feel which one was the snappiest. All of them seemed great except the space bar on the one i got felt just like the rest of the keys (most of the time space bar is a little softer).

But here's the thing... the rep had an 8800 which he got the day it was released, and OMG, the sidebars were SOOOO loose. I mean i could play a song with it... He told me he got it the 1st release and he said it was sorta like that from the beginning. But i think these people get such good deals on phones that they dont even care. Anyways, so im thinking maybe this issue was addressed by RIM maybe since the 4 new ones were solid as a tank.

Good luck

Hello,



I thought I might inform you, though I may certainly not be the first, that the BB 8800 quality of the casing is by far the worst I have encountered in a phone.



The plastic chrome sides squeak so badly, I had to return the phone to Cingular. They replaced the phone with an equally “squeaky” phone.



Merely adjusting the volume and applying the necessary pressure to hold on to the phone creates a squeak that is not only the most annoying squeak one could conjure up, but is a deplorable level of noise that interferes with the call!



I have 30 days for the return of this device. In that time frame If the 8300 BB arrives I will give it a try. If nothing arrives prior to the thirty day period I will have to revert back to my Treo.



I like the phone as a phone and Bluetooth works great, but the level of quality is astonishingly bad. Did the manufacturer try to save pennies by turning out the lights during assembly??







Sincerely,



SB

How do you suggest it be dealt with?

Wirelessly posted (Opera/8.01 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/3.1.7196/1662; en; U; ssr))

I received my 8800 from Cingular as a replacement for a defective E62. Unfortunately, my BB also has problems with the squeaky rails. I read with interest the posts about removing the rails and placing a thin layer of tape on the sides of the unit. I unscrewed the back of the unit today, but could not get the rails off. Can any of you please provide some detailed specs or even screen shots of how to get the rails off? Thanks!

I got my 8800 about two weeks ago. It is made in mexico model.

TO put it bluntly, it stinks interms of build quality!

Loose battery cover... also impossible to get off

more importantly, the side rails are loose and creak and flex like crazy! and it seems to get worse with time!

Its annoying to even hold the phone.

Very poor build quality in my opinion - the worst RIM put out to date.

I will definately be getting rid of this phone the first chance I get.

Im even tempted to go back to the 8700C I had.

Has anyone gotten an official word on the side rails from RIM?

If you have concerns, you can email your thoughts (I recommend being polite as you catch more flies with honey) to .

I have sent them quite a detailed email outlining my displeasure with the current 8800 build quality and how this is the first time I have questioned the build quality of a RIM product.

Since taking my rails off and getting the insides sticky with electric tape (that was not left on as the sides would not seal down correctly with the tape left on) and putting the rails back on.. my 8800 has been TOTALLY free of any squeaks. It is like I have a new phone.

To the guy asking for advice on getting the rails off. BE CAREFUL if you do it as the little prongs are tiny pieces of plastic that look like they could break easily. With that said, know that each rail has a prong at the bottom and middle of the rail. I could not tell you if I pulled one way or another but I can say I did it slow and easy. I would think it would be better to pull the rails off keeping the surface "flat" to the side of the 8800, meaing not twisting the rail to remove it or pulling on one side more than the other. Just use caution.

It is quite sad IMO that we are having to go through this and I personally hope RIM is addressing this ASAP as most folks ARE NOT going to be as patient as we are and VERY FEW are going to be willing to pull apart a $350 device due to the manufacturer getting it wrong.

After reading your post, I was motivated to remove the rails on mine. Having done a lot of model building in the past, I just used the same amount of caution and took my time analyzing how the fasteners were designed. Upon getting the rails off the phone, I used denatured alcohol to clean the them and the sides of the phone. Then I used double sided clear scotch tape. I very carefully cut them to fit on the rails, with about 3/16" clearance around the perimeter of the rails. So once in place they would not be noticeable or hanging out. Tweezers seemed to work well in placing them on the rails. Upon reinstalling the rails, the fit was very good and snug. Frankly I'm very happy now with the lack of movement and the fact that it's completely quite.

However that said, I agree with you. A top of the line BlackBerry should not come in "kit form".

Perhaps I should send them an invoice for my parts and labor!

Well, I successfuly removed the rails and applied electrical tape to the areas where the tape would fit. I was very careful, essentially using my fingernail to move around each of the rails until they came off. Looking back, it was quite easy to do, but I recommend being careful as well.

Now that the unit is back together, the difference is amazing. The phone feels so much more solid, now, and there are absolutely no sqeaks or give.

One minor problem: A tiny, and I mean tiny, spec of dust got under the screen during my procedure. Any idea on how to get that out?

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful help. I'm really happy to be a part of this forum.

ibulldog

p.s. I will indeed be emailing RIM, regardless. It is too bad that some of us have to resort to this type of procedure to secure what I think it one of the best devices I've owned.

The solution, my friends, is SCOTCH TAPE, or to our friends in Canada, Cello Tape.

I have just successfully modded my BB following the rail removal procedure described earlier in this thread. But instead of electrical tape or dental floss, use good old fashioned scotch tape. I cut small pieces and placed on the inside of each rail - 3-4 layers thick. When I popped the rails back on, the device was solid as a brick.

I also took some scotch tape and put 3-4 layers on top of the battery and 2 layers on the inside of the battery cover. That's now solid too.

Just take your time and be patient with the small pieces of tape. This method works great. I am now 100% completely in love with by 8800.

Zig