Creaking Pallets? (Head Radical Pro 360+)

J-Wildcard

Semi-Pro
I was hitting with a Head Radical Pro 360+ last week, the racket felt nice actually with full gut bed. However it kept creaking on certain shots due to where and how i was gripping ot right at the end of the butt cap area. I have had similar issues with a Head frame (youtek prestige) in the past, not as bad but similar.
Anyway i have taken the grip off and then removed the butt cap with the hope that was the issue. However after removing the butt cap and pressing in the area where it creates the creak it is still happening with just the pallets contacting the hairpin. Now i am thinking the only way to resolve is removing the pallets which is a bit of a pain? Could it be the hairpin creaking when compressed, it seems more likely it is the pallets in contact with the hairpin? Has anyone dealt with this one before and how did they go about resolving it?
 

2ndServe

Hall of Fame
I was hitting with a Head Radical Pro 360+ last week, the racket felt nice actually with full gut bed. However it kept creaking on certain shots due to where and how i was gripping ot right at the end of the butt cap area. I have had similar issues with a Head frame (youtek prestige) in the past, not as bad but similar.
Anyway i have taken the grip off and then removed the butt cap with the hope that was the issue. However after removing the butt cap and pressing in the area where it creates the creak it is still happening with just the pallets contacting the hairpin. Now i am thinking the only way to resolve is removing the pallets which is a bit of a pain? Could it be the hairpin creaking when compressed, it seems more likely it is the pallets in contact with the hairpin? Has anyone dealt with this one before and how did they go about resolving it?

I have used and wrapped a few layers of double sided tape on the bottom half of the pallet that meets with the butt cap. That took away the squeaking. You could wrap a grip without the butt cap and swing and see but I doubt it’s the pallet, almost always the buttcap.
 

J-Wildcard

Semi-Pro
I have used and wrapped a few layers of double sided tape on the bottom half of the pallet that meets with the butt cap. That took away the squeaking. You could wrap a grip without the butt cap and swing and see but I doubt it’s the pallet, almost always the buttcap.
Yes, i was convinced it would be the butt cap but currently the racket is stripped down to the pallets and when i grip the bottom of the pallets it makes that creaking sound still unfortunately?
 

2ndServe

Hall of Fame
Yes, i was convinced it would be the butt cap but currently the racket is stripped down to the pallets and when i grip the bottom of the pallets it makes that creaking sound still unfortunately?
So it looks like the pallet. Is it glued properly, is the pallet cracked? They are kind of flimsy. Or just wrap the pallet with a wrap of masking tape tightly.
 

fritzhimself

Professional
As it is, someone has probably switched the pallets and not replaced the double-sided tape.
That can cause these noises.
I would take everything apart, put new double-sided tape on the hairpin, and reassemble everything properly.
This should solve the problem.
 

J-Wildcard

Semi-Pro
Judging by what i can tell and I have done about 10 pallet changes before, this one was still the original pallet but as you say, the only way to try and remedy this i think is going ti require the pallets being removed and work from there with the raw hairpin and re assemble. One thing i have noticed, the only way i can make this creak noise is pressing firmly on the very last cm of the pallets at the base where the butt cap would be applied. Pressing on that area from any angle will make the creaking sound. So maybe this issue is with the contact between that last section of the hairpin and the way its interacting with the pallets on both sides. I noticed of the four smaller sized staples one was very difficult to remove from the butt cap to finally remove that. I am wondering if that is a cause of a potential issue as it goes through the pallet into and through the bottom of the hairpin, maybe that has compromised the hairpin at the very bottom and where the butt cap is and then the pressure is mostly applied when gripping the racket?
 
Hopefully it’s just some space between the remaining hairpin & pallets or a warped pallet, but unfortunately you really should remove the pallets & check for surface damage, if nothing is visible internally with the butt cap removed.
 
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J-Wildcard

Semi-Pro
Hopefully it’s just some space between the remaining hairpin & pallets or a warped pallet, but unfortunately you really should remove the pallets & check for surface damage, if nothing is visible internally with the butt cap removed.
The pallets look very flush and in perfect condition but i need to get my heat gun and get them removed later on. Is the hairpin made of carbon i assume. I haven't stripped ome down recently. I don't like the way the staples look to have fragmented slightly in the hairpin. One in particular was a big problem to remove. I guess it's a case of remove and examine things underneath?
 

JustTennis76

Hall of Fame
The pallets look very flush and in perfect condition but i need to get my heat gun and get them removed later on. Is the hairpin made of carbon i assume. I haven't stripped ome down recently. I don't like the way the staples look to have fragmented slightly in the hairpin. One in particular was a big problem to remove. I guess it's a case of remove and examine things underneath?
I had a similar issue with creaking noise but it was with a Wilson blade. The foam handle had cracks and there was some gap between the buttcap and handle. What I did was put a plastic bonder from JB weld in a coating throughout the area and let it cure overnight before I put the base grip and overgrip. The creaking noise is completely gone when I play with it. I think the bonder material settled into loose gaps and made it a solid cured product. You may want to try that but keep in mind, this is more of a permanent fix and you may not be able to undo the buttcap or change pallets in the future. Good luck.
 
Yep; some pallets come off okay with gentle use of a stringing awl, some are so firmly stuck on that it’s very hard not to crack them - the Head ones are more delicate than the VOLKL ones. You can then use an epoxy resin if necessary to hopefully prolong frame life, but it’s a messy job & can be difficult to produce an even finish.
 
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ey039524

Hall of Fame
I encountered this problem w my son's partner's racquet. It was coming from the butt cap staples where it goes through the CF hairpin. I added some rubber cement to the pallet and butt cap, reinstalled the cap and the staples, and it went away.
 

J-Wildcard

Semi-Pro
I removed the pallets and then reinstalled them using a bit more double sided tape. Around the area i was getting the creaking then reapplied the pallets and then butt cap also with my preferred option of double sided tape instead of the staples which i find a bit industrial and overkill on the carbon hairpin. I've had great results over the last few prestige and other frames also i have done with the double sided tape. It seems to have done the trick as it doesn't creak when i press it anymore. But will need to get on the court with and try it some more but feels good so far.
 
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