Hello. Our LG front load washer has just started smoking, and smelling like rubber. Part of the rubber boot/door gasket has shredded slightly. After reading on the internet, I spun the drum on the inside, and there is a lot of in & out motion.

It looks to me like I may need to replace the spider. Can anyone tell me if this is correct from my description? This looks like a common problem that happens after 3-4 years. Too bad that manufacturers don't make 'em like they used to.

At any rate, it looks like I need to replace the spider, and possibly the door boot. Do I have to replace that as well? It still looks good, but has shredded slightly at the very top.

The spider is made from aluminum which should never be used attached to stainless steel because of galvanic corrosive action that dissolves the spider gear. You need to get another type of machine because you cannot fix a design flaw.