Nylon or plastic bushing around tub breaking down

Sounds like you have a bad tub baring. This is not a small job I suggest thsy uoi get a trained service technician.

Good luck,

Marty

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/model-number/11042822203/0583/0153200.html

It is most likely a quide, could be the bearing has worn out and the drum is rubbing the guides.

Hi,
When my washer did that, I found that the shocks that hold the tub were bad...

Check out this tip I wrote about the noise and vibration that front loadwashers can make..

Washer Problems Washer noise when spinning
heatman101

sounds as tho it is your tub.you should have a 10 yr warranty on that tub.you just pay the labor

there are four shipping bolts in the back of the washer that need to be removed they are long bolts connected to plastic pieces. unscrew them and remove the plastic pieces

When any part breaks up, better fix it before it breaks up the whole machine.

you more than likely have a broken tripod leg on the metal basket inside, when it goes into the spin cycle the basket become un balanced and is rubbing on the inside of the front outer tub which is the sandy grey stuff you are seeing.

if its less than 10 years old it should be in warranty and you can have a whirlpool repairman fix it, you would just be reponsible for the labor, which will cost around 300

if you decide to fix it yourself, first take off the bottm panel on the front of the washer, and clean out the drain pump. (i found the cause of my problem in there, and to get the rest of the plastic shavings out. 2screws came off one of the legs of the tripod of the metal basket on mine). next you will want to take it apart, so that you can see the back side of the metal basket, (i suggest taking the shocks off the front and back of the tub asselmbly before as soon as you can get to them, they can break pretty easy.) one of the legs you will find ir broken, corroded, or missing screws.

if you have to replace any parts, the front outer tub is about 100, metal basket is 200, and shocks are 15 a piece at appliancezone.com

The "cleats" inside the wash tub are actually called "fins". If they are loose try tightening them to see if the sound goes away. You should be able to tighten them from inside the wash tub. Some models have mounting screws that are accessible from inside the wash tub. However, if your machine is knocking like you say it is, it could be sign that one or more of the mounting shocks under the wash tub could be bad, the rear tub bearing could be going bad, or the drive pulley could be cracked or warped. Remove the lower kick plate and watch the shocks during the spin cycle. The shocks should vibrate some, but should not be excessive to the point that it causes an unbalanced spin. To check the drive pulley, remove the 3 screws from the washer top in the rear of the machine. The top should slide back some and then lift off. Watch the drive pulley behind the wash tub during the spin to make sure the rotation is smooth and even. Sometimes one of the arms on the pulley can crack or become bent and cause the pulley to wobble. More than likely, though, the drive belt would slip off. I have also seen where the hole in the center of the drive pulley starts to "round out". The hole is not perfectly round and has to flat sides. Sometimes over time the drive shaft will start to slip around the flat sides, causing the pulley to rattle during the spin cycle. If the rear tub bearing is starting to go, the washer will be very noisy during the spin cycle, and you may start to notice some stains on your clothes if the bearing seal has been breached. You can reach inside the wash tub with the unit turned off. With one hand, push up on the wash tub and release. If you can feel the tub moving up and down (even the slightest) this could be a sign that the bearing is worn out. Now this should be a noticeable metal on metal type feel. Not the normal motion of the wash tub moving up and down from the motion of the shocks. The tub bearing is not a cheap (or easy) fix. The entire back section of the rear outer tub shell has to be replaced, because the bearing is molded into the plastic. Check all the easy things first. Let me know if this helps.