Whirlpool W11130362 Suspension Rod Kit OEM Part

Our Maytag top load washer developed a bad slam during the spin cycle. Bad enough to shake the whole washing machine and make it move across the floor, sounded like it was going to destroy itself you could hear this thing in the furthest room in the house mind you it is on the opposite end of the house in the basement. For a while, you could do certain things to stop the issue or improve it, as you would expect that stopped working. I made sure the washing machine was level which I had to adjust. Upon doing my research a lot of YouTube videos pointed to the suspension rods needing to be replaced. Or the tub hub being stripped. Thankfully it was just the suspension rods for now. I won't lie it wasn't as easy as I expected. I did 1 rod at a time which helped, thankfully our washer is a newer design that had slots in the side of the drum to slide out the suspension rod, as opposed to older designs you would have to tip the machine on its back. You will be fighting the weight of the drum which is a big pain in the butt, I saw a tip of using the old rods to help pull the new ones into the plastic piece that it sits in, I would highly recommend doing that. Getting into that plastic piece was quite a challenge on its own, and I'm not a weak person. The rods are slippery if you have sweaty hands like me, tools and gloves gave me less grip than I had with my bare hands. If you have the ability for a helper to assist you I'd recommend it, I was swearing at this thing like a sailor and had to walk away. I threw the old rods on the floor so I wouldn't get them confused, had 1 or 2 of them leaking the dampening grease that they get from the factory. I also saw a video mentioning the centering springs being an issue. Our washer didn't have those tub centering springs so I will be attempting to return those. All in all, I got it done within a few hours, did the recalibration which is critical you can find a video on that.

I ran the diagnostic test and surmised that the machine needed a reset and calibration. This was done by turning the control knob in a series of CW/CCW steps to get the machine to go through all the self test cycles and reset. Worked great for a few days, but then it stopped at the end of a wash cycle. I read other symptoms reported that if the machine goes out of balance several times that it can also make it run slower through cycles or even stop working. Ours had been doing that frequently, even after readjusting the load. So, using the info gathered from many sites and similar complaints, I decided to replace the two main components that were most often purchased. The suspension rods and the shift actuator replacements are the most common. To any of you contemplating replacing these parts yourself, please take my advice and do them at the same time like I did. It requires you to lay the machine on its back to access either one. The shift actuator is very easy. Just disconnect the hoses, unplug the power and lay it down on lots of old towels to catch any water that falls out of the pump and valves. Remove the belt cover with a 5/16 nut driver and remove the two green Phillips head screws from the actuator. Unplug the wiring harness, and snap it back onto the new one. Reverse the process to reinstall. Make sure to inspect the belt and pulleys for excessive wear while you’re there. These parts are also inexpensive and easy to replace. The suspension rods are purchased in a set. Replace them all. Do not buy the cheap ones for sale on Amazon. Read the reviews if you don’t believe me. You don’t want to have to do this job twice. Only buy original Whirlpool parts. These guys have the best price and delivery is extremely fast. To get to the rods you have to raise the top of the cabinet first. Unplug and disconnect everything as before. Tape the lid down to the frame with Frog tape or blue masking tape. Remove the screws on the back of the control cover, the wire cover and the two screws right below the horizontal slots seen at the seam between the top and bottom of the cabinet. All screws can be removed with a 1/4” nut driver. You will need a tie down strap with small hooks to support the top when you raise it. Or a length of twine and two simple s- hooks. Pull the lid towards you from the front of the machine, lift slightly then push back and lift up. Hook the lid appropriately to keep it from falling down. The suspension rods are hooked to the top of the lower cabinet through special plastic holders engaged into sockets at each corner. Push the tub to the side slightly to reach them. Starting with the front ones, lift the rod until it clears the hooked end then remove the retainer by turning it to the slotted side to slip it off the rod. Look at the new retainers that come on the package to understand how it works. Let the tub down and repeat the process on the other side. When you are done with the front move to the rods at the rear. Process is the same BUT don’t release the rods and let them fall. Hook the rods to the ledge at the rear of the cabinet instead. Failure to follow this step will instantly turn this into a two person job with lots of cut knuckles and even more cussing. The tub will now be hanging but secure enough to lay the machine down. Lower the top, re-secure onto the tabs, and put the two screws back in above the slots to keep the top in place. Lay the machine down on the towels. Pull the front rods out from the bottom. Unsnap the lower bushings and replace with new ones. Push the new rods in and let them lay. You will pull them up the rest of the way from the top. To remove the rods at the rear you will need to lay down on the floor so you can look up at the inner top to unhook the rods from the ledge. Push up on the spring and unhook. Replace the bushings as before. Do one side at a time. Reinstall the new rod(s) and re-hook onto the ledge. Stand the machine back up. Remove the screws on the back and raise the top. Re-secure it with your twine or shock cord. Make a hooking tool out of a wire coat hanger or any stiff wire. Make a tight hook on one end and fashion a twisted loop on the other. Make it about five inches long. I used a hook tool that came with a trampoline set that was used to install the springs. Very handy. You need something like this or arms like the Hulk to pull the new rods up high enough to install the new retainers. Besides the much higher spring tension the new rods are covered with grease from the factory. Replace all the top bushings. They just clip into place. Start at the front set. Push the tub back until you can reach down and grab the rod. Pull up and reach through the hole with your hook tool. Pull up against the spring and install a new retainer. Drop it down onto the bushing and turn 90 degrees to secure the hook. Repeat for the other side. Same process at the rear, but a little heavier. Ensure that all the rod hooks are firmly in place into their retainers. Take this opportunity to clean all the crud and hair from the top of the tub and inside the lid. SimpleGreen and a rag plus a small vacuum works well. Lower the top, re-clip and push back firmly then replace all the screws and covers you removed earlier. Reconnect all hoses and plug it back in. Find the recalibration process for your model on the web. YouTube has some good professional tutorials. Run the process and test with a small load before doing regular laundry, in case you have to rework something. This whole repair can be done in about an hour if you have the tools and enough room to work. If your laundry room is tight you may want to move your machine to an area where you have clear access. Take your time. My washer works great now and is much faster and quieter. Hopefully this helps you. You’re welcome.

