I am in the process of fixing my own dryer. The symptoms: initially, a squeaking that would last for a couple minutes then go away after the dryer warmed up. Then, over time, it would squeak loudly the entire time the dryer ran.

This is caused by the "rear bearing" going bad, or getting worn down.

I have completely disassembled my dryer to repair this, and I'm at the midway point. Mine is a stackable w/d, but the principle is the same for all dryers.

I'll post complete details on the repair as soon as I complete it and know it's done right.

Until then, I'll tell you this: if your dryer is squeaking, look for the parts manual for your model. Then, look for the place where the rear bearing is mounted. There is a little ball bearing, about 1/4 inch, that rotates against the spindle that mounts your dryer drum. If your dryer is squeaking and you can find this little bearing, just squeeze some grease on it and it will probably run quietly.

The ball bearing is held in by a small plate, about 1 inch X 2 inches, on the back of your dryer. It is centered on the axis of rotation of the drum, so you should be able to find it. Get some heavy duty grease (or get the lube they sell at appliance parts places) and squeeze a bunch under and around that little plate, especially in the center of it where the little ball bearing is, and I'm betting most of the squeak will stop immediately. If it's really bad, though, you'll have to replace the bearing and the cradle for the bearing. The cradle is a teflon cup that supports the drum. As it wears out, it allows the drum to rotate a bit off center, causing further wear.

The only way to fix that is to pull out the drum, replace the cradle, grease the heck out of everything, and hope for the best.

More on this in my next post. If I can, I'll post photos.

I'm about to replace the bearing this weekend. I have already opened it up two weeks to take a look around.
One important tool to have: A digital camera. This way you have a second pair of eyes and perfect memory. Some/most cameras allow you to review pics already taken. I've used this feature for wire and screw replacement.

Oh man.. used this to fix my dryer.

You guys are lifesavers. Bought the part for $16 on eBay, spent an hour or two on it, and now I can run the dryer without having to leave the house!


Im so happy I could cry. Thanks =)

Hi there,
I posted on April 2 as "unregistered" but figured I should register to post some photos from my do-it-yourself repair on my White Westinghouse stacked w/d with a squeaking rear bearing. The bottom line is that it now not only doesn't squeak but it also dries clothes in less than half the time. Part of the reason for the efficiency, I think, is that I cleaned every square inch of the inside of the dryer - you can't believe how much lint and dirt and dust accumulates in there and blocks the air circulation. Even if you're not going to repair the dryer, you might want to try removing the top and front panels some time and getting in there with a vacuum and some paper towels to remove all the lint.

Maybe you'll see some of what I mean if my photos post successfully. [Edit: see my next post for the photos.]

Here are some photos I took while working on my dryer.

When you pull out the drum, you have to first remove the belt that goes around the drum and through the idler pulleys. It's important to either make a sketch (or photo) of the belt arrangement or get a firm mental image of it before you take the belt off. I also took a sharpie marker and marked the outside of the drum where the belt went around it, so I knew the belt was aligned correctly when I replaced it.

Your idler will either be on the right or the left. Mine is on the left as you view the dryer from the front. Around back of the dryer is a vented plate held in with two screws. On mine, I'm able to unscrew the plate to get access to the idler. That's shown in one of the photos.

If your dryer is squeaking like mad, you might find the type of rust and stuff that I found in the teflon/plastic mounting bracket (I don't know the name of the part - it's the white thing in the photo). There wasn't a speck of lubricant left, and the little ball bearing that is mounted in the back of the dryer was all scored and scuffed and worn down. No wonder the thing was starting to scream when I ran the dryer.

The other photos show how much lint and stuff was packed around the rear bearing area. I didn't take a photo of the felt around the front lip of the drum, but that was absolutely caked with lint and debris, and the exhaust area below the lint trap was full of lint and dirt granules. All of that stuff adds up to a major reason why your dryer might (like mine) be taking more than an hour to dry a load. When I ran the dryer this morning it dried a full load in less than half that time - maybe I need to reduce the heat setting!

One other tip: if you're working on a stackable dryer, get ready for some fun trying to pull the drum out. Do not pull it straight out through the front! You have to lift the rear of it to disengage the bearing, and if it's like mine you simply can't do this without somehow getting at it from above. I ended up removing the top panel, sliding a piece of 2 X 4 under the belt, and prying it up until it popped free. After that it was easy to lift it out of the dryer, because the drum doesn't weigh very much.

I'll check back soon to see if there are any questions I can answer, but you should know I'm not a technician and I can only describe the things I learned in this project. I wish everyone the best. Believe me, having an efficient, squeak-free dryer is something you don't fully appreciate until yours starts making a racket!

I thought I'd add one more picture. This is the little plate on the back of my dryer that holds the little ball bearing in place. If your dryer has just started to squeak occasionally, you might be able to just get some of the lubricant and squeeze some through the openings in this plate - but only in the center, which is where the ball bearing is (that's the sort of brown gooey-looking spot in the center of the photo). The ball bearing is centered behind that white mounting thing you see in the other photos I posted. The plate holding it in is around back on your dryer, on the outside. If your dryer is a floor unit (not stacked) you might be able to lube this thing without pulling the dryer out. For a stackable you're probably going to have to scoot the w/d out of its enclosure.

If you're doing this project yourself, when you unscrew that white bracket from the inside of the dryer, the plate will fall on the floor behind your dryer. The piece of tape in this photo was the one I had used to cover the little plate: if you put a piece of tape across it you won't lose it or wonder what just fell off back there. They give you a new plate in the bearing kit, so you don't have to worry if you lose the old one.

Watch when you open the bag the bearing kit comes in, because they only give you one ball bearing and it's important that you install the new one. The old one is likely to be all roughed up and useless.

Bibico, I split your question out of the other thread... so it ought to be seen now :)