Squealing Dryer

[Joe Samangitak]

I've got a dryer making a steely squealing sound during operation. If you stop the machine, it often stops but then eventually starts up again. I've looked at the drum support wheels, as the likeliest cause of the problem, as everything else seems okay.

LEFT drum roller is a rubber wheel attached to a hollow shaft, mounted on a solid shaft, with triangular plastic retaining clips on either side. There?s about a couple o? millimetres of play between the clps when you move the wheel back and forth.

RIGHT drum roller is very similar, except there?s about 12 millimetres of play between the clips. That?s a greater width than the width of the groove in the drum that the wheels ride in. So I?m not sure if this is normal, but it actually LOOKS normal. Here?s why: the solid shaft on this right wheel is not of one dimension. There?s about 8mm at the back of the shaft where the dimension of the shaft is smaller than the front part of the shaft. This is where the back retaining clip is currently located. Seems it can?t be pushed forward on the shaft to be placed right behind the wheel (as the LEFT one is), because that part of the shaft is too big for the clip to fit on. On the other hand, it doesn?t make much sense to me that one wheel is supposed to have much more play than the other. As for their bearin?s, both wheels move freely, but the LEFT one moves more freely.

Question I have is, is this normal that one wheel would be designed with much more play between the retaining clips than the other, and if not, why can?t the back retaining clip on the RIGHT wheel be secured behind the wheel? I?m also stumped as to how to take these wheels apart from the FRONT, because the metal ?nut? in front of the retaining clip does not screw off. (I know how to take them off from the back of the machine, they?re bolted on, but accessing that bolt is real tough!).

[Dr.Mutant]

The only time I had a dryer squeaking like that, turned out to be the Ball Bearing (yes it was just one large steel ball) at the back of the drum (the drum spins on it). Greased it up and it was nice and quiet, all the way until the motor died. Don't know about rollers... so this may not have helped you at all. Free advice can be like that.

Dr. M

[Joe Samangitak]

Actually, that may turn out to help. I don't have one giant ball bearing, but the drum support rollers do roll on bearings, and if they're accessible, your idea of greasing them might just solve the problem. They're cheap enough to replace, but I really don't think new ones would come close to the same quality, and for that reason, I'd rather try to refurbish the old ones. They're likely to last much longer than new ones.

[croll]

If I were you, I would replace the rollers. The plastic triangle shaped clips hold them on the shaft. There is no reason to remove the nut holding the shaft on unless the shaft is badly worn. The rollers are available in a kit with both rollers, 4 triangle clips (only replace the ones you break off to remove the rollers...) The left roller probably has a bracket going from the shaft to the base of the dryer. Bust that clip off too (comes with the kit) and remove the bracket with a 5/16 socket or nut driver.Lubricate the shafts with a few drops of Zoom Oil (parts store will have it). Go ahead and lubricate the belt idler with the Zoom Oil, or peplace with a new one and a new belt while you're in there. Be sure you don't have the edge of the rear drum felt folded over after you get it put together. Don't worry about measuring tolerences, it's a dryer, not a jet engine... :)

[Stormin Mormon]

I like Silicone, or possibly graphite, less likely to attract dust. Grease and oil make the dust stick, and then they get gloopy.

[Joe Samangitak]

Once you break them off, how do the new tri clips go back on the shaft, if you don't remove the nut in the front of the shaft? The clips are smaller than the larger diameter of the shaft (otherwise they wouldn't do much good if they weren't), and I don't see them being able to slide over the large part of the shaft. I have 3-in-1 oil for 1/4 HP motors that I can use for oiling the shaft - can I use that if I can't find "Zoom oil" or what have you?

[Stormin Mormon]

I keep suggesting silicone spray to people -- less likely to collect dust.