Appliance Spares
Quick answer: If your Stirling (Aldi) heat pump dryer rumbles, grinds or squeals as the drum turns, the part you most likely need is the Stirling Drum Bearing Kit (SHPD80W, also fits GGSHPD80W and STR-HPD80W), $38.95 AUD, with same-day dispatch from our Sydney warehouse.
Showing a code instead of a noise? Our Stirling dryer error codes guide covers E32, E33 and every documented display across the Aldi range.
Last updated June 2026
Stirling is Aldi’s own appliance house brand, and the SHPD80W is its 8kg heat pump dryer. It is a solid machine, but like every tumble dryer it spins its drum on a bearing, and bearings wear out. When that bearing goes, the dryer starts to make noise. Because almost nobody publishes repair content for Aldi’s Stirling range, owners searching a rumble or grind on an SHPD80W usually hit a wall. This page fixes that. Below is how to tell bearing noise apart from the other sounds a heat pump dryer makes, and the exact part that puts it right.
Why is my Stirling heat pump dryer making a rumbling noise?
The drum in your SHPD80W is a large steel tub that has to spin thousands of times a load, every load, for years. It rides on a bearing at the rear (and a felt or slide bush at the front). That bearing is a hardened race packed with grease. Over time the grease dries out and the race pits and roughens. Once that happens, every rotation of the drum drags metal over worn metal, and you hear it as a low rumble, a grinding growl, or a high squeal.
The tell-tale sign is that the noise tracks the drum, not the fan or compressor. It rises and falls with the tumble, it is often worse with a heavy wet load, and it gets steadily louder over weeks. A dryer that started as a faint hum and is now a rumble you can hear from another room is almost always a failing drum bearing.
There is a second reason bearing noise matters on a heat pump dryer specifically. The SHPD80W runs a sealed refrigerant loop with a compressor, so it is meant to be one of the quieter dryers in the laundry. When a bearing starts to fail on a machine that is normally soft-spoken, it stands out fast. Caught early it is a $38.95 part. Left to grind, a collapsing bearing can chew the drum shaft and turn a cheap fix into a scrap machine.
How do I know it is the bearing and not the belt or fan?
A heat pump dryer makes a few different noises, and they point to different parts. Use these to tell them apart before you buy anything:
- Rumbling, grinding or growling that rises and falls with the drum, gets worse under load, and grows louder over weeks — that is the classic drum bearing on its way out. This is the SHPD80W bearing kit below.
- A rhythmic squeak or a chirp once per drum revolution, or a drum that has stopped turning while the fan still runs — that points to the drum drive belt, not the bearing. On the Stirling range that is a separate, cheaper part (more on pairing them below).
- A steady whir or hum that does not change with the tumble — that is usually the fan or the compressor, which are part of the sealed system and not a DIY swap.
- A rattle or clunk — check the drum is empty of coins, zips or underwire, and that the machine is level and not touching the wall, before blaming any part.
The quick hand test: with the machine isolated from power (see below), open the door and spin the drum by hand. A healthy drum spins smoothly and quietly. A worn bearing feels gritty, notchy or rough as you turn it, and often makes the same growl you hear in a cycle. Rough by hand equals bearing.
Which bearing kit fits my Stirling SHPD80W?
For the Stirling SHPD80W and its variants, the part is the Stirling Heat Pump Dryer Drum Bearing Kit. It carries the drum bearing and the associated hardware to replace the worn assembly in one go. We stock it, we list every model it fits, and we dispatch same day from our Sydney warehouse.
This matters because Stirling is an Aldi house brand, sold in-store in limited runs and rarely supported anywhere afterwards. Competitors do not stock it. If you have searched SHPD80W, GGSHPD80W or STR-HPD80W and found nothing but dead machines and dead ends, this is why. The kit below is the fit for all three.
| Part number | Fits these models | Genuine / Compatible | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SHPD80W bearing kit | SHPD80W, GGSHPD80W, STR-HPD80W | Genuine fit — match your model | $38.95 AUD | Buy now |
At $38.95 the bearing kit is a fraction of a new heat pump dryer, and on an SHPD80W, GGSHPD80W or STR-HPD80W it is usually the difference between a machine that runs quietly for years more and one headed for the verge collection.
Do the belt at the same time while it is apart
Here is the tip that saves you a second teardown. To reach the drum bearing on an SHPD80W you have to open the cabinet and lift the drum out, and the drum drive belt wraps that same drum. The belt is a wear part too, and once a bearing has been running rough it often drags on the belt as well.
