I'm trying to nurse my Mid-2014 Macbook Pro Retina 15" through at least another year. Unfortunately, the hinges seem to be going bad. They were getting loose, but in the last few days the right rear one has become very hard to close, such that if I push the lid closed by the front edge it pops back up about 1 1/2":
For some reason, both hinges open just fine; it's just the right hinge that refuses to close. If I push hard right next to the hinge I can get it to stay closed, but it's getting to the point where I can see the display housing bend near the hinge due to the force.
I can pop the bottom housing off and see the hinges/clutches, and they look OK, but of course I can't see the contact area between the two parts:
I'm concerned that something will snap if the friction gets any worse. I'm fine with hardware repair (I've already replaced the battery; thanks, iFixIt!), but I can't find the hinges for sale on their own; they always come with the display for $400+. I could drop some lithium grease on the hinge, but if it turns out to be a bad idea there's no way I'd get it off. And, I'd rather not hack an ugly solution if at all possible.
Any ideas how I can tame this hinge?
Best Answer
And the final cause: both hinges are fractured, and in the same place. Here's the right hinge, unscrewed and levered open (and after lubrication; see below):
.. and the left hinge:
Each hinge consists of a tube (anchored to the display, and with a cable down the core), plus a bracket (anchored to the main chassis). The bracket consists of two curled pieces which wrap around the tube in opposite directions. On both hinges, the inside "curl" is broken at the base of the bracket:
This explains another symptom; where the display used to open out to a certain point and then hit a stop, it now opens to almost completely parallel to the table.
Now, I'll be the first to admit I've not been gentle with this computer (they're tools, not shrines to the Great God Jobs), but it's still surprising that both fractured in the same place.
The solution: as you can tell from the pictures, I lubricated both hinges with lithium grease (being as moderate as possible). The display now swings fairly freely, so the previous tension shouldn't cause any more damage. I may have to rig up some sort of brace to keep the display from falling flat onto the desk, though...
Edit: And yes: the hinges are now too loose, and the display will fall open or shut if it's more than ten or twenty degrees from vertical. I now have to prop the display up with my knees or a book. But, this is still better; I no longer risk breaking the chassis or the display frame. I'm thinking about portable ways to hold the display at a given angle; the final solution would still be to replace the hinges (if I can get the parts).