Broken Hinge! (PIC)

[jch3n]

Alright, so this is what happened to the right hinge on my 14" SXGA+ T61.



As you can see, the metal simply failed and snapped. I've never dropped the laptop and usually carry it in a semi-padded sleeve in my backback, usually without textbooks.

Now, I've found 3 different FRUs for the hinge part:
42W3653 Kato
42W5654 Reel
45N4181

I'm aware that the first two are the same part from two different manufacturers. So which one is better? And is the last FRU a new one for an updated hinge design (Lenovo support could not find it, but I've seen it mentioned online and available from 3rd party vendors)?

Also, does anyone know of a good source to buy parts from? Right now I'm looking at acsparts.com or thinkpadmedic.

Thanks!

[Brad]

Welcome to the forum.

If you have a warranty this failure should be covered.

Brad

[jch3n]

Thanks. I forgot to mention, I'm out of warranty.

[yak]

Ouch!

How come the broken part that's normally hidden in the lid case is visible?

I don't have any personal experience with broken hingies (knocks wood) but I found this thread:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=65173

It says that Reel ones are better.

No idea on suppliers.

PS. You may want to change the pic into a link or resize it to 50KB or less and add a warning in the subject, read the TOS (point 5).

[bento]

My 15 month old T61p (14" SXGA+) also developed the same problem about two weeks ago. Like the OP, I have never dropped or mis-handled this machine, and only ever transport it in a padded bag. Fortunately mine is still under warranty and was serviced by a tech. There is at least one similar complaint on another forum. It does seem like poor design/materials that fail under normal use.

[rkawakami]

<snip>
42W5654 Reel
<snip>

Would that be "Reell"? As in Reell Precision Manufacturing? That's who I believe made the hinges in the X2x systems which tend to loosen a bit with age (small understatement, in my experience ).

ref: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=48934

[exTPfan]

This is a fairly significant problem on T4x's --- I've had two left hinges break on T42s. It looks as though the T6x's have the same problem. Totally inexcusable on the part of IBM/Lenovo --- these hinges shouldn't be breaking.

[jgrobertson]

Remember all the contaminated medical materials, poisoned toothpaste and many quality/integrity issues in products from China. Lenovo is 82% owned by the Chinese Government and not governed by the IBM quality control standards that we all got used to in the pre-Lenovo Thinkpads (T20 and before). The laptop market has become far more competitive since then too. This is not to say that the IBM engineered models were perfect. I had a hinge break on a T20 as well as other parts after I dropped in on the concrete from desk height. But I was able to get the parts kit from IBM, repair it and at 8 years of age (with a new mother board and upgraded fan) it is still running with Windows XP no less. I travel with a T60p (with Core 2 Duo and Vista 64) or T43p and my client provides a T42 with VPN etc. The T20 sits on the coffee table to use when watching TV.

[Harryc]

Your facts are a bit off on Lenovo ownership and on the Thinkpad series with which Lenovo owned the design/production 100%.

"As of October 31, 2008, 50.4% of Lenovo is owned by public shareholders, 42.3% by Legend Holdings Limited, 6.6% by Texas Pacific Group (TPG Capital), General Atlantic LLC and Newbridge Capital LLC and 0.7% by the directors. Because the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a Chinese government agency, owns 65% of Legend Holdings, effectively the Chinese government owns about 27% of Lenovo and is the largest shareholder. [5]"

IBM sold it's PC division to Lenovo in 2Q 2005. At that time the T4X series was in full production. So, the last IBM models off the line were the T4X'S. As part of the deal, the IBM PC research and development facilities in Yamato, Japan and design center in Raleigh, N.C., U.S.A., became part of Lenovo. So in effect, the newer T6X's and beyond were (and still are) designed by 'some' of the same people who designed the original IBM Manufactured Thinkpads. Even before the Lenovo deal was sealed, IBM outsourced the production of some of it's Thinkpads (T43/R51) to Chinese firms in 2004. Check the label on the bottom of your machines .
http://www.jlmpacificepoch.com/newsstor ... 75_0_5_0_M

http://www.pc.ibm.com/ca/thinkpad/anniv ... story.html

[jgrobertson]

You have a lot more detail on this than I. Thanks for the update. Is there any design/manufacturing responsibilities differences between those units branded Thinkpad v. Lenovo?

[Harryc]

Internally at Lenovo, I don't know the design/manufacturing structure and ownership. I do know that they have 9 research centers and 8 manufacturing centers. It's interesting that only 4 of the manufacturing centers are actually in China.
http://www.lenovo.com/lenovo/US/en/locations.html