How To Fix A Broken Laptop Hinge? [In Less Than $1]

Ever experienced a laptop hinge being broken up? Well, you can quickly repair the laptop hinge. There are millions of DIY solutions available on the internet on “how to fix a broken laptop hinge?” including drilling, glue, inserting extra screws, etc. However, these methods can help you get immediate relief but cannot be considered as a long-term solution. 

What are laptop hinges?

A laptop hinge differentiates and serves as an interface between the keyboard and laptop screen. A tight laptop hinge ensures that the screen remains in its place and does not become shaky, wobbly, or too tight.

A loose or broken laptop hinge would result in shaking of the laptop screen, thus, affecting the usability of your laptop. 

Repairing a broken laptop hinge is easy, and the laptop broken hinge repair costs are as low as $1. Laptops are also quite expensive, and incurring heavy expenses to get them repaired from an authorized servicing center seems not worth it when you can efficiently DIY within a single dollar cost. 

So, come on, let’s begin learning how to fix the hinge on a laptop. 

What Is A Laptop Hinge and How Does It Work?

Laptop hinges are the physical component that supports the LCD screen when the laptop is switched on. A laptop hinge differentiates and serves as an interface between the keyboard and laptop screen. A tight laptop hinge ensures that the screen remains in its place and does not become shaky, wobbly, or too tight.

There are two hinges on each side of laptops. Tablets usually have one hinge. The laptop hinges act as a pivot that helps the laptop open and close. However, the laptop hinge can gradually become loose because it is always in action whenever the laptop is being opened or closed. 

How To Fix A Broken Laptop Hinge

In case your laptop screen has become wobbly and doesn’t stand in a fixed place, it’s high time you should start thinking about getting your laptop hinges repaired or replaced. 

As you start, it’s essential to know repairing laptop hinges will require you to open the chassis of your laptop and work carefully with wires. If you’re not sure you’ll be able to do it, hire a technician. 

Below are some steps following which you’ll be able to learn how to fix hinges on laptop. Just make sure to be alert at all times. One step may ruin your entire laptop. So, let’s begin.

Items Required:

• Screwdrivers
• 3 mm short screws
• Drill index
• Cordless drill
• 3 mm short nuts
• Hacksaw
• Vice grips

Step 1

Make sure the laptop is switched off. Take out any power cable, DVD, or battery inserted inside the laptop.

Step 2

Now unscrew the screws that are attached to the laptop’s base and carefully remove the keyboard. Don’t forget to notice the places of the screws and where they all were fixed because you’ve got to screw them again. 

Step 3

Now remove the plastic bezels which cover the edges of your laptop screen. You’ll notice the inside of the hinges.

Step 4

Once the bezel is removed, you’ll be able to identify the damaged hinges. It might have been broken into two different parts.

Step 5

Now remove the hinges by unscrewing all the screws holding them. Your work becomes ten times easier once you’ve found what you need to repair the hinges. 

Step 6

By this time, you will already know what spare parts you need from the manufacturer to repair your laptop’s hinges. Do not forget to order the parts considering your laptop model number. 

If you order the parts from the manufacturer or order them online, they’ll take time to arrive. Better go to your local electrical store and check out for the items you need. 

Step 7

Replace the broken hinge by using the new replacement parts. Fix them and go through the steps once again in a reverse order to complete fixing the hinges. 

Four Types Of Hinge Problems

Now, the laptop hinge problem can be categorized into four different types. These are:

•  When the housing area of the laptop bolts is broken

• When the brass screws used to support the plastic holder are broken

• When the laptop hinges are broken down into a number of pieces

• When your LCD display starts flickering as soon as you switch on your laptop, it might not be getting even support, and pressure from the hinges or the wire got loose. If you try to move the display up and down, it may work for the initial 3-4 seconds but will start flickering again. 

Can A Broken Laptop Hinge Be Fixed Or Replaced?

All the laptop hinges can be fixed and repaired, but it truly depends on your condition and how you should deal with them. Following are some conditions that may be happening with you right now. Read them to get an actual fact:

• If you’re already a tech person and think you’ll be able to fix the broken laptop hinge alone, go ahead! Do more research and watch youtube tutorials on how to fix laptop hinge. 

• If you recently bought a brand new laptop or if it is very expensive and you do not want to take any risk, consider getting the hinges fixed from an authorized servicing center. You may claim for the repair or replacement if your laptop is still under the warranty period. 

• If you’ve never done the disassembling and fixing any electric appliance by yourself and it seems complicated, consider getting support from a technician. 

