Answer first
The usual answer on this unit is a loose object in the drum, the lint housing or the blower, with worn drum support rollers or glides next. One of these is free to fix and the rest are wear parts. The free checks come first, and this page stops before the drum comes out.
What you are looking at
- A scraping sound as though something is rubbing — The drum is touching something it should not.
- A rhythmic thump that keeps time with the drum — Something following the drum round, worn or loose.
- NEAR MISS: the noise comes with a cold load — Read the heating page: a seized blower does both at once.
What it usually turns out to be, in order
- A loose object in the drum, the lint housing or the blower — A coin or a button gets past the drum seam or through the lint housing and reaches the blower wheel. It rattles hard, intermittently, and it is the cheapest possible cause. Ranked first on this unit: it is free to rule out, it is genuinely common, and the noise pattern it makes is unmistakable once you know it, which counts for more here because this is a nameplate you will not find a service bulletin for, so the ranking below is built from the failure modes of the class rather than from a model-specific note.
- Worn drum support rollers or glides — The drum turns on rollers at the back and glides at the front. Second on this unit, because they carry the whole weight of the drum through every turn, so they are the part that wears out first on almost every dryer.
- The machine not level, or its feet loose — A dryer standing on three feet walks and drums on the floor. Third on the list, and worth the look because it costs nothing to rule out and it is the only cause here with no broken part in it.
- A failing drum or blower motor bearing — A motor bearing gives a rising whine or a grinding that does not follow the drum at all. Bottom of the list, deliberately: everything above it is cheaper and far more likely, and because a motor is the only real parts bill on this page.
What to check first, second, third
- Empty the drum, run it for a minute and listen — A hard rattle in an empty drum is a loose object, not a worn part.
- Turn the empty drum slowly by hand and feel for a flat spot — A thump that keeps time with the drum is a roller.
- Press each corner in turn and see whether the machine rocks — A rock at any corner is your noise.
What an owner can safely check
- Empty the drum, check the seam and the lint housing, and run the machine empty for a minute — Check pockets before you blame the machine.
Tools: a torchAbout 15 min
- With the machine unplugged, turn the drum slowly by hand through several revolutions — Feel for roughness or a regular catch. That is the diagnosis.
Tools: a torchAbout 15 min
- STOP AT THIS POINT if the next step is inside the cabinet or on the gas train — Burners, valves and igniters are not owner work on any gas appliance.
Safety first, and it is not boilerplate
Safety
Unplug the dryer or switch off its breaker before removing any panel or reaching into the lint housing, and shut the gas off at the appliance valve on a gas machine before moving it. If you smell gas: do not switch anything on or off, leave the building, and call the gas utility or emergency services from outside. Never run the machine with a panel off to locate a noise, and never reach into a drum that is still turning.
When to call a technician
Call once loose objects, the rollers, the levelling and the belt are ruled out and the noise is still there, because what remains is the blower or the motor. Call immediately if there is a burning smell, if the drum will not turn by hand, or if the noise arrives with longer drying times: that combination means airflow, and airflow with lint and heat is the fire risk.
Where to go next in this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers the Westbend dryer as a class, not one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists it is linked here. Deliberately not here: roller and belt part numbers, belt lengths, drum removal sequences and any wiring detail, all of which differ by family and belong on the page for that family.
Links: - [Why a Westbend dishwasher is leaving dishes dirty](/blog/westbend-dishwasher-cleaning-performance) - [Water under a Westbend freezer, and what it means](/blog/westbend-freezer-water-leak) - [VMX dryer noise: thumping, squealing or rattling](/blog/vmx-dryer-abnormal-noise)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
