Suggestions on modding a broken laptop hinge

Hey all,

I have a laptop that has broken hinge that makes it extremely tough to open and close it. It broke in August, but I sent it in to get repaired. They replaced the lcd lid and fixed the lcd frame for $215 for the material (ripped off but I had no choice at that time). Once I got it back, it breaks again within 3 months in the same location.. Since the warranty has expired, I am on my own now. I plan on using my own nut and bolt arrangement from home depot to fit it together. I just don't know what sort of bolt to get and I was thinking that maybe somebody else had a similar issue here to help get me started..

Any ideas or suggestions??


Couple pics of the damage (it is the same as it was when those pics were taken):
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/195/dscn6443l.jpg
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/155/dscn6445h.jpg
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/717/dscn6438r.jpg

This is the name of the laptop shell that avadirect used: MSI MS-1651-ID2

I have been there many times!

straighten everything out, use wax paper as a mold,use JBWeld and let harden for 24hours. that baby will never bust off again. PS keep the JBWeld away from the hinge joint so it can freely move.

JB Weld is your cheapest option.

You could most likely find the parts you need on eBay, though, if the model is popular enough.

However, before you do anything and since it broke AGAIN, I'd take it back to whoever fixed it and demand my money back.

enginurd said:

JB Weld is your cheapest option.

You could most likely find the parts you need on eBay, though, if the model is popular enough.

However, before you do anything and since it broke AGAIN, I'd take it back to whoever fixed it and demand my money back.

Click to expand...

Well, avadirect fixed it (i had bought laptop from them too for $1400 back in 09). Warranty was up so I had to pay $200 for the parts. They replaced the lcd lid.. Anyways, all I know is that I am sticking to Asus or Acer or hp next time. this is just a terribly flawed build, everytime you open it..

As for JB Weld.. would I have to take the entire laptop apart to do it? Not exactly sure where to even start lol.
I took the laptop to some local computer shop and they told me they will call msi and tell me how much the parts cost. I still don't think that is a very smart solution since this could easily break again.. but it is worth a shot.

btw it's not just the hinge. the entire mid bar is out...

Here's a pic I found on google of same laptop as mine (I put in the red box to show what is out):

Why not just sell that lappy and buy a more sturdy and higher quality laptop? Its better than spending $200 every 3 months on a dated notebook.

MGDMN said:

Why not just sell that lappy and buy a more sturdy and higher quality laptop? Its better than spending $200 every 3 months on a dated notebook.

Click to expand...

Oh, if it costs $200, of course I am not spending that again. I just want to see how much the parts cost and how much I was ripped off by running it through the local store. I am still going to try to see if I can get a poor man fix on it. Just thought I might run it through here to see if somebody else has had a similar fix w/ bolt and nut.

As for your point.. Realistically, how much do you think I can expect to get for that tho? Spent $1400 3 and half years ago. 1/4 of the original price? No money figure btw, just approx fraction.

CUSTOM NOTEBOOK, MSI MS-1651-ID2 Core™2 Performance Notebook, 15.4" WXGA/WSXGA+ TFT LCD, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 160M 1GB Graphics
INTEL, Core™ 2 Duo P8700 2.53GHz Processor, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB L2 cache, 25.0W, 45nm, Retail
OCZ, Freeze Thermal Compound, Electrically Non-Conductive
CRUCIAL, 1GB PC3-8500 DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM SODIMM, CL7, Non-ECC
WESTERN DIGITAL, 160GB Scorpio® Black™ WD1600BEKT, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache, 2.5-Inch, SATA 3 Gb/s, OEM
MICROSTAR, 8x Super-Multi DVD±RW Optical Drive (Included)
INTEL, Wireless WiFi Link 5300, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/Draft N, 11/54/450 Mbps, Internal PCIe Mini Card
MICROSTAR, Extra Black 6-Cell Primary Battery for MS-1034/1039/1432/1632/1633/1613/1636/1637/163K/1642/1651/1721/1722 Notebooks
ICROSOFT, Windows Vista Business 64-bit Edition SP1, w/ Free Windows 7 Upgrade Coupon, OEM

Honestly, you wouldnt get much, but its also not beneficial to keep paying for repairs when an equivalent, or better, system can be had for relatively cheap and without needing repairs. If you can find a fix for the hinges for relatively cheap (under $50 or so) then it might be worth it. If its going to cost over $50 I think that you should sell it for as much as you possibly can and go for something new(er). You can usually catch some pretty good deals from the dell outlet store. I guess what it really comes down to is what exactly you are going to be doing with it. Laptops, and computers in general, have come a very long way in 3 and a half years.

Just searched fleabay for "msi hinge" and they're rather pricey, so I'd go for the JBWeld. Just googled for JBWeld fix laptop and there were a bunch of hits, too.