• If you have a 5 to 6-year-old laptop, there is no point in spending around $300 to $400 for repairing or fixing the broken-up laptop hinges. Laptop hinge repair and the technician fee will cost you a lot. So, go and get yourself a new laptop!

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How To Check If The Laptop Hinge Is Loose Or Not

In case you want to check if your laptop hinge has become loose or not, look for the initial signs. If you no longer require that little force to open your laptop, or the LCD screen starts shifting back or front automatically while using it, know that the hinges have become loose. 

Signs Of A Damaged / Loose Laptop Hinges

There are a variety of signs that show whether your laptop hinges are broken or not. Some of them may be visible, while others are not. Following are the signs:

• The laptop hinge might have been physically damaged due to which it got broken. These damages can be clearly seen. 

• The laptop display would move from its original position every time you set it. It would be very shaky. 

• You may hear weird and cranky sounds as you close the laptop. It clearly indicates that the screws of the laptop hinge are no more secured. 

• The hinge is usually made of plastic. With time, the screw can make a hole in the plastic and thus, causing the screw to loosen up. 

• You don’t have to apply that little pressure to open up the laptop lid. It has become effortless. It indicates that the hinges are broken. 

How To Fix A Broken Laptop Hinge (Without Disassembling)

A laptop is an expensive item. You won’t be able to reassemble the parts after disassembling them, especially when you’ve no prior experience and knowledge about them. Hence, many people opt to go for simple hacks to repair their broken hinges. Want to know how to fix the hinges on a laptop using these hacks? Go through the following:

Method 1

To use your laptop without the screen wobbling up, simply place a filled water bottle or any other heavy substance behind your LCD screen. Make sure that your laptop display rests on that substance. This will help you use your laptop without the screen shifting from its position.

Method 2

Friction pads are also available in the markets that are basically used for this purpose. The friction pads will increase the friction between the hinges and the surface; thus, the screen will be less wobbly, and you will also need to apply a little pressure while opening up the laptop lid. 

Method 3

Do you know you can use the laptop hinge repair glue to fix the hinges? These glues are available in the market by the name of gorilla glue epoxy. You can even use super glue. Simply glue the hinges back together so they can hold it. In case the hinges become loose again, glue them once more. 

However, the glue hack won’t work in some laptop models because of the existing tension among your laptop’s hinges. 

Method 4

If you have recently bought a new laptop, contact your manufacturing company or go to your nearest company’s servicing center and ask for a replacement. You can get a free repair or even a new replacement if the laptop is still under the warranty period.  

If your laptop is five or more years old, there is no point in spending around $300 to $400 for repairing or fixing the broken-up laptop hinges. Laptop hinge repair cost, along with the technician fee, will cost you a lot. Better buy a new laptop. 

Also Read: How Often Should I Buy A Laptop

How Much Does It Cost To Repair Laptop Hinges

The cost of repairing or replacing the laptop hinges is negligible if you do it by yourself. Even if you’re not confident enough, hire a technician and do self troubleshooting first to get an idea so that the technician does not overcharge you. 

If you are not confident about doing the replacement yourself, you can take your laptop to any local servicing store or even an authorized servicing center. The charges to repair the laptop hinges, thus, will differ in each place. Technicians on eBay may charge you around $20, while the servicing centers can charge you upto $80 for fixing the hinges. 

If your laptop has become 5 years or more old, the technicians may ask for upto $200 for repairing purposes. In such cases, it is better to buy a new laptop than invest the money in the same 5-year-old laptop. 

Also See: How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Laptop Keyboard

FAQs

1. Why do laptop hinges break?

Mostly the laptop hinges break after falling on a hard surface area or if it got hit by a wall. The laptop hinges also become loose when the lid is open too many times with tremendous pressure. 

2. Can laptop hinges be replaced?

Yes. A broken or loose laptop hinge can be easily replaced or even repaired. There are several ways by which you can do it, including some of the easy methods such as gluing, using friction pads, etc. 

Conclusion

The hinge is a very important part of the laptop. Without a proper working hinge, you’re not likely to taste the maximum benefits of a laptop. Every time you start working on your laptop, your screen will start shaking and wobbling up. It can cause you a lot of irritation. 

At such a point in time, you’ve to take a decision regarding repairing or replacing the hinges. Honestly, we feel we have provided you with enough knowledge on how to fix a broken laptop hinge that will cost you even less than $1. 

So, what are you waiting for? If you are also facing a laptop broken hinge issue, go and solve it right now. If you have any questions, feel free to comment down and ask us!