I’m having trouble imagining too-tight Unibody hinges, but maybe it’s happened to someone, somewhere. If that proves insufficient, additionally loosen screws B slightly. But if i’m wrong, experiment with loosening screws C somewhat. Display Is Too TightĪt this point i don’t think loosening any screws will do anything other than give unwanted free play, since i see no mechanism for how screw tightness can affect clutch tension. The only possible explanation i can fathom is tightening the screws sufficiently to distort (bend) the bracket, but given that it fastens to a big, thick, flat hunk of aluminum (the display clamshell frame), this makes no sense either. It still seems qualitatively to me that the adjustment absolutely did help markedly, even though i find no physical basis for any of the hinge screws adjusting tightness. The C pair especially did allow some tightening. I tightened screws B and especially C until i thought they’d break if i tried to tighten them further. None of the 12 screws were outright loose. In the case of my Mid-2012 Non-Retina, the display had an annoying tendency to tilt fully open or closed. The point being: if you’re hoping, as i was, to be able to tighten the display hinge screws such that you can occasionally have your MacBook Pro on your lap when you might be sitting in a relatively high-seated chair such that your thighs slope at approximately a 45° angle and you have the screen open about 100° with respect to the keyboard/trackpad top base surface and have the screen remain in place, that may not happen-by design. Original URL was, in case you want to go hunting. That knowledge base article appears to have vanished. For more information, and to watch a video of normal hinge behavior, refer to kBase #HT3304: MacBook Pro: Display hinge behavior. This is normal behavior and no repair is necessary. Moving display past vertical allows the hinges to release and the display to close. The counterbalanced clutch system was designed so that when the display is vertical with respect to the ground, it will remain in place regardless of the angle of the base. The design provides a smooth, fluid feel when opening, closing, or positioning the display. MacBook Pro models have a unique counterbalanced clutch system. In Apple’s Unibody MacBook Pro service manuals through at least 2010, there is a section entitled Display Hinge Behavior: It may not be possible to tighten the hinges enough-if indeed the screws affect clutch tightness whatsoever-to get them to behave the way you think they ought. The C screws are the ones i didn’t know about until taking the display clutch cover off and truly studying how the hinge works. Lift up left end of clutch cover as you twist it slightly inwards towards the screenįlat side is outside when it comes time to replace the clutch cover.Press down on the cover to loosen its inner hooks.With the display lying face-up on its back, hinges towards you, slide the display clutch cover about 6mm/¼" to the right.Remove the display assembly (clamshell) from the Mac’s base. Remove the camera and LVDS (display) cable guides.Brief terse summary with no pictures (yes, you have to do all these things): I strongly recommend consulting an Apple service manual or equivalent well-done take-apart documentation with pictures. Success will almost surely evade you until you remove the display clutch cover. Display Is Loose with no especial free play: flops open or closed, or tends to drift open or closed too easily Seems unlikely to me that screws B or C (especially the latter) would cause an excessive free play problem, but if you’re double-dog certain that the brackets are firmly seated and all A screws are tight, check the others for looseness. Consider appropriate thread locking compound if you’ve already had problems with tightening the screws then having them work loose again. Start by ensuring that the display mounting brackets (outer ends) are properly seated onto the main body of the MacBook Pro, and that all screws A are completely tight. Placebo effect? What’s-a Your Hinge Problem? Excessive Free Play (very loose over small distances opening/closing, stiffer beyond that) Here’s the interesting thing: i tightened the B and (primarily) C screws and my display felt tighter, with less tendency to flop (and it had no free play). I don’t see any way to adjust hinge tension/friction. There is no second layer to the hinge, anywhere near screw hole level.
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