Washing Machine Drum Dropped? (Easy Fix for All Brands)

You have probably used your washer long enough to tell when something about it is wrong. 

Seeing your washing machine drum dropped below the frame or door is one problem that owners face after years of using their washers. 

So if you have been using your washer for a long time now, don’t be surprised about your washer’s drum dropping some inches down. 

It’s even common to have the tub or drum drop when you load it with clothes but goes back up to its normal position after removing your clothes. 

Here is why your washing machine drum has dropped:

The reason why your washing machine drum has dropped is that certain components in your washer that support the drum have undergone wear and tear causing the drum to fall. These include broken suspension rods, worn-out bearings, and damaged shock absorbers.

If your washing machine drum has dropped, do you fix it, replace it, change the drum, or simply get a new washer?

Well, that’s what this article is answering. 

Why has my washing machine drum dropped?

Washing machines’ parts or components develop wear and tear as you use them for a long time.

When they start developing this wear and tear, you realize it by the way your washing machine begins to function. 

A dropped washing machine tub or drum is one of such consequences of wear and tear of some components of your washing machine. 

It could be that your top load washing machine drum has dropped, or your front loader’s drum has dropped.

Either way,  it’s likely due to a component around the drum that has developed a problem. 

Here are the common reasons why your washing machine drum has dropped:

1. Broken Suspension springs

Suspension springs are the components of a washing machine that hold the tub to the base of the washer. 

They also ensure the suspension of the tub from the top.

Inevitably, these suspension springs undergo wear and tear and can get broken or lose their elasticity. 

Broken suspension springs may displace out of position, causing the drum to shift from its original position. 

A broken suspension spring will also cause your washer to shake and not spin properly. 

Depending on the type, brand, and model of your washer, the number of suspension springs providing support to the drum may differ.

But usually, most washers have 4 suspension rods.

We advise that when replacing the springs, you replace all of them together because they would usually wear out at the same rate. 

We found this video below that will take you through the process of replacing broken suspension rods.

2. Bearings have worn out

Washing machine bearings are small metallic balls that are held together in a round track and are located at the base of the washer and support the tub. 

Like suspension springs, bearing undergo wear and tear and may even collapse at a point. 

When that happens, it may cause your drum to drop a few millimeters or inches down. 

In that case, you will need to inspect and replace the bearings.

However, not all modern washing machines have bearings you can replace. 

Some washers have their drums welded together. As such when the bearings go bad, you need to replace the whole drum 

If you have to replace your bearings, we found this video below helpful and concise. 

3. Weak shock absorbers

Shock absorbers on a washing machine dampen the movement of the tub during a spin cycle. 

Weak or broken shock absorbers can cause your washer to vibrate excessively to the extent of shifting from its position. 

Using a washer when the shock absorbers have gone bad is only a recipe for disaster. It can cause damage and failure of other crucial components. 

If your washing machine drum has dropped, then it may not be a surprise if your bad shock absorbers caused it. 

Replacing washing machine shock absorbers isn’t a daunting task and you can check out this article to replace your shock absorbers.

4. Loose bolts and nuts

Excessive vibrations during your wash cycle can cause certain bolts and nuts to loosen. 

The outer tub of your washer is bolted to your washer to hold it firmly in place but these bolts can become loose over a long period of time due to intense vibrations that are not resolved. 

Using your washer on unleveled floors and broken shock absorbers are some of the causes of excessive vibrations in washing machines. 

Loosed bolts and nuts on the washing machine drum or tub can result in them moving and dropping from their fixed positions anytime there’s an external impact.

Open the back panel and ensure that all bolts are tight.

Also open the panel at the top, for a front load and ensure bolts and nuts from loose weights are well secured. 

Related Article: Why does my washing machine shake like crazy?

5. Constant Overloadding the drum

This is more of a cause than a reason. 

There is a limited about of clothes your washer can take. 

It is always important that you load your washer according to its capacity. 

When you overload your washer, you tend to exert so much additional stress on the drum, and that rapidly weakens the suspensions, bearings, and other components.

Washing your clothes in bits is a sure way of ensuring that you are not overloading your washer. 

You also need to sort out your clothes by fabric types and weights by grouping like fabrics together. 

This will ensure that there isn’t an uneven distribution of clothes while you run a wash cycle.

You can also check out why washer always has water in them.

