Are the bottom rubber feet reusable? (and if not, where can I get replacements for them?)

[Jason-_-H]

So I ordered a 15z-ef2000 with a 1x4GB RAM stick and a 1x8GB ram stick. probably should've gone with a 2x8GB kit, but I figure it shouldn't be trivial to do it myself so that I don't wait another 6 weeks. So, I do know that the screws to enter the internals are hidden under the rubber feet of the laptop. Are the rubber feet reusable or not?

If not, where can I find replacement parts of them?

On the order page, it's listed as HP 15z-ef2000 2K3T2AV_1

[banhien]

@Jason-_-H 

Yes and no depending on how do you remove it. You can buy a new set using part #  L63597-001

Unfortunately it is is N/A from HP parts store

            https://partsurfer.hp.com/Search.aspx?searchText=L63597-001

You have to use part # to buy elsewhere including eBay. I saw it on internet for $22,  HP won't allow me to post the link. Please use Google and search yourself

Regards.

[Jason-_-H]

Could you elaborate a bit more on the “Yes and no depending on how you remove it” part? If I were to reuse it, how should I go about removing it so that I could still reapply it later?

[Huffer]

You have the long thin feet strips. Use a sharp tool like a box cutter to start the strip out of the channel. The big thing is not to stretch them, which can happen if you pull too hard as you remove them. If you stretch the rubber it will stick out of the channel at the ends and the laptop will not lay right on a flat surface. Try to preserve the adhesive as you remove them. If you do it right they will just stick back on and fit in the channels.   

[Jason-_-H]

I’m kind of confused when you say “Use a sharp tool like a box cutter to start the strip out of the channel.” what exactly is “the channel”. 
But, the main idea is just to start from the sides of the rubber rather than the ends to prevent the rubber from stretching?

[Huffer]

No you want to start from the end of the strip. Take the sharp tool and without marring the strip (a little hard to do) slowly pull it out so it does not stretch. If you try to dig it out from the side of the strip you will amost surely mar it up. Does not want to come out that way. The strip/foot sits in a channel with plastic rails the size and shape of the footer. 

[Robimus]

I came looking for a place to order replacement feet. Perhaps I could share my experience of them...

The two feet cover the case screws that you need to remove to open the laptop. Each foot is attached to the case by an adhesive backing. There is a thin near the front and a foot along the rear that is thicker and easier to handle. I started with the front one, but I would suggest starting with the thicker rear one.

When I removed them, I found the front foot left its adhesive on the case and I think the foot may have been more prone to stretching because of this, as it was a couple of mm longer when I went to refit it, so it did not fit within its recessed channel so well. The thicker foot seemed much easier to peel off with its adhesive intact on the strip, so I would suggest starting with this one to get a feel for it.

When I refitted the feet, the thicker foot, with its adhesive intact, stuck as well as before I had removed it. However,  the thinner front foot had stretched a little and it did not want to stick so well to the adhesive that had remained on the case, and it has  since fallen off completely. I  suspect that if I'd managed to peel the thin foot up with the adhesive attached, it would have stretched less and stuck back quite firmly (hence I'm sharing this in case you can do a better job, or at least have something to gauge your experience by 🙂 .

Adhesives tend to be easier to remove if they are warm - I warmed the feet gently with a hair dryer to help loosen the tack of the adhesive.

To peel up a foot, I suggest starting at an end, and use a sharp, flat (screwdriver) blade to peel back the strip from one end of its indentation, while also trying to ensure you also peel up the adhesive backing. Once you have lifted an inch or so, peel the rest of the foot up by moving along the strip as you go, lifting it up with the edge of a suitable tool (e.g. flat head screwdriver) so that the adhesive is only in contact with the edge of the tool - that should help preserve the adhesive and limit any stretch of the rubber so it can be fitted when you put it back together. 

I hope that might help. Good luck!