Lg 4434ER0003C Spider Arm Assembly OEM Part

An online search for LG washing machine parts came up with a repair video from Appliance Parts Pros. I watched the video. It was very well done, very detailed, and took you step by step through the entire process to replace the tub bearings and the spider, from start to finish. After watching the video, I realized this repair was well within my abilities. No specialized tools were needed. I ordered the parts from Appliance Parts Pros, and all items were in stock and delivered within a couple days. I tore the machine down and found that the bearings looked fine, but the spider was indeed badly corroded and cracked, and well on its way to complete failure. Using the video for reference, I replaced the two tub bearings, bearing seal, spider, the seal between the outer tub halves, and the door boot gasket. The only challenging part was installing the new door boot seal. In the video he installs the tub weights first then the seal. I tried it this way and struggled with the seal. I took the tub weights back off and it was then easy to put the seal in place, and then put the tub weights back on after the seal is in place on the tub.The washer works just like it did when new. If you have enough mechanical ability to change the oil and filter on your vehicle, or remove the blade from your lawn mower and sharpen it, you can handle this repair. I spent around $200.00 for parts, and about 3 hours after work making the repair. Thanks to Appliance Parts Pros for giving people the ability, confidence, and guidance to repair their appliances instead of junking them.

This job was complicated but not very difficult until it came to loosening the bolts that attached the spider arm to the drum. Follow the video and be prepared for it to take several hours. In my case, I doused the bolts with penetrating oil and heated them with a hairdryer on high heat (my lame substitute for heat gun, which I didn't have). Got 4 of 6 out with some effort and then the last two -- one each on different arms -- were so tight that I used a 25" breaker bar + bolt extractor socket to get the 5th off. Would HIGHLY recommend this method to begin with if I had to do it again. The last one stripped so I hacksawed through the head and then pulled it through the hole. It gaped the hole a bit but I was able to tap back in to place with ball peen hammer and smoothed the edges with a file. You can order the custom replacement bolts from APP for $4.33 (http://www.appliancepartspros.com/lg-screw-customized-4000fr4031b-ap5224413.html#ixzz55WD9DM2F) but I didn't want to wait so I replaced it with a Stainless M8 1.25 16mm flat head screw from my local hw store for $0.98. It reached well into the spider arm and provided a secure mount. I also applied Locktite (blue) to the bolts when re-mounting. I was really surprised how deteriorated the arm was -- it literally broke off in parts when I began to pry it away from the tub-- so I took another poster's recommendation to spray paint the arm before reinstalling. Gave two coats of Rustoleum to help prevent future deterioration. I'm willing to bet that I'm the only LG customer with a high-gloss forest green spider arm! Took me much longer than expected due to the difficulty with the bolts. I hope to never see the inside of this washer again.

After a bit of research on the AppliancePartsPros website, I learned the knocking during the spin cycle was most likely due to bearing failure. The video on the website was most helpful in the dismantling process. Once I had the drum assembly removed, the detaching of the inner drum from the outer drum by driving the shaft attached to the inner drum through the bearings which are attached to the outer drum was a challenge due to corrosion between the shaft and bearings. Using a wood block between the end of the shaft and the hammer (to prevent damage to the end of the shaft) I went through 2 or 3 blocks in this process. There was no perceptible movement of the shaft so I decided to switch from a 16 oz hammer to a 3 lb hammer. All this was done with care to avoid damage to the outer plastic drum (which is no longer available). FINALLY!!! the shaft began to move down through. With the inner drum removed I noticed the Spider Arm Assembly which is cast around the shaft and is bolted to the back of the drum was heavily corroded and cracked in the center of all 3 arms. I ordered the Spider Arm Assembly with 1-day shipping since going to the Laundromat would easily cost as much. Removal of the 2 bearings from the outer drum did not go as smoothly as the video, but after a good bit of hammering, that was accomplished. A stubby 8oz hammer was helpful inside the drum. The bolts on the Spider Arm Assembly came out with difficulty, most likely due to corrosion of the aluminum casting, Use a 6 point 10mm socket to do this, not a 12 point or you'll round overheads of the bolts and get nowhere. The bolts are stainless steel; I cleaned the threads with a wire brush. Reassembly went more like the video, and the machine runs and sounds like new thanks to AppliancePartsPros and my endurance.

My front load LG washer started wobbling, and in the final spin the tub would rub against the gasket, and cause it to smoke. I couldn't load it to full capacity anymore, so I would only put two pairs of jeans and a few shirts in at a time. What a pain! Then it got progressively worse, so I was looking around online and found this site. First I tried replacing the stabilizer shocks at the base of the tub, and it helped, but didn't solve the problem. Then I decided to completely take the machine apart, with the instruction of the videos on this site, and it only took me about an hour and a half, in which I discovered my true problem... My spider was BROKEN!!!! Thanks LG for your quality $900 washing machine that only lasted 6 years!! But an even GREATER Thanks to Appliance Parts Pros for the inexpensive parts and videos that made me my own Appliance Repair Mechanic!!! what would have cost me over 500 to have a tech fix, I did myself for about $120... Talk about savings!! And now my 6 yr old washer runs like brand new!!! It wasn't the most fun thing I've ever done, but I was so proud of myself and so thankful for the help of the Appliance Parts Pros website and instructional materials.

The spider arm was totally corroded and disintegrating. The real problem with the LG washer is that the manufacturer is attaching a stainless steel drum with an cast aluminum spider arm. There is a dissimilar metal problem even with the crappy anodized finish on the spider. I would recommend coating the front (part that faces the drum and slightly around the sides (do not coat close to the drive arm) in a high solids epoxy or some type of high end paint that is approved for potable water use. This will help the longevity of the spider. One important thing to note is you must have the inner spring expansion tool to put back on the expansion ring. I found a place in town that let me borrow the tool (they charge me full price for it and refunded my money when I returned the tool). In summary the repair company wanted $450 for the repair I did the repair for less than $100.