New weak spot in the A2x series? (Images!)

[Robbyrobot]

Two A2x Thinkpads (of the three I own) exhibit a characteristic defect. The display is held by six screws, pairs on each side in the back, and two inside the base on each side. In both cases, the plastic holding the knurled brass nuts in the base for the latter two screws has been cracked and in three of four cases completely broken away. There was no mechanical attachment of the display to the base anymore, only to the back of the computer.

The damage is obviously the result of mechanical stress caused by opening and closing the display, and would get worse as time goes on.

I've reattached the brass nuts to the base with epoxy, had to literally rebuild the plastic in three of four cases, and now hope the attachment will hold for at least a while.




Has anyone else seen this kind of failure in the A2x series? It looks like something that would be pretty common to me, and would, if unrepaired, sooner or later lead to breakage of the back of the computer.

[fasterbybike]

The case on my wife's A21P had cracked by the right hand hinge due to the stresses caused by the stiff hinges. I have repaired it by working Cyanoacrylate glue into the crack. This has held together now for over a year.