Can I use my washer when the drum drops?

It depends. If your washing machine drum has dropped by only a few inches but can still run without making noises, then you probably can use it, at least to complete that particular cycle. However, you need to inspect it further and fix it as soon as possible since that’s usually a sign that there is something wrong. 

Aside from completing the cycle, we don’t advise you to use your washer when you realised that the drum has dropped. 

This is also because water can seep through and go on to affect other electrical parts and come into contact with metallic components causing corrosion. 

Your clothes can also be ripped and damaged if they get caught in between the gap that is created after the drum has dropped.

Top load washing machine drum dropped

Your top load washing machine equally has Suspension springs, shock absorbers, and bearings that support the tub or drum. 

The drum or tub, during its life cycle, can drop some inches and detach from the frame as a result of broken suspension springs holding the drum in place.

It could also be due to bad shock absorbers and bearings. 

If the drum of your top load washer has dropped, you need to inspect it as we have explained earlier, and replace any faulty parts if necessary. 

You can always engage an appliance technician for assistance if you aren’t handy.

Front load washing machine drum dropped

Front load washing machine drum can also drop below the door and bring the cycle to an immediate halt in some cases. 

When that happens you need to drain your washer and remove the clothes inside.

Your front load washing machine dropping below its fixed position is likely due to broken suspension rods, bearings, or shock absorbers. 

You can usually check the state of these components by following the procedures we have outlined above in this article.

Samsung washing machine drum dropped

If your Samsung washing machine drum has dropped, it is either you have bad suspension rods, collapsed bearings, or damaged shock absorbers. 

You can fix this by inspecting these 3 components for any damages as we have explained above in this article and either fix or replace them.

Amana washing machine drum has dropped

If your Amana washing machine drum has dropped, the most common causes are bad suspension rods, collapsed bearings, or damaged shock absorbers. 

You can fix this by inspecting these 3 components for any damages as we have explained above in this article.

Whether you need to fix, replace or get a new Amana washer will depend on the extent of the damage.

GE washing machine drum dropped

The most common causes for your GE washing machine drum dropping are bad suspension rods, collapsed bearings, or damaged shock absorbers. 

You can fix this by inspecting these components for any damages as we have explained above in this article.

Whether you need to fix, replace or get a new GE washing machine will depend on the extent of damage, and likely your budget.

Kenmore washing machine drum dropped

Has your Kenmore washing machine drum dropped?  The most possible causes are bad suspension rods, collapsed bearings, or damaged shock absorbers. 

You can fix this by inspecting these components for any damages as we have explained above in this article.

From there, you can fix, replace or get a new Kenmore washing machine depending on the extent of damage, and likely your preferences.

Check our related article about Kenmore washers out of balance.

LG top load washing machine drum has dropped

Have you observed a drop in your LG washing machine drum? Whether a top load or front load,  the most possible causes are bad suspension rods, collapsed bearings, or damaged shock absorbers. 

You can fix this by inspecting these components for any wear and tear as we have explained above in this article.

From there, you can fix, replace or get a new LG washing machine depending on the extent of damage, and likely your preferences.

Whirlpool washing machine drum has dropped

Have you observed that the drum of your whirlpool washing machine has dropped some inches below? Whether a top load or front load,  the most possible causes are bad suspension rods, collapsed bearings, or damaged shock absorbers. 

Well, that’s not a good thing for your washer.

You can fix this by inspecting these components for any wear and tear as we have explained above in this article.

From there, you can fix, replace or get a new Whirlpool washer depending on the extent of damage, and likely your preferences.

Hotpoint washing machine drum has dropped

Have you observed that the drum of your Hotpoint washing machine has dropped some inches below? Whether a top load or front load,  the most possible causes are bad suspension rods, collapsed bearings, or damaged shock absorbers. 

This situation needs to be investigated and fixed as soon as possible.

You can fix this by inspecting these components for any wear and tear as we have explained above in this article.

After the inspections, you can either fix, replace or get a new Hotpoint washing machine depending on the extent of damage, and likely your preferences.

Conclusion

A dropped washing machine drum is nothing to laugh about, but you can always get the situation handled. 

You should always check the possible reasons why your washer has dropped.

As we mentioned, depending on your washing machine brand, and the extent of faults, you may either need to fix or replace the components involved. 

In very unfortunate cases, it may be a better option to get a new washer.