I don't ever leave comments... well, hardly ever - however in this case it is more than warranted. Yours is the only video that I've found that describes HOW the suspension/dampening rods help to balance the washer. Having replaced two sets of rods on two different washers, fixing the problem, but I never understanding why (until seeing your video). Thank you!
@@WasherDryerMoney You are the person that I got that I got the actual idea from. Thank you. I just put up a new way of, the most cheapest way of fixing the problem. It is on a new comment up there. It is so cheap and easy, it is crazy. Check it out. I stumbled on it last night and works outright perfect.
@@WasherDryerMoney I should check them out. It occurred to me watching this video that what is needed is damping grease between the rod and friction ring!!! Sure enough, in other videos, when people put in the new rods, you can see the grease on the rod where it will contacts the plastic cups!
for my washer which is maybe 15yo or more.. it has only one suspension spring. at first i thought i would need to buy a whole new washer.. watching a few of these vids and opening up the washer my self, came to find that the hole that the long end of the spring was hooked on was cracked because of rust. Drilled a new hole in a non rusted area and reconnected the spring. Problem solved and saved 500-1000$. thankful for the internet.
I know this is couple years after the video, but the commenters who mentioned the need for the dampening grease were spot on. I used a silicone grease I already had on hand and 20 minutes of work and my washer spins silently again without beating itself to death.
🤔Duct tape fixes everything 😏 Pulled out the damping material carefully without breaking it, covered it with a few layers of tape , and squeezed it back into place. Your explanation was very useful. Thanks for the inspiration.
So thankful for this video. I'm a homesteader and just got my first washer and it's been an annoyance, bashing itself to death. I fixed my with a few extra Bungie cords to tighten the suspension. But now I know how the rods works I can fix it proper. Tho my repair works great.
I filed down the rod a bit with a sawsaw blade enough to make a dentation on the rod. Then i tied a tie wire for rebar on the rod to keep the spring from going up. No need to replace anything. Worked like a charm!
@@aintbreedlove7729 i dont. it is put together already. Been 6 months and still working fine. Just file a grove on it, right at the the point where the spring will stay put then. Then tie a tie wire with pliers and it will keep spring in place
Thank you for this video, I was really in a jam with my machine at a time, when finding replacement rods was a long wait away. Watching this video made me understand how it works. I didn't get rid of the foamy insert. when I squeezed it against the rod and moved it up and down it was gripping. I closed the gap between the foamy insert and the rod by cutting it lengthwise and wrapping it tightly on the rod then use electrical tape to wrap it so it could stay in place. after which I push it back in the cup and the rest was dream come true.
I honestly think that's a good idea, wonder if cable ties around the foam sleeves would make it grip better? Once they got a little loose again, just snug up the cable ties.
@@h.s.6498 I cut the foamy part lengthwise, in the direction of the rod. Then wrapped it tight as I could on the rod. Yes, to my surprise it still works to this day without having to go back at it. The machine works light in the week but heavy on all weekends, just to give an idea of use.
@@garyr7027 I have no doubts that the cable ties would work. The problem might be trying to fit the tie head inside the cup. Space is limited. The tape is just a thin layer and pushes back into the cup with no sweat.
Thank you from the bottom of my wallet. I had inspected the suspension rods hoping to find a break, to no avail. I had to conclude there was nothing logically anything I could try to repair. After witnessing my possibly devil possessed washer literally go airborne, it was time to buy a new one. Until of course, I viewed your video. The only one that explained and showed the problem. I opted for new rods, with a year warranty, for those of you on the fence over putting money in an older machine. Runs like it just came out of the box. Excellent video, thanks again.
I love your video. My foam insert slipped very easily on the hanger rod, just like your demonstration. After watching several videos on the "fix" I used 5/8" long pieces of plastic tie-wrap inserted between the foam insert and the plastic cup. I inserted 4-5 pieces of the tie-wrap until the slide was gripping the rod pretty well but still able to slide. Works great and probably will last longer than toothpicks. I suspect the foam insert with eventually disintegrate to the point where and insert will need to be replaced. Thank you for the great video and all the interesting comments.
Nice vid, well explained, and I like your experiments with in-situ molding; another youtuber used 5-minute epoxy putty, hand-formed around the shaft. I have not read the 600+ long comments stream, but I believe from my own research (into saving $100 on replacements) that you have missed the actual mode of operation of these rods. They rely on the non-intuitive behaviour of the lubricant applied by the manufacturer...these allow the rod to slide through the bush, but resist being stretched, providing damping friction but not attaching to the rod. These are called 'damping greases'. You may have wondered why a piece of foam was used in the slider...it probably was a reservoir for this grease. The damping is provided by the effect of the grease on the rod, not the fit of the bush around the rod. Nyogel 767 is such a grease. The grease is not cheap and is sticky to handle. There are also reports of the bottom of the tube bursting while trying to squeeze it out because it thickens as it is forced through the neck. Thank you for taking the time to make this vid.
Yes I agree. We’ve all learned so much since I’ve made this video. Honestly I did not think anyone would care to even watch this video. It’s very surprising. I’ve actually talk to the guy that made that video. The grease is a key part of it but it is not the only part. The foam is definitely the weak point of the entire piece. As it disintegrates from moving up and down the rod when the drum fills and drains water in and out also the pressure from off-balance loads. After the foam falls apart it creates a empty space and the grease cannot do its job properly because of the distance between the shaft and the grease that is no longer directly touching the rod. This is why even in a stock ride that has plenty of grease will still fall back-and-forth when you flip the rod over. If you fill the void in the deteriorating piece of foam with this grease I believe it would fix this issue temporarily possibly permanently. I’ve had a few manufacturers send me there rods to review and I have not done any because I have not been very impressed with the amount of grease they use. Way less than original in some cases. Which explains why people are having issues with these rods continuously going out. These aftermarket companies are not understanding the importance of putting enough of that grease in the rod. PS I still have the liquid nails washer but I am about to swap out to a direct drive washer and get rid of this one. It has not had any issues with the suspension rods and I have ran a ton of loads through it. I think the reason the liquid nails work so well is because a extended about a quarter of an inch. =more surface area for the ride to be in contact with. There is no grease in the rods I’m using but I still think the grease is very important. I’m not saying that there’s any special factor to using liquid nails I’m just saying this because I believe it’s a simple problem of gripping a rod slightly and there are 1 million ways to do it but I do believe the grease is the best way.
@@WasherDryerMoney Thank you @Washer Dryer Money for providing a forum for this problem. Maybe we can get the OEMs to start manufacturing responsibly. I would like to thank @Neil Fixes for his research and assessment of the real problem. After talking to many washer owners with the same problem, this problem exists in the design of many of the mainstream washer brands. I own a Whirlpool 1CWTW4815EW1. The support rods have a felt drum that comes in contact with the rods. The trouble is that the OEM rods are loaded with lubricating grease which defeated the purpose of the Damping gel. THEY WERE MANUFACTURED TO FAIL. After thoroughly cleaning the rods and reservoir of lubricating grease (brake cleaner works), I applied Nyogel 767 liberally to all inner surfaces that contact the rods, and made a Nyogel reservoir in and around the felt drum. I took one additional step and spread a thin coat of Nyogel into the ball socket at the top of the rod to further reduce rod movement. The washer has been operating flawlessly, even with heavy loads.
Just used Nyogel 767A on my cheap Panda top loader. Machine spins as quiet as ever now. One thing I noticed-there was no foam on the suspension rods. Instead, the plastic bit holding the spring down had two channels cut into it on each side, I suspect to act as reservoirs for the grease. But yeah, it really was as simple as squeezing in more.
I too have never left a comment, but this washer and this video deserve one. Thanks! This info has saved my relationship with this washer. I looked at some comments to see what others were doing. Then I looked around my house for what I could use to supplement these foam breaks. Then I saw it. There it was. Plastic Hanger strap. Its the correct width and height. I can't remember how much I cut off for each one, an approximation of the diameter x 3. I had to get the foam slid up from the little reservoir, then get the hanger strap piece started in the reservoir and then slide the foam down in the hanger strap. Lastly push them both down together. Its been working great for over a month. I will say there is a learning curve. I mangled the 1st foam a bit trying to do this, but I supplemented with pieces of a tooth pick as others had mentioned. I know that this won't work for all because sometimes the foam is deteriorated too far, but if it's not, then this seems like the simplest solution from what I had around the house.
That’s awesome. I am still using that test washer in my personal home and it’s still running fine. I am going to be doing another video soon on a easier fix. it’s actually a suggestion from the comments that a bunch of the repair guys agree should work and it will be easier.
Im amazed that anyone would put in this effort to solve a problem on a washing machine. Thank God you did because this is my problem. New damper rods will be delivered tomorrow. Next time though if needed i will do what you demonstrated. Thanks a bunch.
Though he is the repair business and his search for a diy solution may have $ and/or improvement of replacement parts as I can imagine the replacement dampener may fail sooner than later. My effort in trying an alternate method is solely because I would like it fixed today and not wait for the part and because I enjoy jury rigging.
Thanks, the dampening action makes sense. I work as an apartment maintenance tech and have replaced a few of these. I always assumed it was just the Springs had worn out and were loosey-goosey. I always come in after I get a complaint of a banging machine and grab the top of the agitator and push it directly up and down, when the rods go bad the tub will bounce up and down like a pogo stick freelee. When you install the new rods you can't bounce the tub like that at all. Make sense as you stated that its the dampening action versus just the spring strength
That’s true. I have done that test several times. Sometimes it Will not show like it is bad because the only one of the rods will be bad. But most of the time they will all go bad at the same time because when one goes bad it will shake the rest of them until they all wear out.
@@WasherDryerMoney Yes, exactly spot on. I had mine felt good, but when I took it apart, the back left one was totally broke. The spring seemed popped off and the top part was crushed into it. So, it was probably no shock-absorbing. But, replaced them, and it spins like a little wheel on a top. Perfectly. Quiet as anything now.
Thank you for the video i finally understand why it was always going off balanced. I took a lot of wet clothes back out to try and balance the washer and it just kept getting worse until it finally would barely spin without banging. I also liked where forty four was going but couldn’t wrap my head around it. So i built off of that idea to minimize the upward bounce. I got some 24” bungee cords. Drilled some holes in the base. Ran the bungee around the top of the spring mount. So the springs keep upward tension and the bungee’s keep downward tension. First load is done so far so good.
Interesting. I have seen a few people using bungees hooked on the shocks to the bottom of the washer. I have not experimented with it yet. But it is interesting.
@@salmans75 Sorry for the very late response. I drilled holes from the outer walls 3.5” inward. This is by every outer corner on the base. It I’s also .5” into the frame, enough for the hook on the bungee to set right. Then Put a bungee cord between the suspension rod and the tub. Tried to make the placement even. Then secured it to the base through the holes i drilled. 8 holes drilled 2 on each corner. 4 bungee cords used one for each suspension rod. I would share pictures but i don’t know how to post pictures so everyone can see them
Thanks for explaining that the problem is the orange damper sponge, and that it works by friction. Knowing that, here´s my successful fix: I pried out the sponge, cut it vertically, scraped off loose debris, cut approx 1/8 to 1/4 to the length (depending on the wear), greased the rod and sponge (with the part's own grease), placed it back around the rod, wrapped cloth tape (ie medical adhesive) for a snug fit around the rod and 16 mm diameter, and stuffed it back into the plastic cavity. Minimal vibration when centrifuging. So far so good. Cost free. My Whirlpool did not include the four horizontal springs (from the tub to the rods) but the attach points are there. I will buy and add them.
Interesting let me know if it fails. some other Solutions I've tried only lasted 30 days. So far the Liquid Nails is still holding strong the only problem with it is how long it takes to dry before you can put the rods back on.
I was sitting here freaking out with all the DIY ideas until I read your Gus! I recently replaced the water pump which probably broke because of the rattling. I used plumbers tape. I don’t think I used enough though because it didn’t work on High spin but it worked on medium. It’s 11pm and I’m glad I got it done. My wife washes every day all day like it’s therapy. Lol
Finally. I've been searching for the answer to this problem for a year. Thank you so much for explaining how it's supposed to work. I wonder if that little foam piece was originally made from hard rubber. I've never had this problem until I got this Roper machine.
I'm about to try just adding damping greases. Pretty much pop the plastic top and add it Nyogel 767a I'll let you know if it works. Not sure if the other comment posted but it showed an error on my side so I typed another
I wish I would have found your "site" before I went out and bought new springs for my Amana washer. I will be visiting MORE OFTEN NOW!!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE!!!
I found a 1-1/2" thick, "Foam Kneeling Mat" at HF for $6.49 that feels really close to the foam bushing material and is firm. A hole saw with a center bit might be able to cut the bushing (adjusting sizes), then slit it down the side to push it on the rod. Might be best to slice it into shorter lengths and stack them in the plastic pocket while rotating the slits. Dow 111 silicone compound is really tacky (same as silicone caulk except doesn't set up) and worked well on mine when I added the toothpicks in my existing bushings. You could cut hundreds of bushings out of one of these the kneeling mats and still use the mat. I think this is a real contender for the finals.
Simplest fix you won't believe. Pry out that pad from its housing and let it be. Cut 1/8" square rubber and a little less than the length of the pad long. Pry out with a screw driver the center of the pad where the rod goes through. Shove that rubber piece in there. And push the pad back in place and you are done. And marry christmas. You can also buy rubber cords in any diameter ( 3/4 " is the right size for this purpose) . Cut it at length, then drill a little hole in the center, cut a little notch in its side and push in place and you are done. You can go to Amazon and get these "rubber cords" at 3/4 diamter, 5 feet of it for $22. And marry christmas again.
Your idea about the rubber is a good one. The big issue with my foam plugs is that they are crumbling. Someone had the idea of taking a piece of vacuum hose, slitting it, wrapping it around the rod then packing some foam around it for the preload. Braided fuel line is thicker and might even be more compatible with the grease and could be sliced lengthwise like you suggested (maybe 4 pieces) and the ID wouldn't matter as long as the slices could tighten on the rod (still need to pack it). It could be sanded or ground to length to get a good fit. I'm running on the aftermarket rods and don't know how long they'll last. The author of this video filled the cups to create a solid plug (with no preload), just a slip fit and the grease film alone is working the last I read. Is the rubber cord you talked about the same as backing cord you stuff in cracks before caulking or maybe something else? Some small foam cord would make good packing material to wrap around the outside of the rubber and the inside of the cup with a small screwdriver. Whatever we come up with, he's going to have to make a simple video to show everyone how to do it (ha).
@@robert574 also thin them carpet pads just might do it. They are thick and they will stuff right inside. I bet they will also work on front loader shocks.
I just put a small rubber washer that fit around the rod and into the plastic pocket, had to cut the washer to put around the rod and the white caps didn’t fit exactly tight back together since there is a washer now above the foam in the casing. But the extra washer must be causing the foam to have a tighter hold within the casing as the weight of the washer sealed the white caps back together with the small rubber washer inside, idea was the rubber washer would take up any space lost by the foam and squeeze the foam in the same area tighter around the rod. Washer has worked great ever since. My washer is a Samsung top loading VRT 8.5 years old.
Just wanted to say I did this today to my washer and it's actually making through a complete cycle definitely didn't think it would but here I am with clean clothes 😮
I have a fix that worked for me. I used a 1/4" u-bolt attached to the of the cap that resides on top the spring assembly. Clamped tightly should prevent the failure of the sticky grommet that holds the spring cap in place.
