Tumble Dryer Making Loud Banging or Grinding Noises
Banging usually means something is striking a hard surface with each drum rotation; grinding usually means metal-on-metal contact from a worn support component.
Common causes
- A broken or collapsed drum roller, letting the drum sag and strike the cabinet
- A worn drum bearing, producing a rhythmic grinding synced to drum rotation
- Metal buttons, zippers, or coins caught between the drum and the cabinet
- A loose drum baffle (the internal fin) that has come detached and is knocking around
- A worn glide bearing on models that use a felt seal support rather than rollers
How to check it
- Empty the drum completely and check for foreign objects lodged at the drum seams.
- Spin the drum by hand while unplugged and listen for the grind's rhythm — a sound that matches drum rotation speed points to rollers or bearings.
- Look inside the drum for a baffle that wobbles or has visible screws missing.
- Check underneath the drum, where visible, for flattened or cracked rollers.
Fixing it
Loose baffles can often be re-secured with the original screws if they haven't stripped. Worn rollers are a common replacement part and are usually sold in matched pairs — replacing just one can leave the drum sitting unevenly. Bearing replacement is more involved, often requiring the drum to be pulled fully out of the cabinet.
When to call a technician
Persistent grinding that isn't resolved by clearing foreign objects almost always means a support component has failed and needs replacing — continuing to run the dryer risks the drum shifting further out of alignment and damaging the cabinet or motor.
Prevention tips
Empty pockets thoroughly before every load — coins, buttons, and small hardware are a leading cause of banging noises and can also scratch or dent the drum interior over time. If you notice a new noise developing gradually rather than appearing suddenly, address it early; a minor roller wobble is a much smaller job than a drum that's been striking the cabinet for weeks.
Quick questions
Is it normal for a dryer to make some noise? A soft tumbling sound from clothes and a light hum from the motor are normal; any sharp bang, persistent grind, or metallic scrape is not and is worth investigating promptly.
Can a single loose baffle screw really cause this much noise? Yes — a baffle knocking loose inside the drum on every rotation can sound surprisingly dramatic for what is often a very simple fix.
Parts and repair notes
The cost and complexity of fixing banging or grinding noises depends heavily on which component is at fault — a loose baffle or a foreign object removal is a quick, low-cost fix, while worn rollers or bearings involve more disassembly and a longer visit. It's worth describing the noise as precisely as possible when booking a repair, since the rhythm and pitch of the sound often help a technician narrow down the cause before they even arrive.
Related issues to watch for
Banging and grinding noises often develop alongside excessive vibration, since a worn roller or bearing throws the drum off balance in ways that show up as both symptoms at once. If you're dealing with noise and noticeable shaking together, it's worth having both checked in the same visit, since they frequently share a single root cause.