Appliance Spares
Quick answer: The most common cause of a dryer that still squeals after a new belt is the idler (tension) pulley: its small bearing runs dry, drags on the new belt and glazes it within weeks. The next suspect is a worn rear drum bearing, which lets the drum sag and slip the belt. Both sit behind the panel you already removed, so the practical fix is a belt, idler pulley and rear drum bearing kit fitted in one go — about an hour’s work. Here is how to isolate each noise before you buy anything.
Last updated August 2026
Why a new belt does not always end the squeal
The belt is the part everyone replaces first, and it is often the wrong first move. On the Simpson, Westinghouse and Electrolux vented dryers this guide covers, a single 1930 mm six-rib belt (part 0198300010) runs around the drum, past a spring-loaded idler pulley (0197300040) and onto the motor shaft, while the back of the drum turns on a small rear drum bearing (0542377026). Three moving parts, one noise — and the belt is the least likely to squeal on its own.
The pattern we hear about most from Northern Beaches and wider Sydney customers: belt replaced, dryer quiet for a fortnight, then the squeal creeps back. That is almost always a stiff idler pulley polishing the new belt, or a rear bearing that has let the drum drop and the belt slip.
A single 8 uF dryer run capacitor fits 67 documented dryer models across Simpson, Westinghouse and Electrolux — and the same three brands share the 0542377026 rear drum bearing. That shared platform is why one kit per brand covers the whole model list below.
Symptom, part and kit: which noise are you hearing?
Match what you hear to a row, then check your model number on the model sticker (usually inside the door opening) against the column headings. Both kits contain the same three part numbers, split by brand to match your sticker, and each is priced $10 below buying the three parts separately.
| What you hear after the new belt | Part usually behind it | Simpson: 39S500M, 39S600M, 39P400M, SDV401, SDV501, SDV601, SDV556HQWA | Westinghouse: LD500B, LD505EB, LD605EB, LD352A, LD353A, LD503A, LD504A, LD505A, LD515A. Electrolux: EDV505, EDV5051, EDV5552, EDV6051, EDV6552, EDV605S, EDV605HQWA, EDE605A |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sharp, high squeal, louder with a heavy wet load, may fade as the dryer warms | Idler pulley (0197300040) — bearing dry or seizing | Simpson dryer belt, idler pulley and rear drum bearing kit | Westinghouse & Electrolux belt, pulley & bearing kit |
| Low rumble or grinding from the back panel, a thump once per revolution, drum feels loose when rocked | Rear drum bearing (0542377026) — worn | Included in the same kit | Included in the same kit |
| Chirp on start-up that returns within weeks of a new belt; ribbed side of the belt shiny and hard | Drum belt (0198300010) — glazed by a stiff pulley | Included in the same kit | Included in the same kit |
| Dry scrape or rub from the front rim, the same at any speed, worse with an empty drum | Front drum felt or glides — not a kit part | Ask us to check your model | Ask us to check your model |
Isolating the noise with the cabinet open
Unplug the dryer at the wall first, and get a second person to help lift a wall-mounted dryer down. The dryer belt replacement guide covers panel removal if you want a refresher.
1. Spin the idler pulley by hand
Slip the belt off the pulley and flick it with a finger. A healthy pulley spins silently, coasts for a second or two and has no side-to-side rock on its pin. A worn one stops dead the moment you let go, feels gritty or notchy, chirps as it turns, or wobbles on its mount. Any of those means the pulley is your squeal. Our Electrolux and Simpson idler pulley guide goes deeper on this fault.
2. Rock the drum
With the belt still off, grip the front rim of the drum at the top, lift, then push down. A little movement at the front is normal, because the drum rests on felt or glides there; what you are checking for is play that clunks, or a drum that drops at the back. Then turn the drum slowly by hand and listen at the rear panel: a smooth swish is fine; a rumble, grind or periodic click means the rear drum bearing is worn. A worn bearing lets the drum sit low and off-axis, so the belt tracks off centre, stretches and slips — a second squeal a new belt cannot fix. The Simpson and Electrolux drum bearing guide covers this in more depth.
