How to change shock absorbers on a washing machine?

A sign that it is time to change the shock absorbers will be a strong vibration of the body during the operation of the washing machine. The machine will literally "jump" around the room, especially "running away" far during the spin cycle. What to do in this case? You can replace the shock absorbers in the washing machine yourself. It is not necessary to invite a specialist to carry out repairs. Let's figure out how to check the elements and how to change them if necessary.

Checking and dismantling broken shock absorbers

If you notice that the machine has started shaking during operation, first of all check the damping elements. All shock absorbers are located inside the body, to inspect them, you will have to partially disassemble the washing machine. Machines of different brands have dampers attached differently. Let's figure out which side to "get" to the "home assistant" to find the necessary spare parts.

So, to change the shock absorbers on the Bosch washing equipment, you need to remove the front wall. These washing machines have standard shock absorbers with one screw mounted on the bottom of the machine. The upper shock absorbers are fixed with several latches that are part of the plastic tank.

To detach the damper from the tank, you need to drill out the fastener. After that, the element is removed from the machine through the front side. It is important to act carefully so as not to damage the plastic tank with the tool.

Owners of LG automatic washing machines will have it even easier – to check and change the shock absorbers, you don’t even have to disassemble the body of your “home assistant”. All you need is:

• De-energize the washing machine,
• Disconnect the machine from the water supply and sewerage system,
• Carefully lay the machine on its side,
• Find the damper mounts,
• Deal with the latches and pull the shock absorbers out of the holes one by one.

In Samsung machines, 8- or 10-mm bolts are usually used to attach the shock absorber system elements. To unscrew them, open-end or socket wrenches are used. In Whirlpool machines, the dampers can be removed by simply releasing special latches.

Also, bolts in the shock absorber mount are used in Miele, AEG and many other washing machines. Usually, such fixation does not cause any difficulties. It is easy to get the damping elements with your own hands, using a key of the appropriate size.

To check the shock absorber, press on the rod and pull it out of the housing. Normally, there should be sufficient resistance to "manual" pressing. A freely moving rod will indicate the need to replace the damper.

When the rod freely enters the shock absorber body, and sometimes falls out of it, or there is no lubrication inside the "shell" and/or there are rusty streaks, it can be concluded that the elements are worn out. Replacing the dampers cannot be postponed "for later", since the "jumps" of the machine during operation can result in some more serious damage.

Replacement of damaged damping elements

When replacing shock absorbers, it is best to install original components with identical characteristics. If the dampers of the required brand are not available for sale, or you have to buy them online and wait a month or two for delivery, then it is permissible to select analogy from other manufacturers. When choosing shock absorbers, you need to pay attention to the following characteristics:

• Their resistance. Usually, this indicator is written on the damper body. This is a certain value in newtons, it can be 80-120 n,
• The distance from one mounting axis to another. It must be measured with the shock absorber spring fully compressed,
• Type of fastening. There are shock absorbers that are fixed with special latches. In other cases, the dampers are held in the housing with screws. Usually these are bolts of size m10 or m8.

Having bought shock absorbers with similar characteristics, it is easy to “transform” the fasteners with your own hands and install new dampers in the washing machine. Replacement of elements is carried out in the reverse order. When finished, run a test wash and observe the operation of the machine. The vibrations should stop.