I'm trying to locate the source of an ear-shattering screech coming
from my dryer. The rear ball and socket were replaced just six months
ago. The front felt ring was replaced then, too.

I pulled the drum out and looked for signs of wear. The only thing that
looks suspicious is a bit of the rear of the drum, which looks like
something has been rubbing against it. It's left a wear ring, perhaps
an inch wide.

I looked inside the back of the enclosure to see what was rubbing
against it, and the only obvious candidate is an odd little piece of
plastic that juts out about two inches, screwed into the rear of the
enclosure. It's bright yellow. I can't imagine what it's purpose is. It
doesn't contact anything but the drum. Anyone have a clue? There is
another one at the front of the drum, but it's mounted in a different
orientation, and doesn't contact drum. It has to be removed before the
drum will slide out, but otherwise I don't see how it could be
functional in any way.

The only thing that came to mind is that perhaps it functions as some
sort of stop limit, as the felt wears down, to prevent the drum from
going too far out of alignment. But, as I said, the felt is new.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm trying to locate the source of an ear-shattering screech coming
from my dryer. The rear ball and socket were replaced just six months
ago. The front felt ring was replaced then, too.

clipped

The only thing that came to mind is that perhaps it functions as some
sort of stop limit, as the felt wears down, to prevent the drum from
going too far out of alignment. But, as I said, the felt is new.

I suspect you're right that it is a stop limiter but not as a safeguard for
felt wearout but to help keep the drum centered when the dryer is not level
from front to back. This would keep the drum from riding against either the
front or back constantly instead of being centered. Check the level of the
dryer, it's important that it be level. Also while you have it apart make
sure that a screw,nail, etc. hasn't fallen out of a pants pocket and gotten
stuck in the felt or elsewhere where it can rub on the drum as it turns. I
had this problem with a new GE dryer and serviceman found a screw that I had
left in a pants pocket stuck in the felt.

Tom G.

I am assuming that you have a Frigidaire product. I am also guessing
that you have taken the drum out to check things over, and that there
is nothing out of the ordinary going on. So, you are pointing at that
yellow thing in the rear as the culprit, and is there an way you can
post a picture somewhere so that I can see what you are talking about?
I know about the one in front.

disconnect the belt from the idler pulley to run the motor alone and
listen for motor bearing noise?

wrote:
I'm trying to locate the source of an ear-shattering screech coming
from my dryer. The rear ball and socket were replaced just six months
ago. The front felt ring was replaced then, too.

I pulled the drum out and looked for signs of wear. The only thing that
looks suspicious is a bit of the rear of the drum, which looks like
something has been rubbing against it. It's left a wear ring, perhaps
an inch wide.

I looked inside the back of the enclosure to see what was rubbing
against it, and the only obvious candidate is an odd little piece of
plastic that juts out about two inches, screwed into the rear of the
enclosure. It's bright yellow. I can't imagine what it's purpose is. It
doesn't contact anything but the drum. Anyone have a clue? There is
another one at the front of the drum, but it's mounted in a different
orientation, and doesn't contact drum. It has to be removed before the
drum will slide out, but otherwise I don't see how it could be
functional in any way.

The only thing that came to mind is that perhaps it functions as some
sort of stop limit, as the felt wears down, to prevent the drum from
going too far out of alignment. But, as I said, the felt is new.

Here's a photo

img
src="http://show.imagehosting.us/show/1510003/0/nouser_1510/T0_-1_1510003.jpg"
alt="Image Hosted at ImageHosting.us"/

I left it out and reassembled the dryer, and the noise is gone. I had
thought earlier that it might be a problem with the dryer not being
level, causing the drum to slide back and rub on something. However I
don't believe the rear ball and socket would allow to drum to slip
backwards, and tilting the dryer forward did not affect the sound.

So what is this thing? The undocumented "squeal so loud that they can
hear it in the next county" feature?

b.c.

wrote:
I am assuming that you have a Frigidaire product. I am also guessing
that you have taken the drum out to check things over, and that there
is nothing out of the ordinary going on. So, you are pointing at that
yellow thing in the rear as the culprit, and is there an way you can
post a picture somewhere so that I can see what you are talking about?
I know about the one in front.

It goes on the front at the top, at the ede of the drum. I have never
figured out what it is for, but I think it is to keep the drum up in
case there is some sort of component failure that would make it move
forward too much. If there has been some tweaking to your dryer
cabinet, it is possible for the drum to hit the part under normal
operation, and leaving it out won't do any harm. I don't know the
technical name of the part. That is how important it is.