I am very glad to find the AppliancePartsPros.com website! Their instructional videos and easy parts reference made all the difference. I had originally planned to have someone come to fix my dryer, but no one was available for at least a week. I checked out their site, and after watching the videos I felt confident I could repair my appliance. I determined that a drum roller wheel had gone bad. Apparently it was going bad over the last five years since the dryer always seemed to rattle a little. It had recently gotten much worse. It was the bearing and also the rubber part of the roller was deformed. To be safe I replaced both drum rollers, belt, and belt tensioner. All for around $60 which included overnight shipping. I referenced the videos, and was easily able to replace all of the parts. The dryer runs perfectly now, it is super quiet and runs as good as new, better than I remember it from five years I have owned it. And this is a 25+ year old Kenmore dryer! A testament to quality American manufacturing.
My tips from my repair job:
-Even though you do not have to take the back panel off to make these repairs, I highly recommend it to remove lint build-up, especially if it is an older appliance.
-When I had finished repairs and re-installed the drum, it felt like it would fall out unless I supported it with my hand, which made it hard to fit in the front panel. But it turns out as long as you have everything re-assembled and the belt in place, the drum will support itself and just "lean" forward. You just have to make sure it fits in and the gliders are lined up with the front panel once you fit it back in.
-Lastly as it is humorously but necessarily stated all over the machine, make sure to unplug it before working on it!
I am also glad I repaired it myself, because there was an extensive lint buildup from years of operation all over everything. I was able to take my time and clean everything out very good, and under the dryer on the floor as well. If it was a repair person I'm sure I would not have been able to take the time to clean it (or face paying the technician to clean it). I feel like I have greatly reduced any risk of fire and also restored the dryer to a great condition.
I highly recommend AppliancePartsPros.com for all of your appliance repair needs. 100% Satisfied! Thank you!