Trackpad mounting screws lost

Question

MacBook Air 13" Retina Late 2020 (M1)

Repair guides, support, and troubleshooting information for the first 13-inch MacBook Air to feature Apple's ARM-based M1 SoC (with an 8-core CPU and up to an 8-core GPU). Released in November 2020 and identified by model numbers A2337 or EMC 3598.

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nkatagas @nikoskatagas

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crwdns2931729:0crwdne2931729:0: masiku 2 agoMha 6, 2025

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Trackpad mounting screws lost

I opened a MacBook Air M1 to assess a problem of keyboard/trackpad not responding and it's obvious that there's damage in the trackpad (corrosion etc). The problem is that while reassembling, I lost some of the tiny trackpad mounting screws, and although iFixIt sells replacement trackpads, the explicitly mention the tthey do not come with the tiny brackets that I have missed.

I have already filled out a support form with iFixit but was wondering, worst case scenario, if iFixit can't help me with the brackets, if I just replace the trackpad and just screw the eight screws without the mounting brackets, does anyone know what I will miss in real world productivity?

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Dan @danj

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Self employed contract worker

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crwdns2931729:0crwdne2931729:0: masiku 2 agoMha 6, 2025

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Looking at this image which screws did you loose?

This is from Step 11 from here MacBook Air 13" Late 2020 Trackpad Replacement

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Thank you Dan for your response.

I wasn't concise enough in my initial response, I apologise.

I didn't lose the screws, I lost a couple of the washers depicted in step 13 of the guide. Do they affect the functionality of the trackpad, assuming I can't find them and iFixit cannot provide those with the replacement trackpad?

crwdns2934271:0masiku 2 agoMha 6, 2025crwdnd2934271:0 nkatagas crwdne2934271:0

@nikoskatagas - Ouch! finding the shims (washers) won't be easy.

Your only hope is doing some digging in the internet for them.

The other approach is measuring the thickness on what you have and find some metal stock to make your own. Check a hobby models shops for thin brass stock.

crwdns2934271:0masiku 2 agoMha 6, 2025crwdnd2934271:0 Dan crwdne2934271:0

Yeah, I'm just hoping iFixIt can somehow help me out here and provide them as well.

The real question is how this affects me in the real wold supposing I don't find replacements. I'm hoping it's just a matter of the trackpad being a few mm sunken in respect to the MacBook Air chassis and how it's supposed to fit perfectly.

As long as haptic works and the trackpad is secured by its screws, I'm hoping its just a matter or perfect chassis positioning.

Thanks again, Dan.

crwdns2934271:0masiku 2 agoMha 6, 2025crwdnd2934271:0 nkatagas crwdne2934271:0

@nikoskatagas - I guess that will have to do. Please score and accept the answer. Sorry there isn't another option.

crwdns2934271:0masiku 2 agoMha 6, 2025crwdnd2934271:0 Dan crwdne2934271:0

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Thank you Dan for your response.

I wasn't concise enough in my initial response, I apologise.

I didn't lose the screws, I lost a couple of the washers depicted in step 13 of the guide. Do they affect the functionality of the trackpad, assuming I can't find them and iFixit cannot provide those with the replacement trackpad? — nkatagas
@nikoskatagas - Ouch! finding the shims (washers) won't be easy.

Your only hope is doing some digging in the internet for them.

The other approach is measuring the thickness on what you have and find some metal stock to make your own. Check a hobby models shops for thin brass stock. — Dan
Yeah, I'm just hoping iFixIt can somehow help me out here and provide them as well.

The real question is how this affects me in the real wold supposing I don't find replacements. I'm hoping it's just a matter of the trackpad being a few mm sunken in respect to the MacBook Air chassis and how it's supposed to fit perfectly.

As long as haptic works and the trackpad is secured by its screws, I'm hoping its just a matter or perfect chassis positioning.

Thanks again, Dan. — nkatagas
@nikoskatagas - I guess that will have to do. Please score and accept the answer. Sorry there isn't another option. — Dan

MacBook Air 13" Retina Late 2020 (M1)

Trackpad mounting screws lost

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