Youre talking about on top of everything, like after the rod is installed and above the little ring that sits on top of where the washer rests? That's exactly what I thought about doing, except with a cut up ground bar from an electrical panel. (Basically just a set screw in piece of metal with a hole in it.) Or a u bolt for electrical splicing or a u-bolt for stainless wire rope would work.
Nice! Fixed my Samsung. Instead of making a tighter grommet or grippy thing, use another spring (a smaller one with less tension) and clipping one end of it around the rod below the suspension spring and clipping the other end around the rod above the suspension spring mechanism, so that the whole thing sits between the spring with less tension. It allows the main suspension spring mechanism to do its thing while keeping movement up and down the rod slow and steady. 5 minute fix.
Shade-Tree Engineerng. I love it. Technicians solving and fixing the problems that the supposed "Real" Engneers put into their products. Thanks for posting.
Man , my machine could not even do a load of "air" without banging to beat hell . I installed a new set of new rods , and it wasn't a month later it started banging again , which turned out to be only one damper lost its grip . I put my own personal fix to all 4 of them , so as not be fearing another one going bad , and having to open this monster back up (Cabrio - direct drive , top loader) . Too slick a machine to not try to salvage IMHO . Thanks to watching your video , I now have a clear understanding of what the "actual" problem is . I've since taken corrective action without spending a penny , using a go between consisting of 1/4" HDP - IPS flex tubing sliced length wise to close up gap . It's buggar to get the spongy thing wrapped around it at first . Now spinning like magic , as it used to ! . Thank You for the excellent tutorial !
I actually installed four 15" genuine rubber tarp straps onto the four corners of the suspension rod areas. I hooked into the bottom plastic lip area beside where the bottom of the rod hooks into. I proceeded to bring up the tarp strap wrapping it two times around the rod on the way up, hooking into one of the holes alongside where the top of the rod slides into the triangular metal plate. The top of the tarp strap hook is pushing down onto the top of the rod to help keep it down. Works like a charm, and very cheap to do!! 🥰 This actually eliminates the process of messing with the rods at all except for wrapping the rubber strap around it on the way up to the top. Hope this helps...please let me know if it worked for you!! 🙂
Very interesting I'll give this a try as soon as I have some extra time. The Liquid Nails is still working but the process of getting it to dry all the way is too time consuming. This seems like a much simpler method. I've also heard that you can put a piece of rubber tube over half of the spring to make it more rigid and less bouncy and that also fixes the problem, I have not tried this yet.
@@WasherDryerMoney I've already run five different loads of clothes, comforters, and towels...so smooth now, even on wash cycle. No errors or jumping around anymore...it finished the cycles every time. I was bound and determined to get something to work long term without spending money for parts. The bungee cords/tarp straps are genuine rubber, 15" length, and are actually wrapped around the rods like two times. The hooks are hooked into the drum plastic lip beside where the spring slot is on the bottom, and one of the two holes in the triangular metal plate where the top piece of the rod slides in...I adjusted the top of the hook onto the top piece of the rod, and it applies downward pressure on it as well....really works well. 🙂
Can you visually sketch this or take a picture? I've been fighting my washing machine with these annoying rods for a while. I'm glad someone figured out the REAL reason for replacing the rods. It's not the springs, and that dampening effect. I was like, these springs don't even seem worn out?!
I knew it. I knew it couldn't be that these things wear out so fast. I've looked everywhere and came across another video who mentioned this one. I've had this type of washer in the past and had this same issue and just got rid of it out of frustration. I just got another one that has this issue and I am determined to figure out what the real problem and soulution is. I'm highly confident this will work and I think I know of another item that could be used instead of the liquid nails but that's a great one. A couple things: It's actually Damping rather than Dampening, and the grease that comes on them from the factory is called Damping grease which serves the purpose you described; to slow the movement on the rod but not stop the movement. What I have found so far is damping grease is expensive and at this point it's hard to know what viscosity is being sold. Also at this point it seems that the stuff we want may be an orange color whereas colorless is on the lowest end of viscosity and therefore offers the least amount of damping. I already ordered a new set of suspension rods before seeing this and my plan was to carefully measure them and determine what the solution is. The operation of the rod seems so simple that it didn't make sense that the springs were worn out which is the implication by virtually every video out there. It didn't make sense to me that if it was the springs why hadn't someone found a replacement spring and rebuilt the old ones. Maybe you have an update video to this, I haven't looked yet. Thanks for being the one to figure this out. As much as I hate the beeps, blops, clicks, ticks of these new machines they work really well when they are new, their ability to spin the water out of laundry is amazing. Towels come out feeling dry in some spots. I watched the whole cycle the other day and it's really interesting to me the steps they added to the programming pf the wash cycle and I feel I've worked out why it does what it does even though it appears redundant for no purpose I now see the purpose. I want to love this newer technology as the number of old machines is falling every day. I see scrappers with them quite often.
Ok, please read this. First, awesome video! I love the creative solutions and willingness to share the inventive spirit. Luckily, most will have the money to just buy the new rods for 30 bucks. We are blessed for that. However, waiting 2,3,5 days while your wife is harping and hounding is well worth a quick repair. I say that whenever making a homemade fix, it’s best to wrap your head around exactly what it is you are “engineering”. What’s the real problem? That’s why this video is so great! Then focus on that problem to make a solution. So the problem is in this design of the rod. It uses a spring and damper. Gravity is the enemy with this. The force of gravity is being absorbed by the spring but the problem is that the spring has to give that energy “back”. When the spring contracts it then wants to expand and that energy is transferred to the tub. Gravity and the centrifugal force of the tub spinning at super high speeds has those springs just throwing energy back to the tub and bouncing the living hell out of it. As a result, the design is to dampen or absorb that energy with that little pad....I like to think of it as a brake. It slows and dampens that energy really fast over and over while the tub is spinning. So the solution is to find a way to absorb some of that spring recoil or energy to keep it from transferring back to the tub where it gets out of wack unbalanced. The solutions on this video are fantastic! Problem is waiting for materials to dry....or even having them around the house. Then it’s a matter of hoping your material has created enough friction to dampen the energy without stopping it dead. If the metal bar doesn’t create enough friction against your material of choice, this won’t work. What I chose to do because it was actually cheaper and easier and instant....I basically absorbed the recoil by using rubber bands to shorten the spring slowing its “bounce back”. I used multiple rubber bands and actually measured each spring to ensure they were all “even”. I used the bands and wrapped them across the top of the metal rod to down around the little flat pin at the bottom of the spring. I used enough bands on each one to compress the spring 1 full inch on each. What this did was make all springs energy equal while it also transferred the energy to the rubber bands on the spring rebound. Now the spring still compress just fine but when they try to open back up releasing their energy, the bands take that energy away and slow that rebound big time. I hope explained that ok! Free, easy and no mess. I’ve had this working now for many many very heavy comforter type loads and it’s running perfect. Hell, it’s probably better than the actual design because that foam crap material they use will wear away while the rubber bands may last quite a bit longer.
@@javv07 I might in my phone. It was actually a fun fix if that doesn’t sound too stupid to say. I’ll take a look tomorrow. It worked ok for awhile but ultimately, I found the best fix…. A Samsung top loader with a good old fashioned agitator on sale lol.
I just fixed mine but with a different method, took just a half hour for all four dampers. I found that I was able to pull the little foam rubber piece out of the cup, wrap it with 10 or so wraps of electrical tape, jam it back into the cup, and reassemble. That worked for 3 of the dampers, on the fourth the foam was is worse shape, so I cut a short piece of rubber gas line hose and slit it to go over the shaft, wrapped it around what was left of the foam rubber piece and jammed it into the cup. I used a sharp knife to trim excess hose. It worked well so far and no more bouncing.
Let me know if it continues to work. I tried several other methods and they work great for about 1 to 3 months. I’m glad there’s a lot of people experiment and I think we’ll find a good easy permanent fix for this problem. I’m also talking to a suspension manufacturer about improving that piece.
We'll, it lasted for two years, just started bouncing again. I added a couple more wraps of electrical tape on each damper and we're back in business again.
This is a frigging awesome video. I had tried to fix this problem in the past by replacing the springs with no luck. Never understood why until now. This repair will make a lot of my customers very happy. Thank you.
I’ll be making a new video soon on all the different ways to fix this problem. There’s several. The problem with my solution is how long the liquid nails takes to dry.
Have a 10 yr old Simpson 9.5 kg top loading washing machine. Recently noticed on spin cycle, when drum was turning at top speed on spin cycle, the drum would spin out of equilibrium, banging the side of the washing machine till the machine shut down automatically. Disconnected power cord, hot/cold water pipes. Removed the lid, facia panel (controls) & top panel above drum.Tipped machine over, found one stabilizer bar rods damaged plastic cover that sits at the bottom covering the spring was fractured. There's a flat washer at bottom end of rod, spring sits on top of the flat washer. The spring is covered by a plastic cylinder/cover. The top end of the plastic cover is molded rounded at the top end. Rounded section fits snuggly into the rounded molded plastic bracket at bottom of drum assembly. There are 4 stabilizer rods evenly spaced around the drum assembly. I removed the rod assembly by removing plastic disc top end of rod, then dropped the rod downwards out of the drum bracket totally removing the rod away from the machine. I had some old aluminum gutter panel in my shed which I cut out, molded & shaped to fit the exact rounded profile of the fractured plastic top section that covers the spring. The drum sits on top of the rounded section at the top end & is the part that cops all the shaking/vibrations during the wash cycle. The drum hangs on of all 4 stabilizer bars. The springs on the stabilizer bars are like shock absorbers & are compressed downwards as the drum fills with water & adding items for washing. Fitted the fabricated section I made on top of the plastic cylinder giving the plastic cover strength. Assembled all parts, washing machine works like new again. I'm a metal fabricator by trade & have all the tools which made it easy. Regards from Australia.
Thank you for the video, i went another direction: for the three that still were intact, instead of replacing the “foam rubber” that grips the rod, i inserted wooden toothpicks (as many as i could force into the small space of the “cup” that holds the “foam rubber”. I was carful to not place the toothpicks directly against the metal rod so there is a layer of the “foam” between the metal and the wood toothpicks. This had the benefit of using the original material but with the toothpicks helping to increase friction against the metal rod. BUT i had one rod that the “foam”was destroyed and on that rod i removed the “foam” out of the “cup” completely and used a synthetic wine bottle cork. I used my scroll saw to cut away the cork material until i was able to get a really tight hold on the metal rod as well as a very good fit in the “cup”. I then took your advice and hot glued the “caps” to the the “cups” on all four of the suspension rods, not sparring the glue. After returning the rods into their positions in the washer, i washed bath mats and bath towels. It worked and continues to function well. It has been about a week now and all is well. I did have my wife order the parts on Amazon for about $40 (US) just in case. Thanks again for your help
Very interesting. I'm going to do a follow up video and I'll be sure to include this idea. My repair of the Liquid Nails has still been working fine. I think it's been close to six months.
I remembered reading about your idea with the toothpicks here and later thought about a plain cork or plastic wine cork like you mentioned. How did the wine cork do? Another thought was just to cut a bunch of felt washers or other material that already had the ID and OD and slit them from the side, then stack them in while rotating the slits along with grease. The weight of the tub on the top against the spring should keep it together.
Thank you for the repair video. I have found if you cut short pieces of small nails and push them into the fiber bushing it will tighten on the rod also fixing the problem with no wait. Still under testing. You’re video really inspired the fix. Thanks again!!!
Let me know how long that works. I remember reading in the comments that someone did the same thing with toothpicks. I’m afraid that the fix will not last very long because the ones I have seen the piece of foam is deteriorating. But it may last a few months or maybe a year which would be great.
Very fun video. I've worked on mostly Whirlpool W&D's for nearly 20 years. I buy them, fix them., and resell them. I've learned the only way to fix the rods is to replace them with new OEM rods. The aftermarket rods are junk and a waste of time to replace. I totally agree with you about how great the old direct drive washers were. Their biggest problem was they lasted for 15-20 years with proper care and Whirlpool couldn't sell the unsuspecting public new machines every 4-8 years. The VMW you were working on had a lot of other issues besides going out of balance. I like to say the VMW (Vertical Modular Washers) should have been called HMW for Horizontal Modular Washers because they were frequently dead. Regards, Neill in Oregon
Great video. That piece of rubber plays the same role as the shocks in an automobile suspension. Both add friction to movement which when combined with the spring reduces the transmission of vibrations to the frame. The rubber is not as robust as a gas or liquid shock but certainly makes for a solution that is much cheaper. Not sure if there are better materials out there that can maintain the required degree of friction with absolutely minimum wear over a long period of time. But then, even brake pads wear out. In my case use of Whirlpool replacement rods resulted in a tub that was very stiff when I manually pressed down on it. There was no noisy banging even with unbalanced loads! Three weeks later the tub now moves much more easily when I press down and bounces once when I release. That tells me that the rubber dampers have already started to wear down. Its tolerance to imbalanced loads is pretty much gone.
Check to see if you can wiggle the inside drum compared to the outside drum. Check Ben’s appliances in junks channel on how to repair this he made a video on it about a month ago. I have not made a video on it yet, but there is a new part if there is a bit of a wobble or loose drum it is repairable. This problem will wear shocks out quickly.
@@WasherDryerMoney Maybe, put the UA-cam video link tag where we can jump to the video that you are referencing. Granted, you can't post the link in comments, but you can post the YT part ... Like on your video: v = IZZCwXEmGhE ... Then, you can post that.
1: I have a few ideas as well to fix the unbalancing act on these machines. My inner drum has very small bumpers on the out side of the drum. 4 of them...12.00, 3.00, 6.00, and 9.00 area, there sticky pads from factory. Im thinking about a small pool noodle or pipe insulation foam wraped all around drum to prevent the wild travel when the springs go bad in rods. You could mount with zip ties, small bike tube stretched into slit or cut out of pipe or noodle. Mount about 6 inches down on stationary tube. 2. I took 4 zip ties at TOP of inner drum and ran them through the holes in stationary basket and back through holes where rods are. Did this on all 4 corners. I then tightened sll corners to allow for a 2 inch play only. Simple fix, it worked no problem. Now how long it may last dont know, but you could double up on the zip ties as well. So this worked fine. 3. You could get split collars from hardware srore. Install the split collars and tighten on the shaft of the rods for desired tension! You could also add a washer on top of springs with the split collar compressing the spring tension and then tightening up collar. You may need to cut a small slit in washer to slip on rod for split collar to rest on washer. This should work very well with right tension on springs. Nice thing about split collar as well you can wrap rod with plastic, foam, rubber, etc.....then tighten collar around it for friction as well endless possibilities. Good luck to all as its nice seeing us put our ideas to the test! Great post, have a great day everyone. My washer Lg. 4.
Great video, I just changed my suspension rods last night with new ones. When I was looking at the old ones I noticed that whatever dampening was supposed to be there was not working. I had the idea of trying to figure it out and maybe repair the old ones, but my machine was down for a few days so I put the new ones in and those fixed my shaking and banging problem. I knew it was damper problem, but your video saved me the time of thinking about it anymore and it confirms my suspicions. So now I need to dig the old ones out of the garbage and try this repair. I may not use them for 5 more years but they should be plenty dry by then. :)
My dampening rods bushing wore out just after the year's warranty expired. I used the washer less than 15 times. These ideas from everybody will be quite helpful in resolving the dampening design.