Since the labour of getting in there is the whole job, most people fit a fresh belt while the machine is open rather than pull it all apart again in six months. The Stirling belt is a separate, low-cost part (around $15.95 for the SHPD80W / GGSHPD80W / STR-HPD80W belt). If your symptom is actually the drum not turning rather than a rumble, start with our companion guide, heat pump dryer not tumbling? it’s the drum drive belt, which covers the same SHPD80W platform. Buying the bearing kit and the belt together is the smart call while you are apart.
How to replace the Stirling SHPD80W drum bearing — the short version
This is a mechanical job, not a mains-wiring job, but you are still opening an appliance, so treat it with respect.
- Isolate the dryer from power first. Switch it off and pull the plug from the wall before you undo a single screw. Even though the bearing swap itself is mechanical, you never open a cabinet with the machine live.
- Empty and clear the machine. Take out the lint filter, empty the water tank, and pull the dryer out where you can work around it.
- Open the cabinet. Remove the top and the relevant side or front panels to expose the drum. Take a photo at each step so reassembly is easy.
- Note the belt routing, then release the belt off the motor pulley and tensioner so the drum is free.
- Lift the drum out and locate the rear bearing assembly. Replace it with the new kit, cleaning the shaft and seating the new bearing squarely.
- Refit the belt (a fresh one if you are doing both), routing it exactly as it came off, and reassemble the cabinet in reverse.
- Restore power and run an empty cycle. Listen for a smooth, quiet drum. The rumble should be gone.
Set aside an hour or two if you are handy, and keep your screws in order. Times vary by how the panels come apart, so work patiently.
When to call a technician vs DIY
The bearing swap does not involve mains wiring, but it does mean stripping the cabinet, lifting the drum and getting the belt back on correctly. If you are a competent person who is comfortable pulling an appliance apart, can read the model sticker, and has a couple of hours, this is a reasonable DIY job.
If dismantling a dryer is not your idea of a good weekend, hand it to a qualified appliance technician. Around the Northern Beaches plenty of tradies will happily fit a part you have already bought, which keeps the cost right down. The diagnosis above — listening for the rumble and spinning the drum by hand — is safe for anyone; it is only the teardown that calls for a bit of confidence.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Stirling SHPD80W drum bearing kit and how fast can I get it?
The Stirling Drum Bearing Kit is $38.95 AUD and ships same day from our Sydney warehouse when you order before cut-off. It is the fit for the SHPD80W, GGSHPD80W and STR-HPD80W.
Will this bearing kit fit my Aldi Stirling dryer?
It fits the Stirling SHPD80W and the GGSHPD80W and STR-HPD80W variants of the same 8kg heat pump dryer. Check your model sticker, usually inside the door opening or on the back of the cabinet, against those numbers before ordering.
My Stirling dryer is grinding — is it definitely the bearing?
A rumble or grind that rises and falls with the drum, worsens under a heavy load and grows louder over weeks is the classic worn-bearing sign. Confirm it by isolating the machine from power and spinning the drum by hand: if it feels gritty or notchy, it is the bearing. A once-per-turn squeak or a drum that will not turn points to the belt instead.
Should I replace the belt at the same time?
Yes, most people do. Reaching the bearing means lifting the drum out, and the drive belt wraps that same drum, so fitting a fresh belt while the machine is open saves a second teardown later. The SHPD80W belt is a separate low-cost part.
Can I replace the drum bearing myself?
If you are comfortable dismantling an appliance and have an hour or two, yes — it is a mechanical job, not a wiring job. Always unplug the dryer from the wall before opening the cabinet. If pulling a dryer apart is outside your comfort zone, a local technician can fit the kit for you.
Where is the model number on my Stirling dryer?
Look for the model sticker inside the door opening, around the door seal, or on the back of the cabinet. Confirm it reads SHPD80W, GGSHPD80W or STR-HPD80W so you know this bearing kit is the right part.
Get your Stirling dryer running quietly again
If your SHPD80W rumbles or grinds with the tumble and the drum feels rough when you spin it by hand, the drum bearing is almost certainly what you need — and at $38.95 it is a fraction of a new machine. It is the fit for the Stirling SHPD80W, GGSHPD80W and STR-HPD80W, it is in stock, and it ships same day from our Sydney warehouse. Grab the matching belt while you are here so you only open the cabinet once, and browse more parts in our dryer parts store.
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.
