Washing machine shaking violently during spin? Here's how to stop it

If your washing machine starts walking across the laundry room or banging against the wall during spin cycle, you've got one of six problems. Five of them you can fix yourself in under an hour. The sixth means the drum bearing is going, and you'll have to decide whether the machine is worth saving. Below is the order I check things on a service call. Start at the top and work down. Don't skip steps because each one rules out the next.

1. Pull the lid and check for an unbalanced load

This sounds dumb but it's the cause maybe 60 percent of the time. A heavy bath towel, a pair of jeans, anything that bunches up on one side will throw the drum into a violent wobble. Modern washers try to redistribute the load on their own, and most of the time they fail at it. Stop the cycle. Open the lid or door. Reach in and pull everything apart so it sits evenly around the drum. If you've got one big heavy item like a comforter, take it out and run it on its own with two or three towels for balance. Restart the cycle and listen. If the violent shaking is gone, you're done.

2. Check that all four feet are on the floor

Washers vibrate when they spin. Thats just physics. The leveling feet on the bottom are what keep that vibration from turning into a full on shake. If even one foot is off the ground (or sitting on a bump), the whole machine tilts and starts to walk. Tip the machine forward and slide a hand underneath. All four feet should touch firm floor. If one is floating, adjust it down (most unscrew counterclockwise to lower) until it makes solid contact. Then lock the jam nut against the cabinet so it stays put. While you're down there, put a small level across the top of the cabinet. Front to back and side to side. If the bubble is more than a quarter inch off center, level it.

3. Did you remove the shipping bolts? (front loaders only)

This one is for anyone who recently moved or bought a new front load washer. Front loaders ship with three or four big bolts on the back panel that lock the drum in place during transit. If you don't pull them out before the first wash, the machine will shake like crazy because the drum can't move on its springs. Look at the back of the machine. You'll see the bolts, usually with red or yellow plastic caps. Unscrew them all the way and pull them out. Save them in a drawer in case you ever move again. If they're already out, move on.

4. Worn suspension rods (top loaders)

If you have a top load washer thats more than 5 or 6 years old and you've ruled out load balance and level, this is almost always the answer. Inside the cabinet, the inner tub hangs from four long rods. Each rod has a spring and a friction ball that absorb the spin. Over time the friction grease dries out and the rods stop dampening properly. The drum then bangs around and the whole machine walks. Diagnostic check: pull the agitator and lid off (some models need the cabinet off, varies by brand). Push down hard on one corner of the inner tub and let go. A healthy suspension rod will lower slowly and settle. A worn one drops fast and bounces. The fix is to replace all four rods at once, even if only one or two test bad. They wear together. A kit runs about $30 and the swap takes 30 minutes if you've done it before, an hour if it's your first time. You'll need a putty knife or similar to pop the cabinet hinges and a 7/16 socket for most models.

5. Worn shock absorbers (front loaders)

Front load equivalent of suspension rods. Two heavy duty shocks under the drum keep it from bouncing during spin. When they leak fluid or the bushings wear out, the drum hammers against the cabinet on every spin cycle. To check, pull the bottom front access panel and visually inspect both shocks. Look for oil residue, broken mounts, or obvious slack when you push the drum up and down with your hand. Replacements run $40 to $80 for a pair depending on brand. Whirlpool, LG, and Samsung all make them user serviceable from the front of the machine. Older Bosch models might need the cabinet pulled off.

6. Drum bearing failure

If you've checked everything above and the machine still shakes, and you hear a low rumble or grinding noise during spin (especially at high RPM), the drum bearing is going. This is the rear bearing the spider hub spins on. Honest assessment: bearing replacement on most machines is a 4-6 hour job that requires pulling the entire drum apart. Parts run $40 to $100 but a shop will charge $250 to $400 because of the time. On any machine more than 8 years old, this is usually the point where buying a new washer makes more financial sense. If you decide to do it yourself, get the model specific repair manual. There is no universal procedure.

What tools you'll actually need

For everything except the bearing job, the toolkit is small: - A 7/16 inch socket and ratchet - A 1/4 inch nut driver - A small level - A putty knife (for popping cabinet clips) - A flashlight Most people have all of this in a basic homeowner kit.

How to keep this from happening again

Three habits and you'll get years more life out of any washer. First: don't overload. If the drum is more than two thirds full of dry clothes, split the load. Overloading is what wears out suspension parts faster than anything else. Second: balance heavy items with lighter ones. Wash one comforter with three towels, not by itself. Third: re-level the machine once a year. Floors settle, feet loosen. A 10 minute check beats a $300 service call. Do those and your washer should run smooth for a decade or more.