I shortened the rods by an inch and the machine is working fine. It was a simple fix. I had tried new springs and rods but they didn't last a week so they went back. Glad I saved the originals.
See if there’s a wobble between the inner and outer drum. There used to be no fix for it but recently, there’s a new part that can fix it. When there’s a wobble, it tears through suspension rods within weeks.
I tried a few things let’s just say I’ve found that Tessa tape wrapped tightly around the old foam rubber to squeeze it back down works just fine and it’s a ton faster than waiting on a bonding adhesive to dry. - appliance tech from Tennessee
@@williamhopkins3500 it’s automotive tape for enclosing wiring harnesses so yes. However , it didn’t last long and I’ve tried many things in the last few years since I do this daily for a living and tbh just buy a new set of dampers/suspension rods. It’s a waste of time trying to fix these things, I can install most of them in 20-30 minutes vs spending countless hours on trying to fix a set….. for the problem to re occur within a month.
This vid helped a lot but. I removed the dead sponge, cleaned out the plastic bulbs with lens wipe, poked the wipe down filling void while wrapping around steel rod. Thin film of oil on rod, doused the packing wipe with c/a glue. Ran it up and down over slippery rod. Got a good result. In 10 minutes each rod. Used Carl zeiss ’s wipes, hf superglue. Light oil to keep it from sticking to rod.
Incredible video and explanation of actual issue that has for sure puzzled many people. Just reassembled all 4 on our Samsung VRT I will check back in to confirm if my style hack works and is durable enough to suggest. If my hack fails i now know I can order new ones too. Bravo ! Well failure on quick cheap rebuild. Ordered replacement rods Amazon $35. Fixed like new.
Great video, finally a proper explanation for why the springs in worn-out suspension rods seemed to actually exacerbate the shaking/banging while the tub starts spinning. I think if the spring was actually attached to the the plastic holders on both ends to begin with at the factory, the whole issue would have been avoided all together, as the force of the spring itself would resist stretching, which would also hold those plastic caps in place and prevent them from sliding up and down . As of right now the tub only grips the plastic holders but the springs remain free. As you said, if the tub is filled and heavy, it simply compresses them which doesn't cause issues, because any up-down movement on any side of the tub is always smaller than the total length by which the springs are already compressed from the extra weight, i.e. the tub is always sitting on 4 compressed springs. On the other hand, If there is no water in the tub, and there is even the slightest unbalance in the tub, the tub will tip towards one side where its respective spring will slightly compress, but on the opposite side the tub will simply "levitate" above its own spring, only to then smash down on that spring when that first original spring decompresses, and once this starts it just gets worse and worse and the whole dampener turns into a 4-way see-saw on a trampoline.
@@johnellisonarmadilloconstr7966 I'm not saying your wrong, but I would think that new grease would only works for a short time, as the dampener is worn and won't grip the rod tightly enough. But that's just an educated guess that could be wrong. What isn't wrong is that it's a crap design. If there was a wiper to redistribute the grease, I think they'd last longer. Or a segmented cone design that self adjusted as wear occurs. But new, complete aftermarket rod assemblies cost as little as 6 bucks apiece. Just replace them. Use the old ones to make something cool. Where would one find this special grease to test it out?
Very good engineering I have tried another idear I used plummers tread seal around the worn bushing 30 raps around tight 20 wraps on the whole bushing and 5wraps from the middle of the bushing to the button with half tredseal hanging out the button of the bushing and 5 wraps on the top side of the bushing with half laping over the top like the button . Then thurn it while pushing the bushing back in place .this works very well for over 6 months and still going thanks for your info.
Your video is the only one that I found which actually identifies the core problem and also offers a very genuine solution to it. I'm sick and tired of people just replacing parts. It's alright if the part is cheap and readily available, or else a total pain in the butt. Thank you so much
Glad you liked it. I was going to make a follow-up video when the Liquid Nails fix failed but so far so good it's still working like a charm. The only problem with my solution is how long it takes for liquid nails to fully cure. If you don't allow it to fully dry it will just squirt all the Liquid Nails out and start shaking again.
These washer machines just have a piss poor design on their suspension, that's the real problem. Who designed 4 small rods to support a basket tub filled with water and clothes anyway?? Good video though
@@WasherDryerMoney you have alot of experience with repairing washing machines. What other types of suspension/damper system have you seen in top load washing machines, and which is the best/most durable design in your opinion Im planning to buy a new one now, my solution does not last more than few months and I'm getting annoyed having to fix it with cable ties every now and then. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix my damper rods, it's slightly different from your plastic component..u can check it in my video
I have had 6 months after rebuilding my suspension rods, and decent success with my fix using rubber bands instead of hot glue. Even large loads cycle through just fine, though it is more sensitive to out of balance loads than stock, it's not by much. The Rubber bands compressed into the area where the hot glue went into don't wear out a hole, and maintain contact with the rod, even after significant use.
I am not experiencing this issue and I love creativity and ingenuity. Couple thoughts fishing aerator tubing or the likes that is large enough to bend over the top end or cut it in half and put it on, then slide some shrink rap on it and heat it up. The shrink wrap will cause an extra bite and tension to control the movement. Great job with the explanation. Coming from bing a fighter jet mechanic…. McGivering A solution to a problem to get war birds mission critical in the field with creativity was a must. Keep up the great enthusiasm to a solution all of you.
The grease that is supposed to be inside the top plastic part of spring is (damping) grease. It is there to cause resistance thus slowing down the movement of their spring. After separating the cap on the top, there was ample grease to to reapply to rod. Also, I dug out the felt packing and discovered it to be tapered so that when cap is snapped on squeezing the felt tight against rod causing a gripping effect. I wrapped electrical tape around the felt a few rounds to give it more firmness around rod thus making it more resistant.
Thank you🙂I was about to solve mine with a trip to the dump.I’ve had my Whirlpool top load set for about six years now.It just started doing this thus year 2022😖I learned how to change them out by myself but I couldn’t figure out what the issue had been when I did.Now I know😁TY
Thanks for the video, I took a soda bottle ring,( what is left on the gottal after you remove the cap) cut it in half and rolled it around the metal shaft and placed it on the soft sponge, then replaced the cap, it put more tension on the sponge and shaft, dont know how long it will work but really cheap fix
Finally, someone that explains why the rods need replacing! I am a fix-it man and always prefer having a go at repairing before replacing. You are worth your weight in gold as I couldn't understand with all the "repair" videos why they are actually replacing he rods! Have you tried small zip-ties on the original foam pieces? I haven't pulled mine out to check if they are still solid enough to accept a zip-tie but maybe that's another way to do it?
I am happy to report that a combination of collecting & repacking the excess sticky grease from around the rod, as well as use of zip ties has been successful so far! No need for any other silicone or additives yet....
Great explanation, I attempted a fix yesterday by using a fat litter oring that fitted between the plastics and squashed the foam down a little harder. So far so good.
Got a free higher end windowed washer a neighbor kicked to the curb. First run the drum wobbled violently before it even got up to a higher speed. Getting the rods out of and into the top bushing was a total pain going solo but I got it done. Took some sand paper and roughened up the travel area and that did the trick for now. I like some of these other suggestions better but I wouldn't want to do this over and over again. It's not as easy as some of these other washers appear to be via how to videos. FYI my old washer is nearly 40 years old and the only repair I'm aware of was a broken wire due to it moving during operation causing fatigue. The clutch is starting to slip and it seems like every load is out of balance lately but compared to new ones it doesn't rust and is built like a tank. Weighs as much as a tank too. Keeping the 40 yo dryer. It's gone through a few belts but no reason to replace. Even has a moisture sensor to save power.
The idea of filling the cups with construction adhesive is a good one. As the adhesive drys it shrinks making it even tighter on the rod. It is concentric on the rod just like the original foam bushing so the plastic cup ends aren't in a bind messing them up. It may be a perfect fix if the material holds up long term. If you think you want to try a different material against the rod, simply cut washers and slit them to the center and pop them on and stack them in the cup then fill glue around them with construction adhesive. I'm planning to try some leather washers made from an old belt. Since you're going to glue the material in, cut the pieces so they don't touch the inside wall of the cup or it will side load the rod and throw it off center. The glue will fill in any gaps. The last thing to do is to overfill the cup so that the top cap is full also and the glue will get in to the slots around the top of the cup and hold it in. Since it shrinks a little you can expect it will pull away from the inside of the cup and won't be pressed in.
To keep this as short, I watched your video and thought of an Idea. 1. Remove the spring retainer on end of rod shaft, break it off if necessary (Plastic not rod). 2. Remove all pieces from rod & lay out in order. 3. Polish the rod area you referred to with a scotch bright pad (Works better than sand paper). 4. Now for the fun part #1, replace the worn-out rubber resistance plug with a stack of O-rings. Since we don't know the Manufacturers resistance spec's this will be trial and error. Once this knowledge is achieved you can share with the rest of US. O-rings are dirt cheap at Harbor Freight. 5. Now for fun part #2, Re-assamble by using a flat washer as a spring retainer then a small rod retainer. ROD RETAINER: (The type that slides onto the end of a rod and bites in with little fingers, looks like a little hat, and taps on with a hammer) Flat washer and rod retainers both available @ Lowe's. 6. If end of rod is crimped, grind or file down so flat washer will slide on. 7. If spring is to loose, use any thing as a spacer between rod retainer (little hat) and flat washer, so spring is in same position as OEM. PS: I am not in appliance repair, so I have nothing to experiment with. PSS: I would put a thin layer of lubricant on ball joints at (Tub and housing) to help prevent plastic wear. If this works like I think it will, make spares, for quick repairs!
It could work. I'm going to do an update video soon and try a few other things. The Liquid Nails is still working in the machine I fixed in this video.
This is my suggestion... get some things and trim them down to the right size and wedge them in the spring so the suspension rods won’t let the springs have a off balance spin cycle... chalk off and disable the springs so the suspension rods will be stiff and still like the older belt drive are
Yes I agree. In fact Samsung suspension rods I have a piece of thick rubber that goes over half the spring to get the spring less bounce and it also well it’s the suspension rod not travel as far which reduces the amount of where that piece of foam receives. I’m actually planning on making another video about this very subject soon. I might also have a another easier cheap fix that’s mimicking this idea.
Thank you for this information. I did indeed have all four bushings sliding freely up the rod. I bought some small clamps with rubber coating and put them between the top piece that pops off and the black piece that houses the faulty bushing. It was tight but not tight enough so I wrapped the rod with some two sided sticky foam tape. Then I put the clamp back on and tightend with small pan head screw and nut. The clamps were about 1/2" tall. It didn't work cause I was now raising the drum 1/2" I took the clamps off and compressed the foam sticky tape that stayed adhered to the rod by pushing the top piece back down on the black bushing where it belonged. I noticed now the bushing was super tight on the shaft. Put everything back together and planned on ordering new extension rods, but the problem went away! Curious how long it will work but I'm not going to give up. The gentleman is right. The bushing has to be super tight but be able to move a bit with pressure. I might be crazy but there's got to be way to "swell" that area of the rod where the bushing moves on it. A tapered bushing? Knurling that area? Locate vibratite to keep nuts from moving on threads?
Turns out, the grey compound at the end of the rod is not a grease, it's really a friction modifier that fills the gap and provides the required friction. It you remove it (thinking it's a grease) you're actually decreasing the required friction. The hard part is figuring out who sells that!
Can confirm: ordered Nyogel 767A off Amazon; applied a generous amount directly to the rod, under the plastic bit that keeps the spring down. Machine spins as quiet as ever now.
I have a Simpson Eziset Top loader washing Machine. After watching your solution I discovered my machine had the same problem. The damper system on mine is around the spring and resembles a big syringe with the rod coming out the end. The small foam you spoke of sealing around the rod, mine was at the large end(like a syringe), and only a plastic hole for the rod to go through. The hole had elongated and no longer had any dampening effect. Instead of using adhesive I used a Hot Air Gun and similar plastic to rebuild the hole around the rod. I used Plastic Zip Tie as filler rod as I plastic welded it. A little care is needed with the hot plastic, but all in all an easy fix. Thanks for the Great Video.
Very interesting. Let me know if it gives out. I used heavy duty hot glue and it only lasted a month. My fix with the Liquid Nails as still running strong.
Lol, i used a hammer and anvil and rounded the pinched end. Then used a punch and punched out a perfect gromet out of a tough rubber material, put back together and then hammered the end back flat again.
I tried 100% Clear Silicone to fill where the foam used to be. They act right in my hand, but I have not tried them in the washer. I was pressed for time to complete the repair (wife was spurring me on) so I spent the $75 to purchase OEM suspension rods. If OEM's crap out in 2 years like the originals, I will try the refurbished rods. Just make sure the silicone has fully cured, immersing the spring ends in water will speed this up, not too long as the springs may rust. Silicone takes a while to cure completely, it might take as long as a week. I have used silicone to make vibration damping mounts for a rubidium atomic clock and they worked perfectly.
Seems to me like someone could make a capsule that screws together with a rubber gasket so that it works like the packing on a valve stem, where you can adjust the tightness of the gasket by how tight you screw the two parts together. As it wears out all you do it tighten the halves to squeeze the gasket more.😁
That's a terriffic idea, too much $$$ though. People still aren't talking about the 2 to 4 springs that attach to the rods and side of the tub. at the top. ABT. $10.00 a pair I really believe this would keep the tub swinging side to side as much.
I never did pull the dampening rods to make sure I had this specific issue, but on my Samsung washer, I used the bungee strap trick to hold everything down on the springs. So far, seems to work great!
@@aintbreedlove7729you run thick bungee cords hooked to the bottom of the frame of the washer, over the attachment points of the drum to the dampening rods, and then back down to the frame of the washer. This will force the drum down against the springs and the dampening rods providing spring force downwards which does help very much to smooth out the washer. I've only had this washer for 7 months but the fix seems to have held just fine so far
I’m trying some bungee cords on the top to keep the drum from banging against the sides. I just did it today. We’ll see how it works. My Amana washer is about 8 years old & doesn’t have any dampening straps like some models have.
great vid!!i thumb'd it. hey i have a standard whirlpool, 5yr old washer, the suspension rods were replaced 3yrs ago. however, i noticed 4 tabs on each corner of the tub, with a pin hole thru it, and realize i can attached centering suspension springs from there to the rods. so my ques4u is , y didn't the whirpool come with the springs, b/c teh tech who did the rods awhile back never mentioned them?????? are they worth installing? If not, i can't believe my 3yr old rods are bad again? thank you!
Great idea . I’m gonna try this. I bought rods from eBay and it was worse. And I get so pissed off buying shit that doesn’t work. Waiting for price for genuine Samsung parts, I am sure they will be worth more than the washing machine. Cheers mate
You're video was extremely informative. It's nice to know how the whole suspension rod system actually works now. I'm working on two machines for a furniture rental store that are having the same problem. Both are only a year or so old but I'm going to check the slip on the foam bushing over the rod to see if it slides too easy. If they slide easy I'll probably replaced with OEM suspension rods for now. I'm looking forward to seeing the next video. Today is 5-14-21. Is your original fix still working?
I cut 4 small pieces of a standard zip tie and shoved them on the teeth side against the metal shaft, which nicely increased the friction. I hope it has a lasting fix.
Yes I had the similar idea, fixed it using cable ties but I can tell from experience now it's not the best fix it some how goes bad within few months. You can check the video of the fix on my channel
I'll never own another one either. It took me 3 HOURS today to wash a medium size load of whites because of the UE error. I've had it with this machine!
