Thinkpads Forum

Does anyone else have loose hinges on their T60? Mine have a bit of give... it'll hold the screen up but it wobbles if you touch it, not nearly as solid feeling as my old T40's or even my T23. I don't remember it doing this when I got it..

I just put in a service call for that, a screen latch that broke and a noisy fan, so hopefully they can fix it with new hinges or something, but I was wondering if anyone else was having this problem or if it's just my machine...

My T60's hinges have been rock solid since I got it in Aug 2006, but there have been sporadic reports of some play in T60 hinges now and then. If you have warranty, get it serviced.

I had a loose hinge on a T60. I simply tightened a screw (from the bottom going right into the hinge) and that fixed it.
So, in my case, it was not the hinge itself, but the screw that holds the hinge.

I checked all the screws on mine but they are tight. I can move the top of the screen about .5 inches freely but it holds the screen up just fine. I will get it fixed if I have to send it in to the depot for anything else, It is annoying but not worth sending it in just for that. Otherwise it will be OK until I get ready to sell it. Then I will get it fixed before I sell it. It is still better than most other brand laptops out there. I have seen new laptops that are looser than my T60.

mine got loose hinges after ~8-10 months of usage... they aren't extremly loose but they are not tight. that's why i don't close my lid no more unless i travel.

My couple weeks old T61 has the hinge wobble. maybe 5 degrees or so.

I feel SO robbed getting this T61, I do not recommend it, get a T42 instead, T61 isn't worth tying the shoelaces of a T42.

I totally hate this machine, considering tossing it for i would not wish this machine on my worst enemy.


--Zaph

In spite of the loose hinges I think my T60 is superior to the T42 I used to have. But, to each his own opinion.
Zaph, What is so bad about yours?

My T61 gripes: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=57747

-Zaph

you lcd hinges may gone bad, so just send it in for replace, easy fix.

Mine have gone wobbly as well lately.. Together with the VGA out no longer working, or the left click button..

I'm sending it out for repair in the summer, I can't be without the machine for even a week until then

Luckly I have my old T23 around to keep me productive while it's out, as well as a USB backup HDD... I also just managed to fix one of my T40's so I'll probably use that while it's out.

It's just annoying. none of my other thinkpads have ever had loose hinges.

As a side note, so far IBM/Lenovo support has been as good as ever, I have TPP and they overnighted me a box with return label again (I LOVE that service..) for the fan, hinges, and LCD latch. Got the box yesterday (I called wends night around 8pm), gonna send the machine out Monday, I don't want to be without on the weekend when I know they're not gonna work on it anyhow.

lithium726 wrote:It's just annoying. none of my other thinkpads have ever had loose hinges.
.

You must have never had a 570. When those got loose it wouldn't even hold the display upright. Zero friction.
It would slam wide open (possibly breaking the LCD) or worse, slam shut (right on your fingers.)

Nope, never had a 570 - my oldest one was a T21.

I got the machine back. While they fixed the fan issue and replaced the latch, the hinges have NOT been changed and the same issue exists. they'll hold the screen up, but the screen wobbles. Also, the tech who put the LCD assembly back together managed to mess up the LED display on the top part of the lid, the light shines threw at odd places and my sleep LED doesn't light up at all. I'm assuming a little plate has just moved or something.

Should I call back and complain? Think they'll just send me some new [censored] hinges? I can install them myself, but I doubt they'll let me...

on the flip side, thumbs up for turn around time, I was without from 6:30pm Monday until about 9am this morning.

I have started noticed some play in the hinges of my T60 now. It is not sloppy or anything by any standards, but it is definitely present. I tried adjusting the hinge screws to no avail.

All I can hope for is that it does not get worse with time. It is hard *not* to compare with the T23 I use, that machine is 7+ years old and still solid

Yeah, I'm thinking I'm going to give them another call around sometime during the summer when I'm not so reliant on my laptop and request new hinges. I just plain don't like the play this thing has...

gator, I'm afraid it will get worse in time. Just get it fixed before the warranty runs out.

My T60 14" had some play in hinges, it's been like this since some 2-3 months after I had received it. But it didn't really get worse over time I'd say. Nevertheless I took the chance, and when ordering WWAN antenna also asked for new hinges - it didn't cost much - and replaced them when installing the antenna. It's solid now, so I hope it will last longer this time
I believe they would replace them on warranty, but I don't feel like giving up the machine for a week.

There is nothing wrong with my T60. The hinge is as tight as my R52.

I have the opposite complaint.
The hinge on my T61p is TOO stiff. On all my old laptops, they were solid enough so the screen didn't wobble but loose enough so that I could lift up the screen without having to hold the front palmrest (weight balanced).

With the T61, I have to hold the front palm rest down while opening the screen otherwise the entire laptop will just lift up with it.

jonnnny wrote:I have the opposite complaint.
The hinge on my T61p is TOO stiff. On all my old laptops, they were solid enough so the screen didn't wobble but loose enough so that I could lift up the screen without having to hold the front palmrest (weight balanced).

With the T61, I have to hold the front palm rest down while opening the screen otherwise the entire laptop will just lift up with it.

trade?

My T61p is tight, too. I impressed my niece who has a Macbook by picking the notebook up off the table by holding the top of the display... with it open at 45 degrees.

I cautioned her not to try that with her Macbook.

I also have not heard much more about how wonderful that Mac is either.

I understood that this issue of wobbly screen can be due to loose hinge screws (which can be tightened) or loose hinges, which can be replaced. I guess if all your hinge screws are tight, and it still wobbles, then it's a problem with the hinge itself, and you should get it to service.

dr_st, that is what I thought at first and I checked for loose screws but they were all tight.
Just to clarify the situation. My hinges are tight when opening and closing the lid but when it is open it can wobble it back and forth about 1/2 inch. It is not like the 570's where the lid would not stay open and would slam shut on your fingers.
It is just an annoyance and since I need it every day I will wait until something else goes wrong with it before sending it in for repair.

i got the loose hinges problem too. i will give them a call soon.
its 6 month old machine.

my T43 is not 3 years old exactly and had never that issue there.
but had others with it. thats why we have warranty

danny_isr wrote:i got the loose hinges problem too. i will give them a call soon.
its 6 month old machine.

my T43 is not 3 years old exactly and had never that issue there.
but had others with it. thats why we have warranty

My T61 hinges after 6 months are still too tight .... I have to use both hands to open the cover (however I usually keep it closed and docked .... maybe have opened it up only a dozen times or so over 6 months).

Is there a way to tighten up the hinges, or do they have to be replaced?

Is this something that Lenovo will just send out and we can do it ourselves, or does it have to be sent to a service depot?

It's gotta be sent in.

and it's a problem with the hinge itselff.. i wish it were as simple as tightening some nuts like it was on the T23.

Mine is lose ... of course mine is opened and closed 10 times a day.

carbon_unit wrote: Just to clarify the situation. My hinges are tight when opening and closing the lid but when it is open it can wobble it back and forth about 1/2 inch. It is not like the 570's where the lid would not stay open and would slam shut on your fingers.
It is just an annoyance and since I need it every day I will wait until something else goes wrong with it before sending it in for repair.

Exactly what my T60 does ... I'll wait for a while before I send it for repair

carbon_unit wrote:

lithium726 wrote:It's just annoying. none of my other thinkpads have ever had loose hinges.
.

You must have never had a 570. When those got loose it wouldn't even hold the display upright. Zero friction.
It would slam wide open (possibly breaking the LCD) or worse, slam shut (right on your fingers.)

X22 has the worse hinge on all thinkpads

[censored], my T61p also have the wobble hinge....