Washing Machine Drum Loose (2023 Solutions!)

Regardless of the fact that you’ve been using your washing machine for a long time or it’s just new, it can still sustain slight errors and malfunctions.

If your washing machine drum has dropped down a few inches, not aligned with the opening or rubbing against the seal, there are a few reasons why this might be happening.

The actual reasons why your washing machine drum broke off is due to a broken washer tub dampening straps, an overloaded drum, cracked spider drum support, damaged suspension rods, collapsed bearings and worn out springs.

In this extensive article, we’ll be highlighting more additional causes, possible solutions and many more.

What Causes Washing Machine Drum Loose?

If yours or my washing machine drum is loose, there’s only a handful of reasons why this has happened.

Although we’ve provided you with a quick overview in the introduction, below contains more detailed information.

Why has my washing machine drum dropped?

The drum bearings are damaged
Worn out suspension springs
Faulty suspension rods
Inner spider drum support is cracked
You might have overloaded the drum
Loose bolts and nuts
The washer shock absorber is damaged
Faulty dampening straps

#1. Worn Out Suspension Springs

The suspension springs are a very vital part of your washing that holds the inner and outer tub in place.

Once it gets damaged or unhooked, an unbalanced situation occurs which keeps your appliance unsteady and eventually leads to a loose drum.

Suspension springs are meant to prevent the drum and washer from moving violently during spin cycle.

If you notice that the drum is tilted towards one side or is completely dropped down, then you know that tub springs are damaged.

How To Fix

Depending on your washing machine model or brand, the springs are usually hooked to a small hole in the washing machine.

To fix this problem, you need to follow the procedures below.

Unplug the washing machine from its connections, including the fill and drain hoses.

Take off the top or front panel and carefully inspect the springs for any damages.

If the springs are unhooked or detached, put them back in place. If the hole space has worn out, you can drill another similar to the first one depending on your washing machine type.

If the springs are stretched out or broken, then you might have to replace them. It’s not actually something difficult, just remove and replace.

Nonetheless, using a worn-out spring alongside the loose drum can result in further internal damages. It’s best if you troubleshoot this issue once and for all now.

#2. You Might Have Overloaded The Drum

We all definitely want to get our clothes washed in no time.

While aiming for this, we fill the washing machine with excessive loads and this results in drum overloading issues.

If you usually overload your washer, it could be the reason why you have a washing machine drum problems.

There’s a certain amount of loads that can be washed at a time and once you exceed the capacity, the drum tends to get affected and drops significantly with time.

#3. Faulty Suspension Rods

Similar to the suspension springs, the suspension rods also play a major role in supporting the tub of your washing machine.

It’s possible that the suspension rods are broken which is why your top load washing machine drum has dropped.

In order to fix this, you need to inspect the washing machine rods for any physical damages.

These procedures will tell you if you really have a faulty suspension rods and whether or not you should replace it.

How To Fix

Here are the correct procedures you should follow in order to find a solution to this problem.

First and foremost, you need to unplug the washing machine and disconnect the hot and cold water hoses.
Take off the washing machine top lid with a pair of screwdrivers and inspect the rods.
You need to look into the cabinet, assess and check for any damages.
Check if the suspension rods are broken or damaged. If it is damaged, it could possibly be the reason why your washer drum has dropped.
To replace the rods, remove the tub ring and the springs from the front right pin on the outer tub.
Do this for all 4 suspension rods and replace the damaged rods with new ones.

#4. Loose Bolts And Nuts

If your washing machine bolts and nuts aren’t properly secured, they might get displaced and bump out while the appliance is spinning.

This is another close reason why the drum of your washing machine has dropped some inches down.

Perhaps you detect that some bolts have been displaced, you can easily inspect, find them and make sure it’s screwed back tightly.

If you can’t locate the exact spot where the bolts and screws got displaced from, you can simply contact an appliance technician to assist you with that.

#5. The Drum Bearings Are Damaged

When your washing machine turns nice and smoothly, then you are sure that the drum bearing is working properly.

That’s one of the main functions of the bearings, they allow the proper turning of the inner drum.

whirlpool top load washing machine drum has dropped

If the front load washing machine drum dropped or gets loose, then you should know the bearings are damaged.

Replacing it is probably the best solution in a situation like this.

Note that not all washing machine drum bearings are easy to replace. Some of them are built together with the inner tub (sealed drum).

Therefore in cases like this you might need to replace the whole drum entirely.