Thank you, it is a very informative video! I suspect this may be the root cause for "out of balance" issue with my Fisher Paykel washer. The support rod replacement kit (424495P) cost around $150 which is quite ridiculous. Your explanation and the fix make total sense to me, there got to be a sufficient vibration damping in the system somewhere otherwise it goes haywire around resonance frequency. There is one complication with this particular implementation of support rods (424495P). The spring is enclosed in a metal case and I'm not sure whether it can be non-destructively disassembled. I'm wondering, do you have any recommendations on how to deal with the problem in this situation?
GE washer is have a similar issue. I have not attempted to work on these yet.Next time I get a washer with that cover over it I will see if it is something that can be removed. I have seen several people in the comments say that you can put a piece of hose pipe over the spring to step in it and that seems to solve it. I have not tried this yet but I plan on making a video about it. I’ve also seen suggestions on put in earplugs in place of the liquid nails. I have also not tried this but I do plan on making a video about that idea as well. I will say that the liquid nails is still working perfectly for the washer. I still have it in my laundry worm and it runs about every other day since I’ve made this video.
@@WasherDryerMoney how did this repair end up working out over time? Laundry seems to have gotten overloaded a few too many times and now my washer bangs around all over the place in the spin cycle.
Thanks for the Video, I also have an 8.5 kg direct drive washer from Fisher and Paykel. In my opinion F&P make terrible products, the engineering is poor. The F&P has similar dampeners, they are basically black plastic caps above the spring cartridge that are crimped on one side, the crimping is supposed to provide enough friction to dampen the action and stop out of balance trips. It does, for a little while but soon the problem reappears as the hard black plastic wears. I fixed mine by winding multi core copper wire around the top of the cover, twisted to provide enough friction (check by hand as you go) so far, they haven't needed to be re-tensioned but when they do it will be an easy job. Cost for this fix $0 and about 1 hours work time. No parts required (just some scrap multi core copper wire)
Wow that’s super cool. Just looked up what TPU rubber is very durable. My email is in my bio. If you send me some pics or clips and instructions on how to make them I’ll make a video about it. I’m always looking for a better way to solve this ridiculous washer problem.
WDM, Thanks for the video! I now understand the purpose of the "dampening/support rods. Replaced them yesterday and, holy cow, the violent unbalancing of the unit just went away. The original rods were not as bad as the ones you show, but they apparently were bad enough. I needed my Cabrio WTW6400SW1 back running ASAP so a replacement OEM rod set was the ticket. Since the back right corner was the more difficult of the four, I would suggest that DIYers start with maybe one of the fronts just to get the "hang" of it. Thanks again for the video. BTW, earlier this year I replaced the driveshaft, bearings, seal and hub gears (shaft splines at wash plate were actually stripped out) . Aftermarket parts were NOT the way go. Bearings are really low grade and replacement shaft was .015"-.020" smaller at the splined ends which mandated that I had to make shims to eliminate the excessive backlash.
Thank you much! I read about the compression and decompression of the spring, but I didn't know which part of it act as a dampener to slow down the decompression. Now I know. What I did was to use those friction foam pads to keep your handphones on the car dashboard. cut a small size and wrap it around the rod before inserting it into the cavity where the worn out pads were sitting in. (can throw away the pads). let's hope it lasts.
I took mine apart. I bought from amazon some brass shim material. (verry cheep) I lined the entire hole with brass shim. Then I slid my rubber into what is now a smaller tighter hole.
Simple fix for your problem with your " Samsung and other high end machines " LOL . Buy a Speed Queen. They dont hang by a suspension rod and I have never, ever , seen one go out of balance. You guys are just trying to fix a flawed design.
I just picked up a 2017 Speed Queen that has the snubber ring design and no suspension rods. It does however have a lid lock that I think is The fault with the machine. You never hear the lid lock engage and the machine won't enter a cycle only flash the lid lock light. We will see. Oddly enough the GE machines that have used suspension rods for a long time never seem to wear them out. These use a thicker rod than the Whirlpool desigh and the shock area looks larger. Maybe that is the magic. Never taken one of them apart to see what they use for dampening material but I do understand what this person is showing with that foam that disintegrates. To me it looks like the same type of rubber material that ear plugs are made out of. If someone would make an aftermarket replacement dampening foam with a slit down one side so you could pop it on the ride and push it into the plastic housing they would make a fortune especially if the material were to hold up for a few years. Generally the rest of the rods and springs are not the problem unless the customer has allowed the machine to beat itself to death for a while and damage things.
Nothing invented by people was ever perfect. I like my mid-2000’s Maytag washer. I’ve become very well acquainted with its guts in the past few years. My kids like to overload it. I just put a new wash plate and a hub in it last week, and I know it still needs some work on the suspension rods. All the local appliance parts dealers deny having the rods in their stores or warehouses, so I’m guessing that means that the new appliance dealers are pushing to sell more new washers by blocking the supply chain of parts. Forgive me for seeming to be a conspiracy theorist in every possible way, but I see a world full of people making money by manipulating situations. More on that before I move on: one of our local repair shops allegedly replaced the gearbox on my lovely Maytag Bravos MCT twice since it was new, and I’m pretty sure that all the guy did was replace the plastic hub and charge me for a transmission (both times). Now, moving along, if the fix in this video alleviates the imbalance problem during the spin, I’m going to use it while I’m waiting for the suspension rods I ordered online to get here. Some of us super handy older guys are willing to continue our education infinitely. If there’s something I can keep repairing for myself that will serve me as well as something newer that will become unrepairable after a decade or two, I’m going to choose the thing I can repair, and I’m going to keep fixing it ad infinitum.
Split the piece with the foam in it, then fill it with sticky pad glue from a mouse pad. It will restrict movement on the rod, won't wear out and is non toxic.
I know I'm late to the game, but perhaps you could replace the original worn foam with cork, natural or synthetic. Drill a smaller than stock hole through the center of the cork, but keep the cork on the drill bit and hold a sanding block against the side of it while spinning the bit in a drill press to take the cork down to size. Then perhaps a slit down the side to get the cork onto the rod and press everything back together. Hope you find something that works!
I just want to say that those springs do get weak but here's a possible solution wrap the area with ductape leave on for a couple days and remove. Now that the ductape has been removed the adhesive from the ductape is now on the the rod. Now the foam piece will stick to the adhesive just enough to allow movement but also enough to not allow to much movement. Or you can just buy a can of flooring adhesive and spray the rod. Thanks for this video which allowed me to think of an idea that I can try.
I just did mine I took the rods out and replaced them with 1/4" ready rod. I used red lock tight on the nuts and double nutted at top bottom and top of the spring. I also used lock nuts on the very top and bottom for extra insurance. Seems to be working so far. I did have to drill out the plastic and washers to 1/4" as well.
I was thinking 🤔 measure the rod with micrometer try to find a drill bit right under that size and make it out of a cylinder piece of wood cut the wooden half from top to bottom and use a metal clamps to a just tightness just a quick thought I may have to try it. It's the reason why I stumbled onto your video was because I have the exact machine off balance but now that you described how the part works I'm going to try the wood with the clamp. Thanks for the video it was a massive massive help!
Glad to help. Let me know how your fix works. I’ll be making a follow up video to this one soon I’ve gotten a lot of suggestions from repair guys on how they are fixing this problem.
I found a solution thanks to you and a suggestion in the comment section made by nigel brown. The fix is made by using Whirlpool direct drive washer motor grommets. Part # WP62691 to replace the worn out dampers. Slice off the section of the grommet which would connect to a Whirlpool direct drives' transmission plate. Cut a slit in the grommet, slide it around the rod, so the flat side rest on top of the damaged damper. Have the dome shaped side of the grommet facing up so it will match dome shape of the plastic which covers the damper.
I gotta say This was very interesting and I had a lot of fun reading all the comments Id love to get my hands on the engineers that design this kinda crap!
Lol. I always just replace the rods for machines I resell. This is just an experiment to try to fix the problem A little more permanently. I actually am still using this washer in my personal home to see how long the fix would work. Still running strong I’m pretty sure it’s a permanent solution to the foam deteriorating problem.
Great video and explanation of problem and possible solution. My washer bounces so hard that it moved the dryer from the vent. Beyond a doubt the manufactures know this is a purposely built in fault and homeowners subsequently will need to have repairs OR purchase washer. It seems they all have these suspension rods, They could not continue to produce dependable washers on he market w/o these rods with the piece of foam that degrades and fails. Now the MAYAG man can't sit and wait for a call as he is always replacing he rods. I will consider this fix and perhaps come up with another possible fix
about to get into rod set #2 on a wtw5000dw1. thank you for this insight. i have my old rods and springs, think it's time to get creative. set 2 in the machine has no obvious issues with the caps or springs. worn damper foam makes absolute sense. thank you
Good idea. Too save a heap of time and effort TRY using the rubber washers of actual tap or faucet washers. Just pop the rubber off the brass or plastic piece and force a few (maybe even 3) onto the rod and slide them down into position. Cheers from down under mate.
I have been experimenting on a fix for the enclosed type dampers used in F&P top load washers. Im now getting excellent results by replacing the deteriorated foam material with 35A duro open cell ejection rubber that I found on Alibaba, lubricated with silicone grease. F&P are now starting to also use the open type damper as being shown here.
@@johnellisonarmadilloconstr7966 The primary failure is the decomposition of the foam elastomer which I have not been able to identify. It needs to be open cell and have negligible compression set. So far, my repaired rods using foam natural rubber are showing no sign of damping loss after 6 months. Hopefully it's going to be a long wait.
@@xavieraxiak6866 that’s great that you can find a way to keep the damping without the sticky stuff. But everyone else can’t do that. So they would need the grease
@@johnellisonarmadilloconstr7966 I had a close look at some new F&P suspension rods, 430055p, the open spring type. The grease is more viscous and tackier than ordinary grease. It does seem to be a damping grease.
I wrapped that little sponge piece with some 60 Grit Emry cloth With the grip facing outwards I pushed the sponge piece back in place . created an Is friction for the dampling rods to work. I wrapped the Emery cloth around the phone about 7/8 of the way Is them pushed it back in with a screwdriver. Once you have the rods out of the machine it's about a 5 minute fix
HERE IS THE ANSWER - The plastic is as hard as Teflon; it WILL NOT wear out (plus there is grease on the rod acting as a lube). If the plastic cannot wear out, then what’s wrong with the assembly? There is also thick grease on the rod (acting as lube, but also acting to slow down the movement of the plastic providing resistance). The grease works with the plastic to provide the resistance and shock absorbing. Now you know how it works. The grease wears thin after a long time and the resistance lessens. That is the problem. Not enough thick grease is the problem. Here is what I did, and it works forever... Remove the grease with a rag, I didnt waste much time on this, just wipe it off and move on. Notice the plastic ring flows very free now along the rod? I was going to use wheel bearing grease, but I found something better. You want something thick but also something that will not dry out (that’s why glue and other things mentioned in the video and comments only work for a while). I used liquid gasket, non-drying. It’s used for motors, car motors, lawnmowers etc. Sometimes its used as a gasket sealer. Its thick like chewing gum, very very very sticky, and takes years to dry out. Put that on the rod on top and below the plastic ring and move it around to make sure the goo goes in both side of the plastic. That’s it. Now spread the word, go back to the forums and other videos and let others know, tell them Another Brian sent you.
Very interesting let me give this a try. There’s a lot of gasket I tried to find the one you’re talking about but I wanna make sure I get the exact one you used. Could you send me an Amazon link?
@@WasherDryerMoney - The stuff I used is more than 20 years old, still good in the tube. The trick is something thick that doesnt dry out. After I applied that goo, it worked a lot better but not perfect. Because the drum was shaking out of control for quite some time, the pads on the side (mounted to the walls of the washer) were in bad shape. I used red Tuck tape to stick 1/2" foam copper pipe insulation to the sides - all 4 sides. Its been running perfect so far.
A serviceable oil dampening shock absorber strut assembly would be nice. If I can do it with my RC car for cheap I am sure a big company can figure it out.
I don't ever leave comments... well, hardly ever - however in this case it is more than warranted. Yours is the only video that I've found that describes HOW the suspension/dampening rods help to balance the washer. Having replaced two sets of rods on two different washers, fixing the problem, but I never understanding why (until seeing your video).
Thank you!
Thanks. I’m going to be doing a few more videos on the suspension rods soon I have a few new ideas on how to fix them.
I'm a repair tech and never realized that either. I just assumed the springs were getting wore out. I've changed these things 100s of times
@@joshuamills765 yeah I remember the moment I figured this out. It was definitely an aha moment.
@@WasherDryerMoney You are the person that I got that I got the actual idea from. Thank you.
I just put up a new way of, the most cheapest way of fixing the problem. It is on a new comment up there. It is so cheap and easy, it is crazy. Check it out. I stumbled on it last night and works outright perfect.
@@WasherDryerMoney I should check them out. It occurred to me watching this video that what is needed is damping grease between the rod and friction ring!!! Sure enough, in other videos, when people put in the new rods, you can see the grease on the rod where it will contacts the plastic cups!
for my washer which is maybe 15yo or more.. it has only one suspension spring. at first i thought i would need to buy a whole new washer.. watching a few of these vids and opening up the washer my self, came to find that the hole that the long end of the spring was hooked on was cracked because of rust. Drilled a new hole in a non rusted area and reconnected the spring. Problem solved and saved 500-1000$. thankful for the internet.
I know this is couple years after the video, but the commenters who mentioned the need for the dampening grease were spot on. I used a silicone grease I already had on hand and 20 minutes of work and my washer spins silently again without beating itself to death.
🤔Duct tape fixes everything 😏
Pulled out the damping material carefully without breaking it, covered it with a few layers of tape , and squeezed it back into place.
Your explanation was very useful. Thanks for the inspiration.
To think I was gonna throw away the whole washer before understanding the problem. Ended up spending $0.00
So thankful for this video. I'm a homesteader and just got my first washer and it's been an annoyance, bashing itself to death. I fixed my with a few extra Bungie cords to tighten the suspension. But now I know how the rods works I can fix it proper. Tho my repair works great.
I filed down the rod a bit with a sawsaw blade enough to make a dentation on the rod. Then i tied a tie wire for rebar on the rod to keep the spring from going up. No need to replace anything. Worked like a charm!
Cool
That's the Mexican way to do it wey
Ducktape ,work like a Cadillac
@@aintbreedlove7729 i dont. it is put together already. Been 6 months and still working fine. Just file a grove on it, right at the the point where the spring will stay put then. Then tie a tie wire with pliers and it will keep spring in place
Sorry for the late reply are you saying tie it above the plastic that slides into the washer
Thank you for this video, I was really in a jam with my machine at a time, when finding replacement rods was a long wait away.
Watching this video made me understand how it works. I didn't get rid of the foamy insert. when I squeezed it against the rod and moved it up and down it was gripping. I closed the gap between the foamy insert and the rod by cutting it lengthwise and wrapping it tightly on the rod then use electrical tape to wrap it so it could stay in place. after which I push it back in the cup and the rest was dream come true.
Awesome idea! Thank you!
I honestly think that's a good idea, wonder if cable ties around the foam sleeves would make it grip better? Once they got a little loose again, just snug up the cable ties.
Did you cut the foamy part at the bottom and then wrap it with electric tape? and is it still working?
