my washer makes a loud grinding or thumping noise only during the spin cycle, it's shaking the floor.

— asked by Alex

Quick answer: Yeah, this one's common. An unbalanced load is the first culprit, but with this model, a worn-out spider arm—the part that connects the inner tub to the drive shaft—can cause serious vibration and noise.

Diagnosis

Yeah, this one's common. An unbalanced load is the first culprit, but with this model, a worn-out spider arm—the part that connects the inner tub to the drive shaft—can cause serious vibration and noise.

How to Fix It

First, stop and redistribute the load evenly in the tub. Don't wash a single heavy item like a blanket or rug by itself; balance it with a few other things. Run the spin cycle again. If the noise is gone, it was just load balance.

If That Didn't Work

If the grinding/thumping persists with balanced loads, the spider arm is likely corroded or cracked. It's a major repair requiring a full tub disassembly, not a DIY job for most.

Heads Up

Ignoring a bad spider arm can destroy the tub bearings and the entire transmission. If balancing the load doesn't fix it, get it checked out pronto.

0

Different problem with the same product?

Ask about the Samsung WA52DG5500AW Top Load Washer →