How to Replace a KitchenAid Dryer Drive Belt

What a broken belt looks like#

The drive belt is a thin band that wraps the drum and is driven by the motor pulley. When it breaks, the motor still spins and hums, but with nothing to turn the drum the clothes just sit. Because KitchenAid dryers share Whirlpool's belt system, the routing and belt spec are identical — order by model number and you get the right part.

Tools and safety#

• Tools: Phillips #2 screwdriver, 1/4-inch hex nut driver, putty knife
• Time: 25-35 minutes · Difficulty: intermediate
• Safety: Unplug the dryer; on gas models shut off the gas. The idler pulley spring is under tension — keep control of it when you release the belt.

Step-by-step#

1. Open the top and front panels#

Slip a putty knife under the top panel about two inches in from each front corner and push the spring clips inward to release them, then raise the panel. Back out the two 1/4-inch hex screws at the top of the front panel. Support the heavy stainless front panel, unplug the door-switch wire, and lift the panel off its lower tabs.

2. Study the belt routing#

If the old belt is intact but glazed, photograph how it loops the idler and motor pulleys first. The standard path: the grooved side rides against the drum, wraps fully around it, drops to the bottom of the cabinet, passes under the idler pulley in an S-bend, and finishes on the motor pulley.

3. Lift out the drum#

Reach under the drum, push the idler toward the motor to relieve tension, and slip the belt off the motor and idler pulleys. Draw the drum straight out through the front and rest it on a blanket so the finish does not scratch.

4. Check the rollers and glides#

With the drum out you have rare access to the wear parts. Spin each rear drum roller — it should turn freely and smoothly; replace any that are flat-spotted or seized. Inspect the front drum glides (the felt pads or plastic strips the drum rides on) and renew them if worn. Doing this now saves a second teardown.

5. Fit the belt to the drum#

Lay the new belt around the drum with the ribbed side against the drum surface, centered on the old belt's wear track. It should settle into the same groove.

6. Reseat the drum and route the belt#

Lift the drum back in and set its rear on the rollers. Reach underneath, run the belt under the idler in the same S-bend, and loop it onto the motor pulley. Push the idler away from the motor to make slack, seat the belt on both pulleys, then release the idler slowly so the spring pulls the belt taut.

7. Reassemble and run it#

Hook the front panel's bottom tabs, secure the top screws, reconnect the door-switch wire, and snap the top panel shut. Plug in and run a timed cycle — the drum should spin smoothly. A squeal usually means the belt is off-center; open up and recenter it.

If it still misbehaves#

• Drum turns once then stops: the belt has jumped off the idler or motor pulley — recheck the routing.
• Squealing: the belt is off-center or the idler bearing is dry; reposition the belt, and lubricate or replace the idler.
• Motor hums, drum dead even with the new belt: the idler spring may be unhooked or the motor pulley is stripped.