@@h.s.6498 I cut the foamy part lengthwise, in the direction of the rod. Then wrapped it tight as I could on the rod. Yes, to my surprise it still works to this day without having to go back at it. The machine works light in the week but heavy on all weekends, just to give an idea of use.
@@garyr7027 I have no doubts that the cable ties would work. The problem might be trying to fit the tie head inside the cup. Space is limited. The tape is just a thin layer and pushes back into the cup with no sweat.
Thank you from the bottom of my wallet. I had inspected the suspension rods hoping to find a break, to no avail.
I had to conclude there was nothing logically anything I could try to repair.
After witnessing my possibly devil possessed washer literally go airborne, it was time to buy a new one.
Until of course, I viewed your video. The only one that explained and showed the problem. I opted for new rods, with a year
warranty, for those of you on the fence over putting money in an older machine. Runs like it just came out of the box.
Excellent video, thanks again.
Glad to help.
Can you please tell us the parts ##
I love your video. My foam insert slipped very easily on the hanger rod, just like your demonstration. After watching several videos on the "fix" I used 5/8" long pieces of plastic tie-wrap inserted between the foam insert and the plastic cup. I inserted 4-5 pieces of the tie-wrap until the slide was gripping the rod pretty well but still able to slide. Works great and probably will last longer than toothpicks. I suspect the foam insert with eventually disintegrate to the point where and insert will need to be replaced.
Thank you for the great video and all the interesting comments.
Very cool glad you got it fixed.
Nice vid, well explained, and I like your experiments with in-situ molding; another youtuber used 5-minute epoxy putty, hand-formed around the shaft. I have not read the 600+ long comments stream, but I believe from my own research (into saving $100 on replacements) that you have missed the actual mode of operation of these rods. They rely on the non-intuitive behaviour of the lubricant applied by the manufacturer...these allow the rod to slide through the bush, but resist being stretched, providing damping friction but not attaching to the rod. These are called 'damping greases'. You may have wondered why a piece of foam was used in the slider...it probably was a reservoir for this grease. The damping is provided by the effect of the grease on the rod, not the fit of the bush around the rod. Nyogel 767 is such a grease. The grease is not cheap and is sticky to handle. There are also reports of the bottom of the tube bursting while trying to squeeze it out because it thickens as it is forced through the neck. Thank you for taking the time to make this vid.
Yes I agree.
We’ve all learned so much since I’ve made this video. Honestly I did not think anyone would care to even watch this video. It’s very surprising.
I’ve actually talk to the guy that made that video. The grease is a key part of it but it is not the only part. The foam is definitely the weak point of the entire piece. As it disintegrates from moving up and down the rod when the drum fills and drains water in and out also the pressure from off-balance loads.
After the foam falls apart it creates a empty space and the grease cannot do its job properly because of the distance between the shaft and the grease that is no longer directly touching the rod.
This is why even in a stock ride that has plenty of grease will still fall back-and-forth when you flip the rod over.
If you fill the void in the deteriorating piece of foam with this grease I believe it would fix this issue temporarily possibly permanently.
I’ve had a few manufacturers send me there rods to review and I have not done any because I have not been very impressed with the amount of grease they use. Way less than original in some cases.
Which explains why people are having issues with these rods continuously going out.
These aftermarket companies are not understanding the importance of putting enough of that grease in the rod.
PS
I still have the liquid nails washer but I am about to swap out to a direct drive washer and get rid of this one. It has not had any issues with the suspension rods and I have ran a ton of loads through it.
I think the reason the liquid nails work so well is because a extended about a quarter of an inch.
=more surface area for the ride to be in contact with. There is no grease in the rods I’m using but I still think the grease is very important.
I’m not saying that there’s any special factor to using liquid nails I’m just saying this because I believe it’s a simple problem of gripping a rod slightly and there are 1 million ways to do it but I do believe the grease is the best way.
@@WasherDryerMoney Thank you @Washer Dryer Money for providing a forum for this problem. Maybe we can get the OEMs to start manufacturing responsibly. I would like to thank @Neil Fixes for his research and assessment of the real problem. After talking to many washer owners with the same problem, this problem exists in the design of many of the mainstream washer brands. I own a Whirlpool 1CWTW4815EW1. The support rods have a felt drum that comes in contact with the rods. The trouble is that the OEM rods are loaded with lubricating grease which defeated the purpose of the Damping gel. THEY WERE MANUFACTURED TO FAIL. After thoroughly cleaning the rods and reservoir of lubricating grease (brake cleaner works), I applied Nyogel 767 liberally to all inner surfaces that contact the rods, and made a Nyogel reservoir in and around the felt drum. I took one additional step and spread a thin coat of Nyogel into the ball socket at the top of the rod to further reduce rod movement. The washer has been operating flawlessly, even with heavy loads.
Damping grease comes on them from the factory. It’s very sticky. That’s all you need
Just used Nyogel 767A on my cheap Panda top loader. Machine spins as quiet as ever now. One thing I noticed-there was no foam on the suspension rods. Instead, the plastic bit holding the spring down had two channels cut into it on each side, I suspect to act as reservoirs for the grease. But yeah, it really was as simple as squeezing in more.
I too have never left a comment, but this washer and this video deserve one.
Thanks! This info has saved my relationship with this washer. I looked at some comments to see what others were doing. Then I looked around my house for what I could use to supplement these foam breaks. Then I saw it. There it was.
Plastic Hanger strap. Its the correct width and height. I can't remember how much I cut off for each one, an approximation of the diameter x 3. I had to get the foam slid up from the little reservoir, then get the hanger strap piece started in the reservoir and then slide the foam down in the hanger strap. Lastly push them both down together. Its been working great for over a month.
I will say there is a learning curve. I mangled the 1st foam a bit trying to do this, but I supplemented with pieces of a tooth pick as others had mentioned.
I know that this won't work for all because sometimes the foam is deteriorated too far, but if it's not, then this seems like the simplest solution from what I had around the house.
That’s awesome. I am still using that test washer in my personal home and it’s still running fine. I am going to be doing another video soon on a easier fix. it’s actually a suggestion from the comments that a bunch of the repair guys agree should work and it will be easier.
Im amazed that anyone would put in this effort to solve a problem on a washing machine. Thank God you did because this is my problem. New damper rods will be delivered tomorrow. Next time though if needed i will do what you demonstrated. Thanks a bunch.
Though he is the repair business and his search for a diy solution may have $ and/or improvement of replacement parts as I can imagine the replacement dampener may fail sooner than later. My effort in trying an alternate method is solely because I would like it fixed today and not wait for the part and because I enjoy jury rigging.
Interesting. I have rentals. I replaced those rods once. Didn't know exactly how they worked. Now I do. Thanks.
Glad to help.
Thanks, the dampening action makes sense. I work as an apartment maintenance tech and have replaced a few of these. I always assumed it was just the Springs had worn out and were loosey-goosey. I always come in after I get a complaint of a banging machine and grab the top of the agitator and push it directly up and down, when the rods go bad the tub will bounce up and down like a pogo stick freelee. When you install the new rods you can't bounce the tub like that at all. Make sense as you stated that its the dampening action versus just the spring strength
That’s true. I have done that test several times. Sometimes it Will not show like it is bad because the only one of the rods will be bad. But most of the time they will all go bad at the same time because when one goes bad it will shake the rest of them until they all wear out.
There’s damping grease on new rods. This grease is very sticky.
As John said, it is all about the damping grease! I added Nyolab 767A to my old rods and that alone solved my uL problem. Idea from Zack Stone.
@@WasherDryerMoney Yes, exactly spot on. I had mine felt good, but when I took it apart, the back left one was totally broke. The spring seemed popped off and the top part was crushed into it. So, it was probably no shock-absorbing. But, replaced them, and it spins like a little wheel on a top. Perfectly. Quiet as anything now.
Thank you for the video i finally understand why it was always going off balanced. I took a lot of wet clothes back out to try and balance the washer and it just kept getting worse until it finally would barely spin without banging. I also liked where forty four was going but couldn’t wrap my head around it. So i built off of that idea to minimize the upward bounce. I got some 24” bungee cords. Drilled some holes in the base. Ran the bungee around the top of the spring mount. So the springs keep upward tension and the bungee’s keep downward tension. First load is done so far so good.
Interesting. I have seen a few people using bungees hooked on the shocks to the bottom of the washer. I have not experimented with it yet. But it is interesting.
Can u share a few pictures of the arrangement?
@@salmans75 arrangements?
@@WasherDryerMoney on how the bungee cords were installed
@@salmans75
Sorry for the very late response. I drilled holes from the outer walls 3.5” inward. This is by every outer corner on the base. It I’s also .5” into the frame, enough for the hook on the bungee to set right. Then Put a bungee cord between the suspension rod and the tub. Tried to make the placement even. Then secured it to the base through the holes i drilled. 8 holes drilled 2 on each corner. 4 bungee cords used one for each suspension rod. I would share pictures but i don’t know how to post pictures so everyone can see them
Thanks for explaining that the problem is the orange damper sponge, and that it works by friction. Knowing that, here´s my successful fix: I pried out the sponge, cut it vertically, scraped off loose debris, cut approx 1/8 to 1/4 to the length (depending on the wear), greased the rod and sponge (with the part's own grease), placed it back around the rod, wrapped cloth tape (ie medical adhesive) for a snug fit around the rod and 16 mm diameter, and stuffed it back into the plastic cavity. Minimal vibration when centrifuging. So far so good. Cost free.
My Whirlpool did not include the four horizontal springs (from the tub to the rods) but the attach points are there. I will buy and add them.
Interesting let me know if it fails. some other Solutions I've tried only lasted 30 days. So far the Liquid Nails is still holding strong the only problem with it is how long it takes to dry before you can put the rods back on.
Are the 4 Springs that attach to the tub and the dampener Springs required? Mine only has 2 of them. 4th of them on the right hand side front and back
After reading all the other fixes I am going to try yours. wish me luck.
I was sitting here freaking out with all the DIY ideas until I read your Gus! I recently replaced the water pump which probably broke because of the rattling. I used plumbers tape. I don’t think I used enough though because it didn’t work on High spin but it worked on medium. It’s 11pm and I’m glad I got it done. My wife washes every day all day like it’s therapy. Lol
Thanks...I just replaced mine and looked at the old rods and they looked completely fine...Thanks for showing what the problem was
Finally. I've been searching for the answer to this problem for a year. Thank you so much for
explaining how it's supposed to work. I wonder if that little foam piece was originally made from hard rubber. I've never had this problem until I got this Roper machine.
I'm about to try just adding damping greases. Pretty much pop the plastic top and add it
Nyogel 767a I'll let you know if it works.
Not sure if the other comment posted but it showed an error on my side so I typed another
I wish I would have found your "site" before I went out and bought new springs for my Amana washer. I will be visiting MORE OFTEN NOW!!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE!!!
I found a 1-1/2" thick, "Foam Kneeling Mat" at HF for $6.49 that feels really close to the foam bushing material and is firm. A hole saw with a center bit might be able to cut the bushing (adjusting sizes), then slit it down the side to push it on the rod. Might be best to slice it into shorter lengths and stack them in the plastic pocket while rotating the slits. Dow 111 silicone compound is really tacky (same as silicone caulk except doesn't set up) and worked well on mine when I added the toothpicks in my existing bushings. You could cut hundreds of bushings out of one of these the kneeling mats and still use the mat. I think this is a real contender for the finals.
Simplest fix you won't believe.
Pry out that pad from its housing and let it be. Cut 1/8" square rubber and a little less than the length of the pad long. Pry out with a screw driver the center of the pad where the rod goes through. Shove that rubber piece in there. And push the pad back in place and you are done. And marry christmas.
You can also buy rubber cords in any diameter ( 3/4 " is the right size for this purpose) . Cut it at length, then drill a little hole in the center, cut a little notch in its side and push in place and you are done. You can go to Amazon and get these "rubber cords" at 3/4 diamter, 5 feet of it for $22. And marry christmas again.
Your idea about the rubber is a good one. The big issue with my foam plugs is that they are crumbling. Someone had the idea of taking a piece of vacuum hose, slitting it, wrapping it around the rod then packing some foam around it for the preload. Braided fuel line is thicker and might even be more compatible with the grease and could be sliced lengthwise like you suggested (maybe 4 pieces) and the ID wouldn't matter as long as the slices could tighten on the rod (still need to pack it). It could be sanded or ground to length to get a good fit. I'm running on the aftermarket rods and don't know how long they'll last. The author of this video filled the cups to create a solid plug (with no preload), just a slip fit and the grease film alone is working the last I read. Is the rubber cord you talked about the same as backing cord you stuff in cracks before caulking or maybe something else? Some small foam cord would make good packing material to wrap around the outside of the rubber and the inside of the cup with a small screwdriver. Whatever we come up with, he's going to have to make a simple video to show everyone how to do it (ha).
@@robert574 also thin them carpet pads just might do it. They are thick and they will stuff right inside. I bet they will also work on front loader shocks.
I just put a small rubber washer that fit around the rod and into the plastic pocket, had to cut the washer to put around the rod and the white caps didn’t fit exactly tight back together since there is a washer now above the foam in the casing. But the extra washer must be causing the foam to have a tighter hold within the casing as the weight of the washer sealed the white caps back together with the small rubber washer inside, idea was the rubber washer would take up any space lost by the foam and squeeze the foam in the same area tighter around the rod. Washer has worked great ever since. My washer is a Samsung top loading VRT 8.5 years old.
Less than 30 minutes to fix and rubber washers were less than 50 cents.
Just wanted to say I did this today to my washer and it's actually making through a complete cycle definitely didn't think it would but here I am with clean clothes 😮
I have a fix that worked for me. I used a 1/4" u-bolt attached to the of the cap that resides on top the spring assembly. Clamped tightly should prevent the failure of the sticky grommet that holds the spring cap in place.
Youre talking about on top of everything, like after the rod is installed and above the little ring that sits on top of where the washer rests? That's exactly what I thought about doing, except with a cut up ground bar from an electrical panel. (Basically just a set screw in piece of metal with a hole in it.)
Or a u bolt for electrical splicing or a u-bolt for stainless wire rope would work.
Still work or nah?
Nice! Fixed my Samsung. Instead of making a tighter grommet or grippy thing, use another spring (a smaller one with less tension) and clipping one end of it around the rod below the suspension spring and clipping the other end around the rod above the suspension spring mechanism, so that the whole thing sits between the spring with less tension. It allows the main suspension spring mechanism to do its thing while keeping movement up and down the rod slow and steady. 5 minute fix.
Would you be able to share pictures or video of this with me? I’m having a hard time visualizing this fix.
Shade-Tree Engineerng. I love it. Technicians solving and fixing the problems that the supposed "Real" Engneers put into their products. Thanks for posting.
its because they are Engineered to fail. They dont want to sell you a washer only once.
Yeah it kind of sux that companies look for ways to ensure their product fails. I understand why, but in reality they are failing their customers.
Keep tinkering and let us know when you find out the easiest and most efficient way of replacing the springs
Man , my machine could not even do a load of "air" without banging to beat hell . I installed a new set of new rods , and it wasn't a month later it started banging again , which turned out to be only one damper lost its grip . I put my own personal fix to all 4 of them , so as not be fearing another one going bad , and having to open this monster back up (Cabrio - direct drive , top loader) . Too slick a machine to not try to salvage IMHO .
