Tub shakes excessively during spin cycle. Obivously bigger loads shake more than smaller. Is this a tub spring or shock balancer? Thanks in advance.

All front-load washing machines have shock absorbers that are used to dampen the tub movement in the spin cycle. The shock absorbers or struts are attached to the base frame and to the outer tub and you will need to remove the front panel or the rear panel to access them. When shock absorbers weaken or become damaged, the machine will often make a loud banging sound during the spin cycle and if the symptom is not corrected, can lead to damage of other components. Inspect the shocks for signs of broken attachments, leaked fluids or a weakened dampening action and replace both shocks if worn. Remove power from the appliance before attempting this repair.

Some models of top-load washers use tub dampening straps to cushion the movement of the tub during the spin cycle. There are four straps attached to the top of the tub and to each corner of the cabinet

Also There are four suspension rods that suspend the tub and allow the tub to free float. If the suspension rods are noisy, there will be a squeaking noise during wash. You can fix this by putting bearing (lithium base) grease in the cup that each rod rests in. If it continues to squeal replace all four rods the cups come with the rods, replace them as well.

If your washer has a loud banging noise during spin the balance weight may be loose. This weight is to counter act the weight of the motor so you will find the weight directly behind the motor. Sometimes simply tightening the bolts will fix your issue but if the bolts are stripped out get some bolts slightly longer than the original bolt to allow you to put a locking nut on the bottom side of the mounting plate. If the weight is broken replace it.

Lastly Washer vibration can be caused by a broken counter balance spring. Ur washer may be equipped with one or more counter balance springs which help to absorb the natural movement of the spinning tub. If a counter balance spring fails the tub might lean in one direction more than another and it will shake and cause vibration.
By the way my advice is free cuz God is good!

All front-load washing machines have shock absorbers that are used to dampen the tub movement in the spin cycle. The shock absorbers or struts are attached to the base frame and to the outer tub and you will need to remove the front panel or the rear panel to access them. When shock absorbers weaken or become damaged, the machine will often make a loud banging sound during the spin cycle and if the symptom is not corrected, can lead to damage of other components. Inspect the shocks for signs of broken attachments, leaked fluids or a weakened dampening action and replace both shocks if worn. Remove power from the appliance before attempting this repair.

Some models of top-load washers use tub dampening straps to cushion the movement of the tub during the spin cycle. There are four straps attached to the top of the tub and to each corner of the cabinet

Also There are four suspension rods that suspend the tub and allow the tub to free float. If the suspension rods are noisy, there will be a squeaking noise during wash. You can fix this by putting bearing (lithium base) grease in the cup that each rod rests in. If it continues to squeal replace all four rods the cups come with the rods, replace them as well.

If your washer has a loud banging noise during spin the balance weight may be loose. This weight is to counter act the weight of the motor so you will find the weight directly behind the motor. Sometimes simply tightening the bolts will fix your issue but if the bolts are stripped out get some bolts slightly longer than the original bolt to allow you to put a locking nut on the bottom side of the mounting plate. If the weight is broken replace it.

Lastly Washer vibration can be caused by a broken counter balance spring. Ur washer may be equipped with one or more counter balance springs which help to absorb the natural movement of the spinning tub. If a counter balance spring fails the tub might lean in one direction more than another and it will shake and cause vibration.
By the way my advice is free cuz God is good!

All front-load washing machines have shock absorbers that are used to dampen the tub movement in the spin cycle. The shock absorbers or struts are attached to the base frame and to the outer tub and you will need to remove the front panel or the rear panel to access them. When shock absorbers weaken or become damaged, the machine will often make a loud banging sound during the spin cycle and if the symptom is not corrected, can lead to damage of other components. Inspect the shocks for signs of broken attachments, leaked fluids or a weakened dampening action and replace both shocks if worn. Remove power from the appliance before attempting this repair.

Some models of top-load washers use tub dampening straps to cushion the movement of the tub during the spin cycle. There are four straps attached to the top of the tub and to each corner of the cabinet

Also There are four suspension rods that suspend the tub and allow the tub to free float. If the suspension rods are noisy, there will be a squeaking noise during wash. You can fix this by putting bearing (lithium base) grease in the cup that each rod rests in. If it continues to squeal replace all four rods the cups come with the rods, replace them as well.