How To Fix

For washing machines that don’t require replacing the drum entirely, here are the procedures to take.

For safety purposes, you should always disconnect the power supply to the appliance.
Dismantle the washing machine including the control panel, kick plate, counterbalance weights, cables from the tub, drive belt, motor until you get to the back of the drum and locate the bearing.
Knock out the bearings and fit in a new one.

#6. Inner Spider Drum Support Is Cracked

The spider drum support or assembly is another component that provides support for your washing machine drum.

It’s mainly another common reason why your washer drum might have dropped because the drum support or some parts of the washing machine is corroded, cracked or rust.

If you were able to successfully dismantle the washing machine while inspecting the bearing above, you should also find the 3-arm inner spider drum support.

The solution to this is to check if the spider arm is corroded or damaged before finding a replacement.

#7. The Washer Shock Absorber Is Damaged

If your front load washing machine drum has dropped, this might have occurred due to a damaged shock absorber.

The main job of the shock absorber is to absorb the compression of the suspension springs and rods.

Once it fails to do this, it begins to affect the washer drum and it starts to drop over time.

What you need to do in situations like this is to replace the shock absorber.

How To Stop Washing Machine Drum Dropping Down?

In order to ensure that your washing machine drum doesn’t get dropped again, there is a little information you need to take note of.

Avoid overloading the drum. Loading the washing machine with too much clothes at a time might shorten the life of the drum and loose over time.

Always perform regular maintenance on your washing machine. This way you can easily detect new issues with the appliance before it gets worse.

Ensure all the bolts are nuts are tightened correctly. This is important in order to avoid the drum dropping while the washer is spinning.

Frequently Asked Questions

samsung washing machine drum dropped (How To Fix)

Specifically in relation to brand types, if your samsung washing machine drum has dropped you might need to inspect the suspension rods and springs.

Remove the top lid to check some bolts and springs are still intact. If not, reattach or find a replacement if they’re damaged.

However, you might also need to check the drum bearing and dampening straps for any damages.

Amana Washing Machine Drum Dropped (How To Fix)

If you are using an amana washer brand type and the drum seems to have dropped, the troubleshooting procedures are quite similar to other brands.

Inspect the tub bearing, check if the suspension springs are displaced or damaged before you replace them.

Other areas to inspect include the suspension rods, bolts and nuts, the inner spider drum support or assembly and others as highlighted above.

Hotpoint washing machine drum has dropped

While it’s rather easier to replace other washing machine damaged tub bearings, hotpoint washing machines are quite different.

If your hotpoint washing machine drum is loose or dropped, it is possible that the bearing is damaged or the spider arm support is faulty.

You might not be able to replace the damaged bearings of a hotpoint washing machine unless you replace the whole drum.

Lg Washing Machine Drum Dropped

If your LG front load washer drum dropped, you have to check if the suspension springs are displaced or damaged before you replace them.

Some other areas to inspect include the suspension rods, bolts and nuts, the inner spider drum support or assembly and others as highlighted above.

The drum bearing is also another important spot to look out for while inspecting your washer.

Whirlpool Washing Machine Drum Dropped

Perhaps your whirlpool top load washing machine drum has dropped. You might need to inspect the suspension rods, springs and shock absorber.

Remove the top lid to check some bolts and springs are still intact. If not, reattach or find a replacement if they’re damaged.

Notwithstanding, you might also need to check the drum bearing and damping straps for any damages.

Ge Washer Machine Drum Dropped

Ge washing machines also require the same procedures similar to the aforementioned brands.

Specific areas to check and fix includes the suspension rods, bolts and nuts, the inner spider drum support or assembly, shock absorber and others as highlighted above.

top load washing machine drum has dropped

Should A Washing Machine Drum Move Back And Forth?

Yes, but to an extent. The washing machine is expected to move back and forth a little bit while spinning.

If this gesture is becoming too intense and it causes a lot of noise, then you know the appliance is faulty and needs to be troubleshooted.

Final Thoughts on washing machine drum loose

Fixing a washing machine drum that is dropped shouldn’t necessarily be a problem at this point.

All you need to do is:

Ask yourself whether or not you are overloading your washing machine.
Check for any damages or displacement on the suspension rods and springs.
Inspect the shock absorber and drum bearings.
Lastly, check if the spider support arm is damaged.

While you’re here, why not check out some related posts below. Perhaps we can help you with something else.

An example is how you can install a studor vent for your washing machine at the comfort of your home and many more.

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Washing Machine Drum Loose (2023 Solutions!)