Thanks to watching your video , I now have a clear understanding of what the "actual" problem is . I've since taken corrective action without spending a penny , using a go between consisting of 1/4" HDP - IPS flex tubing sliced length wise to close up gap . It's buggar to get the spongy thing wrapped around it at first . Now spinning like magic , as it used to !
.
Thank You for the excellent tutorial !
I actually installed four 15" genuine rubber tarp straps onto the four corners of the suspension rod areas. I hooked into the bottom plastic lip area beside where the bottom of the rod hooks into. I proceeded to bring up the tarp strap wrapping it two times around the rod on the way up, hooking into one of the holes alongside where the top of the rod slides into the triangular metal plate. The top of the tarp strap hook is pushing down onto the top of the rod to help keep it down. Works like a charm, and very cheap to do!! 🥰 This actually eliminates the process of messing with the rods at all except for wrapping the rubber strap around it on the way up to the top. Hope this helps...please let me know if it worked for you!! 🙂
Very interesting I'll give this a try as soon as I have some extra time. The Liquid Nails is still working but the process of getting it to dry all the way is too time consuming. This seems like a much simpler method. I've also heard that you can put a piece of rubber tube over half of the spring to make it more rigid and less bouncy and that also fixes the problem, I have not tried this yet.
@@WasherDryerMoney I've already run five different loads of clothes, comforters, and towels...so smooth now, even on wash cycle. No errors or jumping around anymore...it finished the cycles every time. I was bound and determined to get something to work long term without spending money for parts. The bungee cords/tarp straps are genuine rubber, 15" length, and are actually wrapped around the rods like two times. The hooks are hooked into the drum plastic lip beside where the spring slot is on the bottom, and one of the two holes in the triangular metal plate where the top piece of the rod slides in...I adjusted the top of the hook onto the top piece of the rod, and it applies downward pressure on it as well....really works well. 🙂
@@jeffreysantucci4419 Can you post a picture of this process? I'm not mechanically gifted and I'd love to see exactly how you do this.
Can you visually sketch this or take a picture? I've been fighting my washing machine with these annoying rods for a while. I'm glad someone figured out the REAL reason for replacing the rods. It's not the springs, and that dampening effect. I was like, these springs don't even seem worn out?!
How long are your rods? 24"? 27" 18"? I just need to know what length rods the 15" rubber tarp straps will work with.
I knew it. I knew it couldn't be that these things wear out so fast. I've looked everywhere and came across another video who mentioned this one. I've had this type of washer in the past and had this same issue and just got rid of it out of frustration. I just got another one that has this issue and I am determined to figure out what the real problem and soulution is. I'm highly confident this will work and I think I know of another item that could be used instead of the liquid nails but that's a great one.
A couple things: It's actually Damping rather than Dampening, and the grease that comes on them from the factory is called Damping grease which serves the purpose you described; to slow the movement on the rod but not stop the movement. What I have found so far is damping grease is expensive and at this point it's hard to know what viscosity is being sold. Also at this point it seems that the stuff we want may be an orange color whereas colorless is on the lowest end of viscosity and therefore offers the least amount of damping.
I already ordered a new set of suspension rods before seeing this and my plan was to carefully measure them and determine what the solution is. The operation of the rod seems so simple that it didn't make sense that the springs were worn out which is the implication by virtually every video out there. It didn't make sense to me that if it was the springs why hadn't someone found a replacement spring and rebuilt the old ones.
Maybe you have an update video to this, I haven't looked yet.
Thanks for being the one to figure this out.
As much as I hate the beeps, blops, clicks, ticks of these new machines they work really well when they are new, their ability to spin the water out of laundry is amazing. Towels come out feeling dry in some spots.
I watched the whole cycle the other day and it's really interesting to me the steps they added to the programming pf the wash cycle and I feel I've worked out why it does what it does even though it appears redundant for no purpose I now see the purpose. I want to love this newer technology as the number of old machines is falling every day. I see scrappers with them quite often.
Ok, please read this. First, awesome video! I love the creative solutions and willingness to share the inventive spirit. Luckily, most will have the money to just buy the new rods for 30 bucks. We are blessed for that. However, waiting 2,3,5 days while your wife is harping and hounding is well worth a quick repair.
I say that whenever making a homemade fix, it’s best to wrap your head around exactly what it is you are “engineering”. What’s the real problem? That’s why this video is so great! Then focus on that problem to make a solution. So the problem is in this design of the rod. It uses a spring and damper. Gravity is the enemy with this. The force of gravity is being absorbed by the spring but the problem is that the spring has to give that energy “back”. When the spring contracts it then wants to expand and that energy is transferred to the tub. Gravity and the centrifugal force of the tub spinning at super high speeds has those springs just throwing energy back to the tub and bouncing the living hell out of it. As a result, the design is to dampen or absorb that energy with that little pad....I like to think of it as a brake. It slows and dampens that energy really fast over and over while the tub is spinning. So the solution is to find a way to absorb some of that spring recoil or energy to keep it from transferring back to the tub where it gets out of wack unbalanced.
The solutions on this video are fantastic! Problem is waiting for materials to dry....or even having them around the house. Then it’s a matter of hoping your material has created enough friction to dampen the energy without stopping it dead. If the metal bar doesn’t create enough friction against your material of choice, this won’t work.
What I chose to do because it was actually cheaper and easier and instant....I basically absorbed the recoil by using rubber bands to shorten the spring slowing its “bounce back”. I used multiple rubber bands and actually measured each spring to ensure they were all “even”. I used the bands and wrapped them across the top of the metal rod to down around the little flat pin at the bottom of the spring. I used enough bands on each one to compress the spring 1 full inch on each. What this did was make all springs energy equal while it also transferred the energy to the rubber bands on the spring rebound. Now the spring still compress just fine but when they try to open back up releasing their energy, the bands take that energy away and slow that rebound big time.
I hope explained that ok! Free, easy and no mess. I’ve had this working now for many many very heavy comforter type loads and it’s running perfect. Hell, it’s probably better than the actual design because that foam crap material they use will wear away while the rubber bands may last quite a bit longer.
Interesting solution, do you have a picture or link to how it looks?
@@javv07 I might in my phone. It was actually a fun fix if that doesn’t sound too stupid to say. I’ll take a look tomorrow. It worked ok for awhile but ultimately, I found the best fix….
A Samsung top loader with a good old fashioned agitator on sale lol.
Rubber bands don't last long being worked so hard. Choose your rubber carefully.
I just fixed mine but with a different method, took just a half hour for all four dampers. I found that I was able to pull the little foam rubber piece out of the cup, wrap it with 10 or so wraps of electrical tape, jam it back into the cup, and reassemble. That worked for 3 of the dampers, on the fourth the foam was is worse shape, so I cut a short piece of rubber gas line hose and slit it to go over the shaft, wrapped it around what was left of the foam rubber piece and jammed it into the cup. I used a sharp knife to trim excess hose. It worked well so far and no more bouncing.
Let me know if it continues to work. I tried several other methods and they work great for about 1 to 3 months. I’m glad there’s a lot of people experiment and I think we’ll find a good easy permanent fix for this problem. I’m also talking to a suspension manufacturer about improving that piece.
It's still working fine after a bunch of washes, no bouncing at all.
@@Approtechie nice
We'll, it lasted for two years, just started bouncing again. I added a couple more wraps of electrical tape on each damper and we're back in business again.
This is a frigging awesome video. I had tried to fix this problem in the past by replacing the springs with no luck. Never understood why until now. This repair will make a lot of my customers very happy. Thank you.
I’ll be making a new video soon on all the different ways to fix this problem. There’s several. The problem with my solution is how long the liquid nails takes to dry.
😄
Isn't the real problem. With faulty balancing rings. Non serviceable part on the pause play machines.
Have a 10 yr old Simpson 9.5 kg top loading washing machine. Recently noticed on spin cycle, when drum was turning at top speed on spin cycle, the drum would spin out of equilibrium, banging the side of the washing machine till the machine shut down automatically. Disconnected power cord, hot/cold water pipes. Removed the lid, facia panel (controls) & top panel above drum.Tipped machine over, found one stabilizer bar rods damaged plastic cover that sits at the bottom covering the spring was fractured. There's a flat washer at bottom end of rod, spring sits on top of the flat washer. The spring is covered by a plastic cylinder/cover. The top end of the plastic cover is molded rounded at the top end. Rounded section fits snuggly into the rounded molded plastic bracket at bottom of drum assembly. There are 4 stabilizer rods evenly spaced around the drum assembly. I removed the rod assembly by removing plastic disc top end of rod, then dropped the rod downwards out of the drum bracket totally removing the rod away from the machine. I had some old aluminum gutter panel in my shed which I cut out, molded & shaped to fit the exact rounded profile of the fractured plastic top section that covers the spring. The drum sits on top of the rounded section at the top end & is the part that cops all the shaking/vibrations during the wash cycle. The drum hangs on of all 4 stabilizer bars. The springs on the stabilizer bars are like shock absorbers & are compressed downwards as the drum fills with water & adding items for washing. Fitted the fabricated section I made on top of the plastic cylinder giving the plastic cover strength. Assembled all parts, washing machine works like new again. I'm a metal fabricator by trade & have all the tools which made it easy. Regards from Australia.
Thank you for the video, i went another direction: for the three that still were intact, instead of replacing the “foam rubber” that grips the rod, i inserted wooden toothpicks (as many as i could force into the small space of the “cup” that holds the “foam rubber”. I was carful to not place the toothpicks directly against the metal rod so there is a layer of the “foam” between the metal and the wood toothpicks. This had the benefit of using the original material but with the toothpicks helping to increase friction against the metal rod.
BUT i had one rod that the “foam”was destroyed and on that rod i removed the “foam” out of the “cup” completely and used a synthetic wine bottle cork. I used my scroll saw to cut away the cork material until i was able to get a really tight hold on the metal rod as well as a very good fit in the “cup”.
I then took your advice and hot glued the “caps” to the the “cups” on all four of the suspension rods, not sparring the glue.
After returning the rods into their positions in the washer, i washed bath mats and bath towels. It worked and continues to function well. It has been about a week now and all is well.
I did have my wife order the parts on Amazon for about $40 (US) just in case.
Thanks again for your help
Very interesting. I'm going to do a follow up video and I'll be sure to include this idea. My repair of the Liquid Nails has still been working fine. I think it's been close to six months.
I remembered reading about your idea with the toothpicks here and later thought about a plain cork or plastic wine cork like you mentioned. How did the wine cork do? Another thought was just to cut a bunch of felt washers or other material that already had the ID and OD and slit them from the side, then stack them in while rotating the slits along with grease. The weight of the tub on the top against the spring should keep it together.
I used soft set pipe thread sealant in a yellow tube. Let it dry for 24 hours and my dryer is running perfect again.. perfect! Thanks guy.
Very cool
Thank you for the repair video. I have found if you cut short pieces of small nails and push them into the fiber bushing it will tighten on the rod also fixing the problem with no wait. Still under testing. You’re video really inspired the fix. Thanks again!!!
Let me know how long that works. I remember reading in the comments that someone did the same thing with toothpicks. I’m afraid that the fix will not last very long because the ones I have seen the piece of foam is deteriorating. But it may last a few months or maybe a year which would be great.
Very fun video. I've worked on mostly Whirlpool W&D's for nearly 20 years. I buy them, fix them., and resell them. I've learned the only way to fix the rods is to replace them with new OEM rods. The aftermarket rods are junk and a waste of time to replace. I totally agree with you about how great the old direct drive washers were. Their biggest problem was they lasted for 15-20 years with proper care and Whirlpool couldn't sell the unsuspecting public new machines every 4-8 years. The VMW you were working on had a lot of other issues besides going out of balance. I like to say the VMW (Vertical Modular Washers) should have been called HMW for Horizontal Modular Washers because they were frequently dead.
Regards, Neill in Oregon
Great video.
That piece of rubber plays the same role as the shocks in an automobile suspension. Both add friction to movement which when combined with the spring reduces the transmission of vibrations to the frame. The rubber is not as robust as a gas or liquid shock but certainly makes for a solution that is much cheaper. Not sure if there are better materials out there that can maintain the required degree of friction with absolutely minimum wear over a long period of time. But then, even brake pads wear out.
In my case use of Whirlpool replacement rods resulted in a tub that was very stiff when I manually pressed down on it. There was no noisy banging even with unbalanced loads! Three weeks later the tub now moves much more easily when I press down and bounces once when I release. That tells me that the rubber dampers have already started to wear down. Its tolerance to imbalanced loads is pretty much gone.
Check to see if you can wiggle the inside drum compared to the outside drum.
Check Ben’s appliances in junks channel on how to repair this he made a video on it about a month ago. I have not made a video on it yet, but there is a new part if there is a bit of a wobble or loose drum it is repairable. This problem will wear shocks out quickly.
@@WasherDryerMoney Maybe, put the UA-cam video link tag where we can jump to the video that you are referencing. Granted, you can't post the link in comments, but you can post the YT part ... Like on your video:
v = IZZCwXEmGhE ... Then, you can post that.
1: I have a few ideas as well to fix the unbalancing act on these machines. My inner drum has very small bumpers on the out side of the drum. 4 of them...12.00, 3.00, 6.00, and 9.00 area, there sticky pads from factory. Im thinking about a small pool noodle or pipe insulation foam wraped all around drum to prevent the wild travel when the springs go bad in rods. You could mount with zip ties, small bike tube stretched into slit or cut out of pipe or noodle. Mount about 6 inches down on stationary tube.
2. I took 4 zip ties at TOP of inner drum and ran them through the holes in stationary basket and back through holes where rods are. Did this on all 4 corners. I then tightened sll corners to allow for a 2 inch play only. Simple fix, it worked no problem. Now how long it may last dont know, but you could double up on the zip ties as well. So this worked fine.
3. You could get split collars from hardware srore. Install the split collars and tighten on the shaft of the rods for desired tension! You could also add a washer on top of springs with the split collar compressing the spring tension and then tightening up collar. You may need to cut a small slit in washer to slip on rod for split collar to rest on washer. This should work very well with right tension on springs. Nice thing about split collar as well you can wrap rod with plastic, foam, rubber, etc.....then tighten collar around it for friction as well endless possibilities.
Good luck to all as its nice seeing us put our ideas to the test! Great post, have a great day everyone. My washer Lg.
4.
Great video, I just changed my suspension rods last night with new ones. When I was looking at the old ones I noticed that whatever dampening was supposed to be there was not working. I had the idea of trying to figure it out and maybe repair the old ones, but my machine was down for a few days so I put the new ones in and those fixed my shaking and banging problem. I knew it was damper problem, but your video saved me the time of thinking about it anymore and it confirms my suspicions. So now I need to dig the old ones out of the garbage and try this repair. I may not use them for 5 more years but they should be plenty dry by then. :)
sounds like a plan.
😄
My dampening rods bushing wore out just after the year's warranty expired. I used the washer less than 15 times. These ideas from everybody will be quite helpful in resolving the dampening design.
I shortened the rods by an inch and the machine is working fine. It was a simple fix. I had tried new springs and rods but they didn't last a week so they went back. Glad I saved the originals.
See if there’s a wobble between the inner and outer drum.
There used to be no fix for it but recently, there’s a new part that can fix it. When there’s a wobble, it tears through suspension rods within weeks.
I tried a few things let’s just say
I’ve found that Tessa tape wrapped tightly around the old foam rubber to squeeze it back down works just fine and it’s a ton faster than waiting on a bonding adhesive to dry.
