My older Whirlpool Dryer is spinning very slowly. I did some troubleshooting and removed the belt and the drum and cleaned everything. The main belt is not slipping and has no damage. The left drum roller was much tighter than the right drum roller. The right side spins with no issues, but the left drum roller was tight and did not roll freely.
How To Fix An Older Clothes Dryer That Spins Slowly
If your dryer is running slow and one drum roller is “hard to spin”, this may be the cause for the Dryer Spins Slow. In most dryer’s there are 2 drum rollers that assist to spin the dryer drum. If one of the rollers becomes tight or locks up, the dryer will spin slower or possibly not at all.
Both rollers should spin freely. Over time the mount post and roller bushing can both become dirty, get sticky, or wear out. If this is the case, remove the rollers and visually inspect the roller post.
Dryer Repair – Replacing the Drum Rollers
If there’s excessive wear on the post and roller then it should be replaced. If no excessive wear is found you can clean and lube the rollers with an appliance lubricant or similar.
In most cases, since you have the dryer apart, replace the rollers just to have them new and no issues in the future. Also check that the belt is in good shape when you have the dryer apart.
If you removed the belt and not sure which way it goes back onto the dryer drum…. Remember that the ribbed side of the dryer belt goes on the drum.
If you find the rollers are damaged or faulty, the replacement cost for a dryer roller kit is not expensive. Buy the full kit and replace all the parts that is included in the kit. This will prevent you from having any issues in the future.
If you have the dryer taken apart, do not wait until you have future issues, buy the full dryer rollers replacement kit and replace everything at once. These kits are available on many different websites. They can be found at Lowe’s and Home Depot. Here are the kits available on Amazon for Dryer drum roller kits.
Dryer Repair Kit
Replacement Compatible with Whirlpool Kenmore
Idler Pulley – Rollers – Belt
Cleaning the wheels is not recommended but a small amount of grease after cleaning the rollers and mount post is good. If you do not lubricate or grease the areas on the rollers, a high pitched squealing noise may occur in the future. Turbine oil is also permitted to use but using too much grease can gather lint and cause issues.
Dryer Repair – Replacing the Drum Rollers
Cleaning or replacing the drum rollers is an easy job. If you have trouble with your dryer running slow or not at all, leave a comment below and we can assist.
GE front load dryer. Just replaced the belt. Starts off fine, a few minutes after it heats up, the drum slows down and eventually stops moving. Ideas?
I replaced all rollers, belt, and tensioner on my Samsung dryer, but it still is hard to turn. After turning by hand, the dryer will run as normal. Seems the webbing is dry, but appears good. Any suggestions.