Hacking buying new dsl case to fix busted hinge.

[BORTZ]

So I wanna mod my dsl. Its old. I bought it 2 years ago second hand from game stop after selling my ds phat. poor decision. So now i have a black dsl. It lasted about 7 months until i opened it once to change the music and the hinge snapped and flung pieces of it everywhere. The rest of the ds is fine except that the bottom screen is getting worn. Still plenty playable, but i HATE scratches. Heres a pic of the hinge.

It flops around everywhere and only stays in the right place if im playing right side up cause i put epoxy on the top of the case and let it harden. I put the epoxy in the exact place where it would stop the ds like i was opening it normally and stopping it at the first click. This does not allow the Ds to open past here which is fine with me. But im getting tired of it. I im gonna go all out if im gonna fix it.

I want to use this case.

linky http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10860

Im also getting a tri wing screw driver cause you need one to open nintendo products.

Now there are some other things that im thinking about getting. Mu hinge is toast and i was wondering if i needed to get this or not.
Repair Parts Replacement Flip-Open Screen Shaft for NDS Lite

Im getting a case, so i dont know if these are necessary or not.

Also some other things i consitered getting.

Replacement Buttons Conductive Pads for NDS Lite (3-Piece Set)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1466
The ds is old and i didnt know how much more click life the buttons had.

Repair Parts Replacement L+R Buttons Switches for NDS Lite (2-Piece Set)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13264
My L button sucks but this is useless cause i cant solder and the risk of damaging you system is worse than the payoff.

Repair Parts Replacement Touch Screen/Digitizer for NDS Lite
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.21907
My screen is old too, but i think ill get by.

Repair Parts Replacement Inner Speaker Set for NDS Lite (2-Pack)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25129
just because. i dont need them at all lol


BTW looks like DX still has a few cyclo DS's lying around as well as crappy N cards.

 

[zhuzhuchina]

too many pieces to buy.... i think with the time you will use to repair it, is better if you can do 2hours part-time job + selling your ds lite. and buy a used dsi console maybe ...

 

[DarkMario616]

You don't even need some of those items, why waste money?

And since you hate scratches, a clear shell would be a bad idea since if it gets scratched, a white line will show in it's place.

 

[Wallydraigle]

The case is good. I have one, it's good quality. It doesn't come with a hinge, but your old one is probably okay. It's usually just the plastic part of the case that breaks, not the hinge itself. It's handy to have a spare, and they're just a couple dollars, so I'd get one anyway.

If your buttons feel mushy then you can get the rubber pads, I guess. I wouldn't bother unless there was something wrong with them.

I don't think it's actually the tact switches that wear out, it's just that the tolerances for the triggers to work are so tight any little piece of dirt that gets in the way makes it not work anymore. Unless you know one of these is bad I wouldn't bother with these.

The touch screen just peels off the bottom screen, and you stick the new one on. Then you have to thread a tiny ribbon cable into a clip on the motherboard. If you don't think you need it it's just less work. But it's not really hard to replace.

The speakers you will need to be able to solder to replace. You said you don't do that, so I wouldn't bother with those.

Be sure to watch some videos first so you know what to expect when you get into this. And be very careful with your power and volume sliders. That's usually what people end up breaking because they're not careful.

 

[Wallydraigle]

One more thing, on the side opposite the hinge, where the wires come out of the top section, there's a metal ring that the wires go through, and it holds the two halves together instead of a hinge. You have to use the metal ring that comes with the case. If you try to use the one from your old case it will be too big and won't let the two pieces fit together.

 

[thieves like us]

if it was just pieces of the case itself that broke off, all you need is a replacement case (as you've shown). additionally, you may want to purchase a replacment touch screen as well, however this is the one that you want to purchase (not the one that you've listed)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3245

the one that you listed (sku: 21907 come shipped without any protective plastic covering both sides of the touch screen and packaged simply in a bubblewrap bag which is taped up (you'll find tons of small "bubble wrap" bubble impressions on the touch screen with that model

it's possible that your springs have come free from the posts, which is causing your L and R shoulder button issues, which is a lot easier than trying to replace those surface mounted switches that you've linked to.

use the guide that I've posted here, for dis- and re-assembly, however I never took the time to document touch screen replacing (which can be difficult as well). if you choose to replace the touch screen, you need to carefully separate the touch screen from the lcd display and then re-use the double-sided black adhesive which is located between those two pieces.

if you find the task too daunting, I offer services to do the case swap for $26 if you include all of the parts. that price includes return usps priority mail shipping for those residing in the states. if you live outside of the us, then the cost is higher. one final note, this price is strictly for case swap only. if any other pre-existing conditions are present (broken touch screen, broken display(s), etc...) the fee would need to be negotiated prior.