This obviously was more than one part - various "Youtube" videos suggested a slipping belt, worn splutch, and worn suspension rods We beat the heck out of this poor thing over the last five years with what I'm sure now were far too heavy loads, which is easy to do given there's no agitator. I ordered all three sets/pieces just in case, but managed to do it separately as I kept discovering new diagnoses. The first thing sent were the suspension rods, and wouldn't ya know it, but they sent what appeared to be a vent grille for the bottom of a fridge. Called 'em up as soon as it came. This is where the rubber met the road for me. In a couple heartbeats the right part was reordered, no fuss no muss no bother. THIS WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE. They even knocked off one of my shipping fees (I didn't ask, it was my booboo). So, all parts were here, started this morning. Their videos are SUPERB. Granted, these things aren't Jaguars or Benzes, but it's ALWAYS nice to have somebody show you (1) what tools you'll need and (2) how the heck to do it. The only thing I found was that getting HOLD of the tub to lift it both to pull out the top mount for the rods AND getting them back in is a LOT harder than it looks. Most of us, including this guy who made his living fixing cars, will find a third hand VERY useful, if not absolutely necessary. I also found it helpful to remove the plastic top plate sitting on top of the tub (very easy) so I could get my arms down the side to lift the tub so my helper (i.e., wife) could slip the retainers off and then back into place. This is my first time with these folks. The other place was fine, but these guys and ladies are simply superb. I'm sold. AND THESE ARE INDEED ACTUAL ORIGINAL FACTORY PARTS, not knockoffs. Just to be on the safe side, I AM going to drop the extra $25 on the drive hub kit for the tub spline. That's also a ridiculously easy replacement - it seems the agitation is still a bit anemic. If it's okay, it's an easy $25 overkill. Oh, guess I should add that not always were the videos an exact match to my particular machine - Washers are probably like tires - many different brands but very few actual manufacturers.

Replaced the suspension kit.

Replaced suspension rods in our Whirlpool washing machine myself and fixed the problem.