Rant: Everyone says to always replace the whole dryer drum assembly, but I just fixed one with a $2 part

Last Thursday, a customer brought in a ten-year-old dryer making a horrible grinding noise. The common wisdom in every forum and parts guide says when you hear that, the drum support rollers are shot and you need the full kit with the rear bearing and everything, which runs about $80 plus labor. I pulled it apart and sure enough, the front roller was totally gone, but the rear bearing felt smooth as butter. So I just swapped the single front roller (part number 279640, for the record) and reassembled it. The thing runs silent now. I know the full kit is the safe bet, but it feels wasteful to replace parts that aren't broken. Has anyone else had success with just fixing the specific failed piece, or am I just asking for a callback in six months?

3 comments

3 Comments

tyler_white422mo ago

Remember my buddy did the same thing with his washing machine last year. He just swapped the one bad shock absorber instead of the whole set. That machine is still running fine with no extra noise. Sometimes the full kit is just overkill.

carter.reese2mo ago

My neighbor tried that and his washer started shaking badly within a month. The shocks really need to be replaced in pairs for balance.

thompson.brian1mo ago

Ever check the floor's level first?