Samsung washing machine drum banging loudly on spin

This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.

Samsung WW90T534DAW loud banging on fast spin, worse with towels

The problem

A 4-year-old Samsung Ecobubble WW90T534DAW makes a loud knocking/banging noise during high-speed spin, especially with towel loads. Smaller loads are reported to be quieter.

Likely cause

The discussion most strongly supports a suspension/damping or load-distribution issue if the drum turns smoothly by hand and only bangs at high spin. Other possibilities mentioned were worn motor rubber to tank bushes, loose or cracked weights, drum spider cracks, or bearings if there is looseness, grinding or rumbling. The exact fault was not confirmed.

What fixed it

Recommended checks were to confirm the machine is level and stable, try a mixed load instead of towels or small heavy loads, check for excess drum play, spin the drum by hand for roughness or rumbling, and inspect shock absorbers, suspension springs and concrete weights for looseness or cracks with the appliance isolated from the mains. It was noted that shock absorbers may be economical to repair on a 4-year-old machine, whereas bearing work may be less economical. No completed repair was confirmed in the thread.

Checks to try

• Check the machine is level and not rocking on any foot
• Try a mixed load and avoid very small or single heavy items
• Lift the inner drum at the top edge and check for obvious looseness
• Turn the drum by hand and listen for roughness, grinding or rumbling
• Inspect shock absorbers, suspension springs and concrete weights for looseness, cracks or movement

Parts or tools mentioned

• shock absorbers
• suspension springs
• concrete weights
• motor rubber to tank bushes
• drum spider
• bearings