Replacing the front slides is easy. Just buy the parts and pop them in. The rear drum bearing is also easy, and you do not have to spend $50. Once I had the parts in hand, which is an axle from the rear of the drum and a bearing sleeve from the rear of the dryer cabinet, it looked quite simple and it is. I went to a hardward store, bought a bronze bearing that fit the axle and the sleeve and a C-clip. Cut the bearing to the correct length with a pipe cutter, and retain over the axle with the clip. Grease it up, and put the dryer back together. Total cost, $5. It works great.
Removed 2 screws to remove top. Removed 2 other screws to remove front. Removed old parts. Installed new parts. Reassemble all afetr cleaning duct work out.
Removed two screws to remove top to access drum. Removed two screws to remove front panel. Easily removed drum bearing and snapped in new bearing. 4 Glides were slid into slots. Only one problem. My service parts list called for drum bearing #WE3X37. I was sent #WE3M26. I was assured this was the right part for my dryer. Although the part did fit, I was unable to use the existing light because the the hole on new bearing was too small to accommodate it. Replacement of drum bearing would not be necessary if GE would put visible labels on dryer warning consumers of preventive maintenance of glides that wear.
Un plug the dryer. Gather phillip, flat head and torix screw drivers. Remove the rear of the dryer to get the spec sheet with the appropriate part number. Next called for part. Belt installation requires removal of front and top of dryer in order to slide belt over the drum. Getting to all the fastners requires tilting the dryer on its back. Clean out excess lint from dryer interior and duct work. Slide drive belt over drum and use some masking tape to hold it in position. Reassemble dyer. Return dryer to upright position and put the belt on the pully and tensioner from rear access port. Remove tape. Replace access panel. Reattach vent duct work. Plug in. There are 5-6 different size screws holding everything together...you may want to use masking tape to label where each type of screw goes. All totaled it took about an hour and cost less that $25. Well worth the effort.
This took less than 10 minutes to complete. 1) pull off the top of the dryer and remove the two screws that attach the front panel to the side panels. Once you pull the front panel towards you, away from the side panels, you can remove the front bearing. Be sure to be careful not to pull apart the wiring on the left side of the front panel. If you do, it is easy re-attached by hand. The front roller bearing of he drum can be removed by hand. Simply pull upward, with a steady pressure, on the bearing. It will snap out with this gradual pressure. The slide can be inserted by hand, with the two gray slide at 11 and 1 o'clock and the wite slide at 10 and 2 o'clock. The new bearing will snap into place by hand. Carefully insert the light bulb into the hole in the top of the new bearing whle snapping into place. The web site provides a good diagram that illustrates the various pieces and assembly. Once the bearing is in place, lift the dryer drum and set on top of the bearing as you re-attach the front panel to the side panels with the screws removed earlier. Replace the top by snapping back into place. Less than 10 minutes.
Dryer started making screeching noises while running, got progressively worse. Without taking it apart first, I ordered a front drum bearing and slides because this site said it fixed the problem the majority of the time. The site said replace the slides in pairs, but there are actually four. I picked up 2 more at a local appliance store, at roughly twice the price. Turned out I didn't need th replace the plastic piece called drum bearing, just the 4 slides that clip onto it. It is really easy to get the top and front off with just a phillips screwdriver. I did not check the rear center main bearing, as it requred removing the drum. The squealing lessended but it still was bad. Took it back apart and pulled the drum, and fount the rear main bearing bad. I found one at the same local store for only 2 bucks more than on this site. This was a bit more of a hassle, you really need two people to get it mounted to the drum. Tip-pre thread the holes with the self tapping screws, it makes it easier to get it together. There was a bit of lint build up under the drum heating element cover, so it was good to clean that out. Also blew all the dirt out of the motor with compressed air and shop vac. There was a access panel on back to get to the motor and belt tensioner. Got the dryer all buttoned up and now it runs nice and quiet.
The dryer was very noisy when it would start. The drum had warn the pads out and the drum was riding on the drum bearing. It really isn't a bearing more of a big piece of plastic. On the bearing are 4 slides (2 white and 2 green). These are easy to replace if the bearing is good. I let mine go too long and wore part of the bearing off. To fix: UNPLUG! Open the door and find 2 screws facing upward screwed into the top. Remove these 2 screws and remove the top. Take notice of how it comes out of the dash. On each side of the front panel (from inside) there is a smaller screw with a bigger head, remove both of these. You can now lift the front panel away from the drum and pull the front panel right out. It would be a good time to take a shop vac and clean all the lint out of this. Mine was almost full. If you are changing the bearing it is held in place with clips built on the bearing. Remove and replace. Put on the new slides as well. There is a little tab on the bearing and a hole in the slide. put the hole over the tab. The green ones I put on the top and the whites on the outter sides. Put the bottom of the panel in first and line up the drum on the new bearing, replace the 2 big headed screws, line up the top in the dash and lower into position, replace the 2 screws up inside the door and you are done. I have no dryer experience and would rate this job on a scale of 1-10 to about a 3 or a 4. There were no real suprizes.
removed top, 2ea screws ;removed front door,2 screws; removed left side panel,screws on bottom and back; removed belt,pulled out drum. replaced top drum bearing,installed green and white slides,re assembled w/ new belt,ops. check ok.
Took off control panel,top,leftside facing door,and,door panel. Replace the 2 green and 2 white slides, the front drum bearing, the rear bearing and groundind strap behind the heating element,and new belt. Put back together,run's and sounds like new. The hardest part was putting drum bearing in inside and backside of drum by yourself. Replace belt with left side panel off. Easy to get on that way.
Initially purchased just the plastic slides, but when I opened the dryer I found the top drum bearing was smashed and the plastic was basically gone in a whole section, so I then ended up ordering the bearing as well. If you hear the loud squeaking, just buy the top drum bearing and the 4 slides (two white and two dark green). It is an easy repair and the squeaking sound is gone.
Drum squeaked and occassionally would not turn, even though the motor ran.
I ordered and replaced the front and rear bearings, including the slides that go on the front bearing. Most of this was un-necessary; replacing the slides would have been sufficient, and much easier to do. Two of the old slides were worn completely away.
Our dryer was making an ear piercing high pitched squeal. I didn't know what it was, but through a quick search on this site determined that the Drum Bearin and Drum slides must be out. I ordered the items and they quickly arrived. I followed the skeematic of the dryer that they had on the site and it ended up being one of the easiest "do-it yourself" fix jobs I have been involved with in a long time. I will definitely come back to this site when I have future appliance issues. By the way, I am an accountant by trade and have no previous appliance fixing skills.