3. Check the front felt, the belt, and the motor
Look at the felt or glide strips around the front of the drum opening: bald patches, embedded fluff or a rim worn through to shiny plastic make a dry rub that does not change with load. Run a thumb across the ribbed side of your new belt; glossy and hard after a few weeks means the pulley has been polishing it. Finally, if pulley and drum are both quiet by hand, refit the belt, close the cabinet, plug back in and listen at the back panel. A squeal that starts the instant the motor does, before the drum has any speed, points at the motor bearings — a rarer fault and a separate repair.
Why the belt, idler pulley and rear drum bearing come as one kit
These three parts wear as a system. A new belt on a stiff idler pulley squeals within weeks and glazes, so the belt you just fitted is already on borrowed time. A rough rear drum bearing lets the drum sag, which stretches the belt and lets it slip. Replace the pulley alone and the glazed belt keeps chirping; replace the bearing alone and the tired pulley keeps dragging. All three sit behind the front panel you have already had off once, so a second strip-down for the part you left out is a second afternoon without a dryer.
The Simpson kit and the Westinghouse and Electrolux kit each bundle the drum drive belt, the idler (tension) pulley and the rear drum bearing; both are listed in our Repair Kits category. If you need only one component, they are sold on their own: the idler pulley, the rear drum bearing, and the Simpson and Westinghouse 1930 mm belt or the Electrolux sensor dryer drum belt.
What the job involves, and when a kit is more than you need
Allow about an hour with the front panel off (the top too on some models), a screwdriver set and clear laundry floor. Power off at the wall first. Fit the rear bearing before the drum goes back in, seat the belt ribbed side to the drum, then loop it under the idler pulley last so the spring takes up the tension. Turn the drum by hand before you close up: it should run true and quiet.
In favour of the kit: one strip-down instead of two, all three wear parts renewed together so the new belt runs on a free pulley and a true drum, and it is priced $10 below the three parts bought separately.
Against the kit: if the pulley and bearing both test smooth and quiet, you would replace two parts with life left in them, and the bearing adds perhaps twenty minutes to a belt-only job. If your tests were clean, buy the single part.
When it is not the belt, pulley or bearing
- Drum will not turn but the motor hums. Usually the run capacitor, not the drive train. Confirm with our drum won’t turn but the motor hums guide; the 8 uF run capacitor is the part.
- Tick or scrape from inside the drum. A coin, bra wire or screw caught between the drum and the front rim. Check the seam with a torch first.
- Squeal starts before the drum has any speed. Motor bearings. Rarer, and a separate repair.
Frequently asked questions
I replaced the belt on my Simpson 39S600M and it still squeals. What do I check next?
Slip the belt off and spin the idler pulley by hand. If it stops dead, feels gritty or wobbles, that is your squeal. Then rock the drum and listen at the back for the rear bearing. If either fails, the Simpson belt, pulley and bearing kit replaces all three in one strip-down and matches the 39S500M, 39S600M, 39P400M, SDV401, SDV501 and SDV601. Confirm your model number on the model sticker before ordering.
How do I tell an idler pulley squeal from a rear drum bearing noise?
Pitch and location. A pulley squeal is high and sharp, louder with a heavy load, and comes from low in the cabinet near the motor. A rear bearing is a lower rumble from the back panel, often with a thump once per revolution, and the drum feels loose when rocked. With the belt off, each can be turned by hand on its own.
Do the Simpson kit and the Westinghouse and Electrolux kit contain the same parts?
Yes. Both contain the drum belt, the idler pulley and the rear drum bearing, listed separately so the kit name matches the brand on your sticker. For a Westinghouse LD505EB or an Electrolux EDV5552, EDV6051 or EDV505, order the Westinghouse and Electrolux kit.
My Electrolux EDV5552 rumbles rather than squeals. Is that the same fix?
A low rumble from the back, worse with a heavier load, is the classic worn rear drum bearing. It is one of the three parts in the Westinghouse and Electrolux kit, and because a worn bearing also stretches and slips the belt, replacing all three at once is the sensible route.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