- appliance tech from Tennessee
Very cool
Is that Tessa tape like friction tape that sticks to itself?
@@williamhopkins3500 it’s automotive tape for enclosing wiring harnesses so yes.
However , it didn’t last long and I’ve tried many things in the last few years since I do this daily for a living and tbh just buy a new set of dampers/suspension rods.
It’s a waste of time trying to fix these things, I can install most of them in 20-30 minutes vs spending countless hours on trying to fix a set….. for the problem to re occur within a month.
Ok appreciate the feedback
This vid helped a lot but. I removed the dead sponge, cleaned out the plastic bulbs with lens wipe, poked the wipe down filling void while wrapping around steel rod. Thin film of oil on rod, doused the packing wipe with c/a glue. Ran it up and down over slippery rod. Got a good result. In 10 minutes each rod. Used Carl zeiss ’s wipes, hf superglue. Light oil to keep it from sticking to rod.
Incredible video and explanation of actual issue that has for sure puzzled many people. Just reassembled all 4 on our Samsung VRT
I will check back in to confirm if my style hack works and is durable enough to suggest.
If my hack fails i now know I can order new ones too. Bravo !
Well failure on quick cheap rebuild.
Ordered replacement rods Amazon $35. Fixed like new.
Great video, finally a proper explanation for why the springs in worn-out suspension rods seemed to actually exacerbate the shaking/banging while the tub starts spinning. I think if the spring was actually attached to the the plastic holders on both ends to begin with at the factory, the whole issue would have been avoided all together, as the force of the spring itself would resist stretching, which would also hold those plastic caps in place and prevent them from sliding up and down .
As of right now the tub only grips the plastic holders but the springs remain free. As you said, if the tub is filled and heavy, it simply compresses them which doesn't cause issues, because any up-down movement on any side of the tub is always smaller than the total length by which the springs are already compressed from the extra weight, i.e. the tub is always sitting on 4 compressed springs. On the other hand, If there is no water in the tub, and there is even the slightest unbalance in the tub, the tub will tip towards one side where its respective spring will slightly compress, but on the opposite side the tub will simply "levitate" above its own spring, only to then smash down on that spring when that first original spring decompresses, and once this starts it just gets worse and worse and the whole dampener turns into a 4-way see-saw on a trampoline.
Rods are not worn out. Only need more damping grease. It’s very sticky. The opposite of regular grease
Put damping grease on it. It’s a very sticky grease
@@johnellisonarmadilloconstr7966 I'm not saying your wrong, but I would think that new grease would only works for a short time, as the dampener is worn and won't grip the rod tightly enough. But that's just an educated guess that could be wrong.
What isn't wrong is that it's a crap design. If there was a wiper to redistribute the grease, I think they'd last longer. Or a segmented cone design that self adjusted as wear occurs.
But new, complete aftermarket rod assemblies cost as little as 6 bucks apiece. Just replace them. Use the old ones to make something cool.
Where would one find this special grease to test it out?
Very good engineering I have tried another idear I used plummers tread seal around the worn bushing 30 raps around tight 20 wraps on the whole bushing and 5wraps from the middle of the bushing to the button with half tredseal hanging out the button of the bushing and 5 wraps on the top side of the bushing with half laping over the top like the button . Then thurn it while pushing the bushing back in place .this works very well for over 6 months and still going thanks for your info.
Your video is the only one that I found which actually identifies the core problem and also offers a very genuine solution to it. I'm sick and tired of people just replacing parts. It's alright if the part is cheap and readily available, or else a total pain in the butt. Thank you so much
Glad you liked it. I was going to make a follow-up video when the Liquid Nails fix failed but so far so good it's still working like a charm. The only problem with my solution is how long it takes for liquid nails to fully cure. If you don't allow it to fully dry it will just squirt all the Liquid Nails out and start shaking again.
These washer machines just have a piss poor design on their suspension, that's the real problem. Who designed 4 small rods to support a basket tub filled with water and clothes anyway??
Good video though
@@WasherDryerMoney you have alot of experience with repairing washing machines. What other types of suspension/damper system have you seen in top load washing machines, and which is the best/most durable design in your opinion
Im planning to buy a new one now, my solution does not last more than few months and I'm getting annoyed having to fix it with cable ties every now and then. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix my damper rods, it's slightly different from your plastic component..u can check it in my video
I have had 6 months after rebuilding my suspension rods, and decent success with my fix using rubber bands instead of hot glue. Even large loads cycle through just fine, though it is more sensitive to out of balance loads than stock, it's not by much. The Rubber bands compressed into the area where the hot glue went into don't wear out a hole, and maintain contact with the rod, even after significant use.
Thank you. Very helpful. I replaced mine with cylindrical rubbers, 1/2" long. It's working now. Just don't know how long.
If it gives out the Liquid Nails is still working for me.
what are cylindrical rubbers?
@@poindexterscat www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealsan.uk%2Fbuy%2Frubber-washers&psig=AOvVaw28J7pPidX3s5XhA8K04-4A&ust=1620761378875000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJilzOXsv_ACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAR
Yes. This is a good idea. Did you just slit them on one edge and fill it with washers?
I am not experiencing this issue and I love creativity and ingenuity. Couple thoughts fishing aerator tubing or the likes that is large enough to bend over the top end or cut it in half and put it on, then slide some shrink rap on it and heat it up. The shrink wrap will cause an extra bite and tension to control the movement. Great job with the explanation. Coming from bing a fighter jet mechanic…. McGivering A solution to a problem to get war birds mission critical in the field with creativity was a must. Keep up the great enthusiasm to a solution all of you.
The grease that is supposed to be inside the top plastic part of spring is (damping) grease. It is there to cause resistance thus slowing down the movement of their spring. After separating the cap on the top, there was ample grease to to reapply to rod. Also, I dug out the felt packing and discovered it to be tapered so that when cap is snapped on squeezing the felt tight against rod causing a gripping effect. I wrapped electrical tape around the felt a few rounds to give it more firmness around rod thus making it more resistant.
Thank you🙂I was about to solve mine with a trip to the dump.I’ve had my Whirlpool top load set for about six years now.It just started doing this thus year 2022😖I learned how to change them out by myself but I couldn’t figure out what the issue had been when I did.Now I know😁TY
Glad to help
Thanks for the video, I took a soda bottle ring,( what is left on the gottal after you remove the cap) cut it in half and rolled it around the metal shaft and placed it on the soft sponge, then replaced the cap, it put more tension on the sponge and shaft, dont know how long it will work but really cheap fix
Finally, someone that explains why the rods need replacing! I am a fix-it man and always prefer having a go at repairing before replacing. You are worth your weight in gold as I couldn't understand with all the "repair" videos why they are actually replacing he rods! Have you tried small zip-ties on the original foam pieces? I haven't pulled mine out to check if they are still solid enough to accept a zip-tie but maybe that's another way to do it?
I am happy to report that a combination of collecting & repacking the excess sticky grease from around the rod, as well as use of zip ties has been successful so far! No need for any other silicone or additives yet....
The design flaw is what happens when Engineers are left unsupervised!! I will follow your instructions and roll the dice ! Thanks for the video!!
Glad to help
Great explanation, I attempted a fix yesterday by using a fat litter oring that fitted between the plastics and squashed the foam down a little harder. So far so good.
Hope it stays working. Sometimes that piece of foam just keeps deteriorating.
Got a free higher end windowed washer a neighbor kicked to the curb. First run the drum wobbled violently before it even got up to a higher speed. Getting the rods out of and into the top bushing was a total pain going solo but I got it done. Took some sand paper and roughened up the travel area and that did the trick for now. I like some of these other suggestions better but I wouldn't want to do this over and over again. It's not as easy as some of these other washers appear to be via how to videos.
FYI my old washer is nearly 40 years old and the only repair I'm aware of was a broken wire due to it moving during operation causing fatigue. The clutch is starting to slip and it seems like every load is out of balance lately but compared to new ones it doesn't rust and is built like a tank. Weighs as much as a tank too. Keeping the 40 yo dryer. It's gone through a few belts but no reason to replace. Even has a moisture sensor to save power.
The idea of filling the cups with construction adhesive is a good one. As the adhesive drys it shrinks making it even tighter on the rod. It is concentric on the rod just like the original foam bushing so the plastic cup ends aren't in a bind messing them up. It may be a perfect fix if the material holds up long term.
If you think you want to try a different material against the rod, simply cut washers and slit them to the center and pop them on and stack them in the cup then fill glue around them with construction adhesive. I'm planning to try some leather washers made from an old belt. Since you're going to glue the material in, cut the pieces so they don't touch the inside wall of the cup or it will side load the rod and throw it off center. The glue will fill in any gaps.
The last thing to do is to overfill the cup so that the top cap is full also and the glue will get in to the slots around the top of the cup and hold it in. Since it shrinks a little you can expect it will pull away from the inside of the cup and won't be pressed in.
New rods come with damping grease. Very sticky. You can get it on Amazon
It took 4 years for mine to mess up. Thanks for the solution bc I have more time than money.
To keep this as short, I watched your video and thought of an Idea.
1. Remove the spring retainer on end of rod shaft, break it off if necessary (Plastic not rod).
2. Remove all pieces from rod & lay out in order.
3. Polish the rod area you referred to with a scotch bright pad (Works better than sand paper).
4. Now for the fun part #1, replace the worn-out rubber resistance plug with a stack of O-rings.
Since we don't know the Manufacturers resistance spec's this will be trial and error.
Once this knowledge is achieved you can share with the rest of US.
O-rings are dirt cheap at Harbor Freight.
5. Now for fun part #2, Re-assamble by using a flat washer as a spring retainer then a small rod retainer.
ROD RETAINER: (The type that slides onto the end of a rod and bites in with little fingers, looks like a little hat, and taps on with a hammer)
Flat washer and rod retainers both available @ Lowe's.
6. If end of rod is crimped, grind or file down so flat washer will slide on.
7. If spring is to loose, use any thing as a spacer between rod retainer (little hat) and flat washer, so
spring is in same position as OEM.
PS: I am not in appliance repair, so I have nothing to experiment with.
PSS: I would put a thin layer of lubricant on ball joints at (Tub and housing) to help prevent plastic wear.
If this works like I think it will, make spares, for quick repairs!
It could work. I'm going to do an update video soon and try a few other things. The Liquid Nails is still working in the machine I fixed in this video.
@@WasherDryerMoney how's the liquid nails holding up now?
All you need to do is put new damping grease on it. This grease is very sticky. It’s the opposite of regular grease
@@WasherDryerMoney how did this Liquid nail fix work long term? I am dping this repair as we speak
Don’t put lubricant on it!!! It takes a special damping grease. This grease is sticky not smooth.
Good explanation . I think you hit the nail on the head! That must be the problem that my washer is make loud noises and shifting.
This is my suggestion... get some things and trim them down to the right size and wedge them in the spring so the suspension rods won’t let the springs have a off balance spin cycle... chalk off and disable the springs so the suspension rods will be stiff and still like the older belt drive are
Yes I agree. In fact Samsung suspension rods I have a piece of thick rubber that goes over half the spring to get the spring less bounce and it also well it’s the suspension rod not travel as far which reduces the amount of where that piece of foam receives. I’m actually planning on making another video about this very subject soon. I might also have a another easier cheap fix that’s mimicking this idea.
I got to suggestion do like one of my buyers did and zip tie the springs to the tub 😄😄
Thank you for this information. I did indeed have all four bushings sliding freely up the rod. I bought some small clamps with rubber coating and put them between the top piece that pops off and the black piece that houses the faulty bushing. It was tight but not tight enough so I wrapped the rod with some two sided sticky foam tape. Then I put the clamp back on and tightend with small pan head screw and nut. The clamps were about 1/2" tall. It didn't work cause I was now raising the drum 1/2"
I took the clamps off and compressed the foam sticky tape that stayed adhered to the rod by pushing the top piece back down on the black bushing where it belonged. I noticed now the bushing was super tight on the shaft. Put everything back together and planned on ordering new extension rods, but the problem went away! Curious how long it will work but I'm not going to give up. The gentleman is right. The bushing has to be super tight but be able to move a bit with pressure. I might be crazy but there's got to be way to "swell" that area of the rod where the bushing moves on it. A tapered bushing? Knurling that area? Locate vibratite to keep nuts from moving on threads?
.
Turns out, the grey compound at the end of the rod is not a grease, it's really a friction modifier that fills the gap and provides the required friction. It you remove it (thinking it's a grease) you're actually decreasing the required friction. The hard part is figuring out who sells that!
I ordered it from Amazon for $25
link? what's it called?@@johnellisonarmadilloconstr7966
@@technicalitems731 Nyogel synthetic damping grease. It’s on Amazon
Can confirm: ordered Nyogel 767A off Amazon; applied a generous amount directly to the rod, under the plastic bit that keeps the spring down. Machine spins as quiet as ever now.
That was the cure!!!! Thank you
I have a Simpson Eziset Top loader washing Machine. After watching your solution I discovered my machine had the same problem. The damper system on mine is around the spring and resembles a big syringe with the rod coming out the end. The small foam you spoke of sealing around the rod, mine was at the large end(like a syringe), and only a plastic hole for the rod to go through. The hole had elongated and no longer had any dampening effect. Instead of using adhesive I used a Hot Air Gun and similar plastic to rebuild the hole around the rod. I used Plastic Zip Tie as filler rod as I plastic welded it. A little care is needed with the hot plastic, but all in all an easy fix. Thanks for the Great Video.
Very interesting. Let me know if it gives out. I used heavy duty hot glue and it only lasted a month. My fix with the Liquid Nails as still running strong.
Thanks for the great creative advice on repairing vs replacing that part!
Lol, i used a hammer and anvil and rounded the pinched end. Then used a punch and punched out a perfect gromet out of a tough rubber material, put back together and then hammered the end back flat again.
There’s a lot of different ways to fix things.
how is that working out so far?
of course,that ***IS*** the way; you can then use hose, ubber washers, molded caulk, etc... BUT you need a caliper to measure diameters first; thanks
I tried 100% Clear Silicone to fill where the foam used to be. They act right in my hand, but I have not tried them in the washer. I was pressed for time to complete the repair (wife was spurring me on) so I spent the $75 to purchase OEM suspension rods. If OEM's crap out in 2 years like the originals, I will try the refurbished rods. Just make sure the silicone has fully cured, immersing the spring ends in water will speed this up, not too long as the springs may rust. Silicone takes a while to cure completely, it might take as long as a week. I have used silicone to make vibration damping mounts for a rubidium atomic clock and they worked perfectly.
Seems to me like someone could make a capsule that screws together with a rubber gasket so that it works like the packing on a valve stem, where you can adjust the tightness of the gasket by how tight you screw the two parts together. As it wears out all you do it tighten the halves to squeeze the gasket more.😁
That's a terriffic idea, too much $$$ though. People still aren't talking about the 2 to 4 springs that attach to the rods and side of the tub. at the top. ABT. $10.00 a pair I really believe this would keep the tub swinging side to side as much.
Thank you sir a very descriptive video not only showing you the problem but why it is and how it came to be
I used hose clamps with rubber on rods
Interesting I’m going to try something similar soon and do a video on it. Thanks for the tip.
Did it work ? Thanks
I never did pull the dampening rods to make sure I had this specific issue, but on my Samsung washer, I used the bungee strap trick to hold everything down on the springs. So far, seems to work great!