If your washer has a loud banging noise during spin the balance weight may be loose. This weight is to counter act the weight of the motor so you will find the weight directly behind the motor. Sometimes simply tightening the bolts will fix your issue but if the bolts are stripped out get some bolts slightly longer than the original bolt to allow you to put a locking nut on the bottom side of the mounting plate. If the weight is broken replace it.

Lastly Washer vibration can be caused by a broken counter balance spring. Ur washer may be equipped with one or more counter balance springs which help to absorb the natural movement of the spinning tub. If a counter balance spring fails the tub might lean in one direction more than another and it will shake and cause vibration.

Your load is out of balance.
If you have a heavy item, spread it around the tub to balance the load.
It is normal for the tub to shake during the spin cycle. The washer has a safety feature, if it is too badly out of balance it will shut itself down and sound an alarm.

Unit probably has bad main shaft and bearings. Worn bearings will cause excessive shaking on spin cycle. The shaft, bearings and seal will have to be replaced. Also if you grab the tub by the top and shake it up and down, it will have a little play in it. That will confirm bad tub shaft bearings. It's a pretty big job for a DIY.

The shock absorbers that hold the tank are broken. Then the load will move the washer all over the place.
Look online for an exploded diagram and order the new shocks for it

Check the Vibration damper rods to be sure that...
1. They are there and mount is solid.
2. If they are broken in 1/2.
3. The plastic knuckle mounts are not missing/broken.
4. There is oil in the shock absorber/spring section of the rods.

Also - there are suspension springs on the bottom of the tub that could be broken and/or missing.

Replace/repair as necessary.

IF THIS IS A BRAND NEW INSTALLATION - be sure you have removed the basket shipping pins (4) that secure the tub during shipping.

Thanks for using FixYa - a 4 THUMBS rating is appreciated for answering your FREE question.

Check the Vibration damper rods to be sure that...
1. They are there and mount is solid.
2. If they are broken in 1/2.
3. The plastic knuckle mounts are not missing/broken.
4. There is oil in the shock absorber/spring section of the rods.

Also - there are suspension springs on the bottom of the tub that could be broken and/or missing.

Replace/repair as necessary.

IF THIS IS A BRAND NEW INSTALLATION - be sure you have removed the basket shipping pins (4) that secure the tub during shipping.

Thanks for using FixYa - a 4 THUMBS rating is appreciated for answering your FREE question.

I have the same kenmore and have experience this before. It is unbalanced. Get a spirit level to check for balance. To rebalance, empty the washer (so it's not heavy), lean over the washer and grab the back, tilt it forward and the auto balancing legs should reposition themselves. Re-check for balance using the spirit level. If still out, adjust the front feet of the washer by screwing the legs up or down (using a wrench). This will cure the problem (unless you have a very unbalanced load of towels for instance). Good luck

With no clothing in the wash tub take the following steps:
1. remove the front cover from the wash tub
2. run a full cycle of laundry and observe the tub's behavior

Potential Solutions:
A. If the tub begins to shake wildly during a full wash cycle with no clothing in it then you will need to adjust the 3 large springs on each side of the tub until the unit is working in a more-balanced position. This is simple to do by hand. If the tub appears to be shaking too far forward, then unhook the 2 large springs in back so they are tighter. Then run a full wash cycle again with no clothing.
* note: there are smaller springs too - you don't have to adjust these to fix your issue

B. If the tub works fine with no clothing during a full wash cycle, then try to load your clothing in a more balanced fashion. For example: if your wash load is only a small kitchen or bath rug then when the unit spins it will spin off balance with a wet & heavy item on only one side of the tub.

C. If you'd like to replace the 3 large springs, I can get you the part numbers. There are specific springs for both sides of the wash tub and they are different part numbers. The full replacement of the 3 large springs can be done by hand.

thanks,
Chris I.

I’m happy to assist further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/chris_6ddd78f70d3cfe52