T60 WS Panel Flex above Keyboard

Hello all. I have a T60 Widescreen and was alarmed to discover tonight that a portion of the panel above my keyboard flexes quite significantly when pressure is applied to it. Specifically, the area I am talking about is directly to the left of the right-hand speaker, above the keys and in front of the LED lights (the thin plastic panel). If I push on that area, it flexes a lot. The panel is sturdier near the left-hand speakers. Similarly, the panel that the volume & ThinkVantage buttons are installed into has a bit of flexing as well if I push on it. Are there any other WS owners out there who could share their experiences with me and let me know if this is normal? Are there any screws for this panel that could be tightened?

Thanks!

 

Hmm. I do notice flex in both areas you've mentioned. In front of the led lights, i'd say i have about a mm of flex. above the keyboard by the volume and ThinkVantage buttons, I'd say there's about 2-3 mm flex. I haven't noticed any problems due to the flex though.

 

Hello and thanks for the response. Do you by any chance know if there are any screws on the laptop that might be tightened to reduce the flexing of this panel, or is it part of a larger piece? Anyone else with a widescreen have this issue? It's unbelievable how flimsy these pieces seem (particularly the panel in front of the LED lights and the plastic surrounding the volume/ThinkVantage buttons). They are rock solid on my old T40. Thanks all.

 

Yeah I just noticed the flex in areas mentioned. It is about the same amount of flex that chaosrl mentioned.
I wouldn't call it flimsy though. Also at the left hand side of the monitor near the hinges - if you press down on the frame and let go you can hear little clicks - further inspection shows it is a flex less than a 1mm.
To me I don't feel overtly concerned about this.

 

Thanks for the reply. The reason I say flimsy is because just the slightest pressure is enough to make it indent quite a bit. The biggest flex area for me is the part of the panel that spans from the LED lights to just above the power button (and the plastic surrounding the buttons is also pretty flexible). You guys don't think this is cause for concern? I don't want to accidentally break the case. Thanks again.

 

Put your worries aside.
It should not be an issue - its better a little loose than too tight imho

 

My brother's a doctor, and he tells me about all of the people who come into his office and say, "It hurts when I do this!"

So he tells them to stop doing that.

So...stop flexing the plastic, and then it's not a problem anymore.

 

I am also just realizing this flex. I believe that it is not that big of a deal. I mean, I am sure there is no laptop that is perfect. Also, I do not think of a situation where something would strike or press on this area either, so I do not worry about it.

 

I find this thread somewhat comical. I have a t60p on order right now to replace my SonySZ. There's only ONE part of my SonySZ that doesn't have some flex to it when pressed: the battery. (Of course, the entire battery wiggles in it's slot...)

 

Like others said, I don't think it's a problem. There are no screws that would directly fix either of these problems. I can't imagine why you would put enough pressure on the case in either of those areas to actually break it so I wouldn't worry about it.