Cool
What’s the bungee strap trick and how long did it last I’m currently having this problem with my samsung
@@aintbreedlove7729you run thick bungee cords hooked to the bottom of the frame of the washer, over the attachment points of the drum to the dampening rods, and then back down to the frame of the washer. This will force the drum down against the springs and the dampening rods providing spring force downwards which does help very much to smooth out the washer. I've only had this washer for 7 months but the fix seems to have held just fine so far
I’m trying some bungee cords on the top to keep the drum from banging against the sides. I just did it today. We’ll see how it works. My Amana washer is about 8 years old & doesn’t have any dampening straps like some models have.
great vid!!i thumb'd it. hey i have a standard whirlpool, 5yr old washer, the suspension rods were replaced 3yrs ago. however, i noticed 4 tabs on each corner of the tub, with a pin hole thru it, and realize i can attached centering suspension springs from there to the rods. so my ques4u is , y didn't the whirpool come with the springs, b/c teh tech who did the rods awhile back never mentioned them?????? are they worth installing? If not, i can't believe my 3yr old rods are bad again? thank you!
Great idea . I’m gonna try this. I bought rods from eBay and it was worse. And I get so pissed off buying shit that doesn’t work. Waiting for price for genuine Samsung parts, I am sure they will be worth more than the washing machine. Cheers mate
You're video was extremely informative. It's nice to know how the whole suspension rod system actually works now. I'm working on two machines for a furniture rental store that are having the same problem. Both are only a year or so old but I'm going to check the slip on the foam bushing over the rod to see if it slides too easy. If they slide easy I'll probably replaced with OEM suspension rods for now. I'm looking forward to seeing the next video. Today is 5-14-21. Is your original fix still working?
I'll wrap some pantyhose in them 3 weeks ago and they're still going strong probably about 60 loads of laundry through it machine.
The secret is the damping grease that comes on it. Opposite of regular grease. It’s very sticky. All you need
@@johnellisonarmadilloconstr7966 ah hah. simplicity at its finest. thank you my good man
I cut 4 small pieces of a standard zip tie and shoved them on the teeth side against the metal shaft, which nicely increased the friction. I hope it has a lasting fix.
Small zip ties around the foam..forcing it to squeeze the foam more on the rod.. would that work..?. Great video
Yes I had the similar idea, fixed it using cable ties but I can tell from experience now it's not the best fix it some how goes bad within few months. You can check the video of the fix on my channel
I'll never own another one either. It took me 3 HOURS today to wash a medium size load of whites because of the UE error. I've had it with this machine!
Thank you, it is a very informative video! I suspect this may be the root cause for "out of balance" issue with my Fisher Paykel washer. The support rod replacement kit (424495P) cost around $150 which is quite ridiculous. Your explanation and the fix make total sense to me, there got to be a sufficient vibration damping in the system somewhere otherwise it goes haywire around resonance frequency. There is one complication with this particular implementation of support rods (424495P). The spring is enclosed in a metal case and I'm not sure whether it can be non-destructively disassembled. I'm wondering, do you have any recommendations on how to deal with the problem in this situation?
GE washer is have a similar issue. I have not attempted to work on these yet.Next time I get a washer with that cover over it I will see if it is something that can be removed. I have seen several people in the comments say that you can put a piece of hose pipe over the spring to step in it and that seems to solve it. I have not tried this yet but I plan on making a video about it. I’ve also seen suggestions on put in earplugs in place of the liquid nails. I have also not tried this but I do plan on making a video about that idea as well. I will say that the liquid nails is still working perfectly for the washer. I still have it in my laundry worm and it runs about every other day since I’ve made this video.
@@WasherDryerMoney how did this repair end up working out over time? Laundry seems to have gotten overloaded a few too many times and now my washer bangs around all over the place in the spin cycle.
Thanks for the Video, I also have an 8.5 kg direct drive washer from Fisher and Paykel. In my opinion F&P make terrible products, the engineering is poor. The F&P has similar dampeners, they are basically black plastic caps above the spring cartridge that are crimped on one side, the crimping is supposed to provide enough friction to dampen the action and stop out of balance trips. It does, for a little while but soon the problem reappears as the hard black plastic wears. I fixed mine by winding multi core copper wire around the top of the cover, twisted to provide enough friction (check by hand as you go) so far, they haven't needed to be re-tensioned but when they do it will be an easy job. Cost for this fix $0 and about 1 hours work time. No parts required (just some scrap multi core copper wire)
I have a fix, but requires some 3d printing knowledge. I printed new (TPU-rubber peices) to replace the foam. So far works flawless
Wow that’s super cool. Just looked up what TPU rubber is very durable.
My email is in my bio. If you send me some pics or clips and instructions on how to make them I’ll make a video about it. I’m always looking for a better way to solve this ridiculous washer problem.
@@WasherDryerMoney sending email.
Can i get that stl file?
WDM, Thanks for the video! I now understand the purpose of the "dampening/support rods. Replaced them yesterday and, holy cow, the violent unbalancing of the unit just went away. The original rods were not as bad as the ones you show, but they apparently were bad enough. I needed my Cabrio WTW6400SW1 back running ASAP so a replacement OEM rod set was the ticket. Since the back right corner was the more difficult of the four, I would suggest that DIYers start with maybe one of the fronts just to get the "hang" of it. Thanks again for the video. BTW, earlier this year I replaced the driveshaft, bearings, seal and hub gears (shaft splines at wash plate were actually stripped out) . Aftermarket parts were NOT the way go. Bearings are really low grade and replacement shaft was .015"-.020" smaller at the splined ends which mandated that I had to make shims to eliminate the excessive backlash.
Thank you much! I read about the compression and decompression of the spring, but I didn't know which part of it act as a dampener to slow down the decompression. Now I know.
What I did was to use those friction foam pads to keep your handphones on the car dashboard. cut a small size and wrap it around the rod before inserting it into the cavity where the worn out pads were sitting in. (can throw away the pads). let's hope it lasts.
Glad to help
I took mine apart. I bought from amazon some brass shim material. (verry cheep) I lined the entire hole with brass shim. Then I slid my rubber into what is now a smaller tighter hole.
Simple fix for your problem with your " Samsung and other high end machines " LOL . Buy a Speed Queen. They dont hang by a suspension rod and I have never, ever , seen one go out of balance. You guys are just trying to fix a flawed design.
Speed Queen's are King. Fitting in 2021 too lol
Wrong. Speed Queen now uses suspension rods. And a lid lock. So no- they’re not like the old ones.
I just picked up a 2017 Speed Queen that has the snubber ring design and no suspension rods. It does however have a lid lock that I think is The fault with the machine. You never hear the lid lock engage and the machine won't enter a cycle only flash the lid lock light. We will see. Oddly enough the GE machines that have used suspension rods for a long time never seem to wear them out. These use a thicker rod than the Whirlpool desigh and the shock area looks larger. Maybe that is the magic. Never taken one of them apart to see what they use for dampening material but I do understand what this person is showing with that foam that disintegrates. To me it looks like the same type of rubber material that ear plugs are made out of. If someone would make an aftermarket replacement dampening foam with a slit down one side so you could pop it on the ride and push it into the plastic housing they would make a fortune especially if the material were to hold up for a few years. Generally the rest of the rods and springs are not the problem unless the customer has allowed the machine to beat itself to death for a while and damage things.
@@TimNye850 The tub is still suspended from the bottom what are you talking about?
Nothing invented by people was ever perfect. I like my mid-2000’s Maytag washer. I’ve become very well acquainted with its guts in the past few years. My kids like to overload it. I just put a new wash plate and a hub in it last week, and I know it still needs some work on the suspension rods. All the local appliance parts dealers deny having the rods in their stores or warehouses, so I’m guessing that means that the new appliance dealers are pushing to sell more new washers by blocking the supply chain of parts. Forgive me for seeming to be a conspiracy theorist in every possible way, but I see a world full of people making money by manipulating situations. More on that before I move on: one of our local repair shops allegedly replaced the gearbox on my lovely Maytag Bravos MCT twice since it was new, and I’m pretty sure that all the guy did was replace the plastic hub and charge me for a transmission (both times).
Now, moving along, if the fix in this video alleviates the imbalance problem during the spin, I’m going to use it while I’m waiting for the suspension rods I ordered online to get here.
Some of us super handy older guys are willing to continue our education infinitely. If there’s something I can keep repairing for myself that will serve me as well as something newer that will become unrepairable after a decade or two, I’m going to choose the thing I can repair, and I’m going to keep fixing it ad infinitum.
Split the piece with the foam in it, then fill it with sticky pad glue from a mouse pad. It will restrict movement on the rod, won't wear out and is non toxic.
That might work. It does sound like a sticky nightmare though LOL
I know I'm late to the game, but perhaps you could replace the original worn foam with cork, natural or synthetic. Drill a smaller than stock hole through the center of the cork, but keep the cork on the drill bit and hold a sanding block against the side of it while spinning the bit in a drill press to take the cork down to size. Then perhaps a slit down the side to get the cork onto the rod and press everything back together.
Hope you find something that works!
I just want to say that those springs do get weak but here's a possible solution wrap the area with ductape leave on for a couple days and remove. Now that the ductape has been removed the adhesive from the ductape is now on the the rod. Now the foam piece will stick to the adhesive just enough to allow movement but also enough to not allow to much movement. Or you can just buy a can of flooring adhesive and spray the rod. Thanks for this video which allowed me to think of an idea that I can try.
Polyurethane..... I formed four bushings just about like your ideas. So far so good.
I just did mine I took the rods out and replaced them with 1/4" ready rod. I used red lock tight on the nuts and double nutted at top bottom and top of the spring. I also used lock nuts on the very top and bottom for extra insurance. Seems to be working so far. I did have to drill out the plastic and washers to 1/4" as well.
I was thinking 🤔 measure the rod with micrometer try to find a drill bit right under that size and make it out of a cylinder piece of wood cut the wooden half from top to bottom and use a metal clamps to a just tightness just a quick thought I may have to try it. It's the reason why I stumbled onto your video was because I have the exact machine off balance but now that you described how the part works I'm going to try the wood with the clamp. Thanks for the video it was a massive massive help!
Glad to help. Let me know how your fix works. I’ll be making a follow up video to this one soon I’ve gotten a lot of suggestions from repair guys on how they are fixing this problem.
I found a solution thanks to you and a suggestion in the comment section made by nigel brown.
The fix is made by using Whirlpool direct drive washer motor grommets.
Part # WP62691 to replace the worn out dampers.
Slice off the section of the grommet which would connect to a Whirlpool direct drives' transmission plate.
Cut a slit in the grommet, slide it around the rod, so the flat side rest on top of the damaged damper.
Have the dome shaped side of the grommet facing up so it will match dome shape of the plastic which covers the damper.
Very cool
I gotta say This was very interesting and I had a lot of fun reading all the comments Id love to get my hands on the engineers that design this kinda crap!
Lol.
I always just replace the rods for machines I resell. This is just an experiment to try to fix the problem A little more permanently. I actually am still using this washer in my personal home to see how long the fix would work. Still running strong I’m pretty sure it’s a permanent solution to the foam deteriorating problem.
Great video and explanation of problem and possible solution. My washer bounces so hard that it moved the dryer from the vent. Beyond a doubt the manufactures know this is a purposely built in fault and homeowners subsequently will need to have repairs OR purchase washer. It seems they all have these suspension rods, They could not continue to produce dependable washers on he market w/o these rods with the piece of foam that degrades and fails. Now the MAYAG man can't sit and wait for a call as he is always replacing he rods. I will consider this fix and perhaps come up with another possible fix
about to get into rod set #2 on a wtw5000dw1. thank you for this insight. i have my old rods and springs, think it's time to get creative. set 2 in the machine has no obvious issues with the caps or springs. worn damper foam makes absolute sense. thank you
Good idea. Too save a heap of time and effort TRY using the rubber washers of actual tap or faucet washers. Just pop the rubber off the brass or plastic piece and force a few (maybe even 3) onto the rod and slide them down into position. Cheers from down under mate.
I have been experimenting on a fix for the enclosed type dampers used in F&P top load washers.
Im now getting excellent results by replacing the deteriorated foam material with 35A duro open cell ejection rubber that I found on Alibaba, lubricated with silicone grease. F&P are now starting to also use the open type damper as being shown here.
Do not put regular grease on them. They come with damping grease. It’s very sticky
@@johnellisonarmadilloconstr7966 The primary failure is the decomposition of the foam elastomer which I have not been able to identify. It needs to be open cell and have negligible compression set. So far, my repaired rods using foam natural rubber are showing no sign of damping loss after 6 months. Hopefully it's going to be a long wait.
@@xavieraxiak6866 that’s great that you can find a way to keep the damping without the sticky stuff. But everyone else can’t do that. So they would need the grease
@@johnellisonarmadilloconstr7966 I had a close look at some new F&P suspension rods, 430055p, the open spring type. The grease is more viscous and tackier than ordinary grease. It does seem to be a damping grease.
@@xavieraxiak6866 yes I ordered it off of Amazon for $25
I wrapped that little sponge piece with some 60 Grit Emry cloth With the grip facing outwards I pushed the sponge piece back in place . created an Is friction for the dampling rods to work. I wrapped the Emery cloth around the phone about 7/8 of the way Is them pushed it back in with a screwdriver. Once you have the rods out of the machine it's about a 5 minute fix
HERE IS THE ANSWER - The plastic is as hard as Teflon; it WILL NOT wear out (plus there is grease on the rod acting as a lube). If the plastic cannot wear out, then what’s wrong with the assembly? There is also thick grease on the rod (acting as lube, but also acting to slow down the movement of the plastic providing resistance). The grease works with the plastic to provide the resistance and shock absorbing. Now you know how it works. The grease wears thin after a long time and the resistance lessens. That is the problem. Not enough thick grease is the problem. Here is what I did, and it works forever... Remove the grease with a rag, I didnt waste much time on this, just wipe it off and move on. Notice the plastic ring flows very free now along the rod? I was going to use wheel bearing grease, but I found something better. You want something thick but also something that will not dry out (that’s why glue and other things mentioned in the video and comments only work for a while). I used liquid gasket, non-drying. It’s used for motors, car motors, lawnmowers etc. Sometimes its used as a gasket sealer. Its thick like chewing gum, very very very sticky, and takes years to dry out. Put that on the rod on top and below the plastic ring and move it around to make sure the goo goes in both side of the plastic. That’s it.
Now spread the word, go back to the forums and other videos and let others know, tell them Another Brian sent you.
Very interesting let me give this a try. There’s a lot of gasket I tried to find the one you’re talking about but I wanna make sure I get the exact one you used. Could you send me an Amazon link?
@@WasherDryerMoney - The stuff I used is more than 20 years old, still good in the tube. The trick is something thick that doesnt dry out. After I applied that goo, it worked a lot better but not perfect. Because the drum was shaking out of control for quite some time, the pads on the side (mounted to the walls of the washer) were in bad shape. I used red Tuck tape to stick 1/2" foam copper pipe insulation to the sides - all 4 sides. Its been running perfect so far.
I used those push on smooth rod grip washers after I dremmled them a wee bit so they wouldnt lock and just go 1 way...worked for me
Thank you for the explanation. The info I’ve seen only says to replace them, but not why.
Wahw!! This was an awesome tutorial....No more waisting money on rods
A serviceable oil dampening shock absorber strut assembly would be nice. If I can do it with my RC car for cheap I am sure a big company can figure it out.