What is making that grinding noise during spin cycle in your front load GE washer?
Hopefully, that noise is coming from a defective drain pump, broken shock or something stuck in between the spin basket and tub assembly. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that the noise coming from your washer is more than likely a defective bearing. I’m not saying every time this is the case but prepare yourself for the really bad news and hope for the best.
I have found over the years that anytime someone calls about a front load washer with a load growling noise in the spin cycle the problem is more times than not bad news, (rear bearing issue). This problem exists with all front-loaders not just GE. Sometimes the washer will last ten or fifteen yrs or sometimes the bearing will fail in the first two. Unfortunately, the manufacture warranty only covers this repair for the first year. After that its on you the customer and it’s often not cost-effective to do the repair. Parts alone run around six to seven hundred dollars. You have to replace the rear tub, spin basket, and rear pulley or rotor. Some companies sell aftermarket bearing kits, but I have never found one that lasts or doesn’t leak.
My personal opionon is that all manufactures should cover this repair for the first five years, but they dont! I resently was out to look at a front load washer that was just under two years old. It was a very high end GE washer that cost well over a thousand dollars. The washer had a bad rear bearing and the repair was not cost effective. Just a heads up GE parts seem to be 25-40% higher than everone else.
There are a couple of things you can do to prevent premature failure of the bearing. Take large comforters and rugs to the laundromat. Excessive weight can play a role in damage to the rear bearing. Also only use a table spoon of soap in your front load, its the action of the machine cleaning the clothes, not the soap.
