GE washer front support bracket redesign??

[ApplianceGuru]

Lately I have been seeing GE hydrowash washers pulling the front tub support bracket down and off the cabinet.  Just ran into another one yesterday.  This sagging part causes the agitate pulley, and shipping support tabs, to rub on the base of the machine.  The customer complaint is usually noisy agitate and/or spin.

It seems like a problem that needs a serious redesign.  Do any of you know if there is a redesign kit offered by GE that makes the new fix more robust?  I know the new part comes with some enhanced front tabs, that hook into the top panel, but I am hoping they have come up with a better fix than that.  You know, maybe a stronger, thicker, front support.

Thanks in advance for you input.

[rego]

Pretty sure there is a sagging apron service update, will have to double check I'm thinking of the same machine...maybe someone else can find it quicker.

[bigbuck]

i have seen this problem , do to mode shifter going bad (agitating & spinning same time ) causing support to bend or break. that way causing shipping brackets to rub & scrape on floor of washer. also found weight block in back loose due to bolt stripped in tub support base causing excessive noise during operation. i agree, ge needs to redesign their washers a bit. but they put them out there & another job security for us!!!  

[ApplianceGuru]

You are right.  All I needed was the key phrase "sagging apron" and I was able to search and find it. . . in this very forum.

This topic talks about it, and of course, our GE expert ryan111 had the answer, as well as a little article about the GE saggy apron problem on his own blog.

It looks like the kit comes with a new support bracket, top, bleach dispenser, instructions, and some small parts.  Since the kit comes with a new top, there are three different part numbers.

WH49X10065 for white washers.
WH49X10066 for bisque washers
WH49X10064 for a color not known to me.  (I saw this number on the instruction sheet photo)

Does anyone have the service bulletin for this problem?  If you do, I would love to have a copy.

What exactly does this kit do to solve the problem?  From the photos, it doesn't look like anything is different.  You can buy the bracket by itself, and it already has the hooks, for added support.  I suppose the new top is designed to take the hooks easily.

[tgoods]

WH49X10064 is white and is made for coin-op washers.  The new top has a slot that accepts the tab on the new apron, so the top becomes a structural member.  I've only seen it once and it was on a coin-op washer that also had a bad mode shifter.  The front apron is holding up well but the rear support sagged after a few months.  No kit, as far as I know, for the rear support.  I "adjusted" the rear support with a sledge hammer and it has been working for over a year, now.

[ryan111]

What exactly does this kit do to solve the problem? 

Not enough in my book because some still sag with the new kit installed. They put an extra screw and four hooks that hook into the top of the washer. While I have only had 2 sag after I installed the new kit it is bad when the redesign still doesn’t work %100. GE should fire the guy that decided a three-piece apron was good enough. The older ones had a one solid apron that when all the way around the top of the washer and it was unheard of to have one bend down.

Every washer we (the company I work for) sold before the redesign had this sagging apron issue. Thankfully for the customer most failed during warranty and the ones that didn’t I got GE to repair for free.

The bad part is I have still seen three washers with the sagging apron issue even after the factory redesign. While three is a far cry then before in my book it should be zero considering they already know this was happing before. They did not go back to a one- piece apron, which is what I would have wanted to see, but I don’t have a say in the matter lol.

If you run across a washer with a bad sifter coil look closely at the apron because when the sifters fail the spin basked spins back and forth (rather than just the agitator) this puts a ton of stress on this already fragile apron.

I hate to talk down on manufactures but this is a horrible design flaw that still isn’t 100% taken care of. I guess they think a 3% failure rate is acceptable but I think when it comes to structural integrity of a machine it should be a 0% failure rate. If it were something like a motor or a switch 3% failure rate would be great but not this.     

[rego]

Thanks for the info Ryan
I haven't come across this yet but they are out there and when I do I hope to pick your brain.

[bigbuck]

I had 1 the other day and I'll work on it worked on it a change the whole mode shifter. Put the older type of apron in & did some modifications and work like a champ .


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