How to Replace LG Washer Suspension Springs

Springs and shock absorbers are not the same thing and do not fail the same way. Springs are static load-bearing — they carry the weight of a water-filled tub and allow controlled vertical movement. Shocks are dynamic dampers that resist and slow that movement. Spring failure is much less common than shock wear, and generally shows up after ten years or more, or where corrosion has weakened the wire.

Wear work gloves: spring wire cuts, and these are under tension from the tub's weight.

Look at all of them, not just the obvious one#

Disconnect the power. Two Phillips screws at the rear release the top panel — slide it back and lift. You will see the springs running from the top rim of the outer tub up to hooks on the cabinet frame, typically two at the front and one or two at the rear.

Check each one for:

• Detachment — the hook end has simply slipped off. This is by far the most common failure, and heavy vibration is what shakes it loose
• Broken coils where the wire has snapped
• Excessive stretch — the coils sit noticeably further apart than on a new spring
• Corrosion weakening the wire

Support the tub first#

The moment a spring comes off, the tub's weight redistributes onto whatever is left. Have someone hold the tub from underneath, or wedge a block of wood between the tub and the base frame. Skipping this stresses the remaining springs and the shock absorbers, which is how a one-spring job becomes a three-part job.

With the tub supported, unhook the spring from the cabinet frame hook with needle-nose pliers, then release the lower end from the tub hook. If it broke rather than detached, make sure both pieces come out.

Fitting the replacement#

Hook the lower end onto the tub anchor first — much easier while the tub is held up — then stretch the upper end to the cabinet frame hook.

The new spring should sit at moderate tension: neither slack nor stretched to its limit. LG springs are colour-coded or stamped with a tension rating, so match the replacement to what came out rather than to length alone.

Then check the set as a whole. Every spring should be tensioned alike and the tub should hang level rather than tilting to one side. Push down on the tub from above: it should compress evenly and return smoothly without favouring a corner.

Testing#

Refit the top panel and run a Rinse and Spin with a balanced load. The tub should not bang against the cabinet at any point during spin-up. If UE was appearing at particular speeds before, watch those speeds specifically.

What the remaining faults mean:

• UE still appears — the shock absorbers may be worn as well, or the new spring's tension does not match its neighbours, which makes the tub move unevenly
• The new spring detaches again quickly — the hook is worn or bent open. Look at its curvature: it should capture the spring end fully with no lateral escape route, and pliers will close it slightly
• The spring does not fit — wrong part number. LG uses different lengths and tension ratings across the WM series

If the upper frame hooks have torn out of the sheet metal, that needs welding or a bracket repair. And if springs and shocks are all worn together, that pattern often points at a bigger tub problem such as a cracked spider — book a repair before replacing parts piecemeal.