[ltp] Tightening hinges on Thinkpads

[Ted Frater]

Petr Praus wrote:

>Well, but what else if not Thinkpad? ... Acer? :D (just joking)
>It's rather sad there seems to be no pure-quality oriented laptop
>manufacturer anymore.
>
>Peter
>
>On 3/14/08, Marius Gedminas <mgedmin@b4net.lt> wrote:
>  
>
>>FWIW the hinges on my T61 are both too tight (it's impossible to open
>> the lid with only one hand) and too loose (you can wobble the LCD with a
>> single finger near the top).  At least the screen is heavy enough so it
>> doesn't wobble by itself when I move the laptop around.
>>
>>
>> > Otherwise, if we keep quiet, in a few years, ThinkPads will just be as good
>> > quality as a Dell you painted black.
>>
>>
>>I'm starting to entertain heretic thoughts about perhaps choosing not a
>> ThinkPad for my next laptop.
>>
>> Marius Gedminas
>>
>>--
>> If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done.
>>
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>>    
>>
I repair most laptops ,specialising in thinkpads.
 Not had anything quite as modern as your
T61 or x 61 through my handsso far.
 Hinges are one of the acillies heels of laptops.
 Some of the pacific rim  no brand makes are so bad that the plastic 
parts fail
within a few monthsof being new.
 Even some thinkpads have had hinge design faults.
However most thinkpad hinges are made stiff by using belville washers 
loaded with a locknut
this can be slackened off by a1/4 turn to make the hinge easier to open ,
 however you should never open any laptop with one hand. youll eventually
 crack the lcd. always use 2 hands.
Its a 10 min job for a thinkpad technician to do this small adjustment.
Requires the removal of the lcd facia trim.Dont try yourself. theres a 
knack to this.
Now the X hinge problem, the nearest Ive here is the 570
Beautiful thinkpad, along withthe 600 range one of IBM's best designs.
 Bit n the 570  The plastic hinge area on the base is so light and thin 
that it flexes a lot before thehinge opens.
 Material too thin.
You should check wether the screws holding the hinge to base screws are 
slack,
 use a small electronic philips no 1 for this, take care as if theres a 
manufacturing fault you dont want to invalidate your warranty in any way.
Are you near any pc repair shop? or laptop shop?
 Here in the UK if theres a manufacturing design fault the supplier has 
by law to refund your money on account of the product "not fit for purpose".
 where are you?
Ted
Dorset
 UK
Thinkpad repairer and dealer.