Appliance Spares
Quick answer: A front loader that thumps, knocks or walks on the spin cycle — especially after a house move — usually needs new shock absorbers, not bearings. They are friction dampers under the drum, typically $20–35 each or $40–70 a pair, and they should always be replaced in pairs. Haier and Fisher & Paykel front loaders share the H0020600213 shock; many Samsung front loaders take the DC66-00343H damper. Match the part to the model number on your model sticker before you order.
Last updated August 2026
The bang that started after the move
You have plugged the washer in at the new place, run the first load, and the spin cycle sounds like someone kicking the cabinet from the inside. Or it crept up with age: the spin grew louder over months, then the machine started shuffling across the laundry floor.
Both roads lead to the same part. A front loader hangs its drum from springs at the top and damps it with friction shock absorbers underneath — not the suspension rods a top loader uses. When the shocks wear out, nothing slows the tub as the spin ramps up, so it hits full travel and hammers the cabinet. Here is how the symptoms sort out:
| Symptom | What it usually means | The part |
|---|---|---|
 Clean thump or knock as the spin winds up; the empty drum turns smoothly and silently by hand | Worn shock absorbers — the tub is reaching full travel under load | Haier front loader shock absorber H0020600213 or Fisher & Paykel front loader shock absorber H0020600213 |
 Machine walks or bangs violently at full spin, and it started after a move | The friction pads took a beating in transit; replace both | Samsung shock absorber damper DC66-00343H two-pack |
| Rumble or grind that grows with drum speed; gritty, grey noise when you turn the drum by hand | Drum bearings, not shocks — a bigger job | Run the two-minute test below before buying anything |
| Violent banging even at wash speeds, drum sagging or scraping the door seal | Possible broken spider arm behind the drum | Broken spider arm, explained |
Shocks or bearings? The two-minute test
Unplug the machine, open the door and turn the empty drum slowly by hand.
- Smooth and near-silent by hand, but a hard knock under load on spin-up: shock absorbers. The drum only misbehaves once there is real weight and speed involved.
- A dry rumble or grating you can hear on every hand rotation, growing into a roar as spin speed climbs: bearings. That is a drum-out job, and worth diagnosing properly before you spend a cent on dampers.
Then press down hard on the front lip of the drum opening and let go. Healthy shocks pull the drum back to rest in one damped movement. If it bounces two or three times like a car with dead struts, the friction pads are gone. Bearings grumble all the time; shocks save it all up for the spin cycle.
Why moving house is the classic trigger
A front loader shock absorber is a simple friction damper: a piston with a friction pad sliding inside a sleeve, pinned between the bottom of the tub and the chassis. It is not a spring — the springs are up top. Its whole job is to soak up the energy of an off-balance load before the tub can reach the cabinet.
Ride in a van or ute without transit bolts and the suspended tub slams end to end over every bump — hundreds of full-force strokes in a single afternoon. The pads glaze or scrub away, and the first spin at the new house announces it. Plain old age does the same thing more politely: eight to ten years of spinning wears the same pads smooth.
Top loaders solve the problem differently, with suspension rods, and some machines mix systems. If you are not sure what yours takes, start with our guide to which suspension rod kit or shock absorber fits your washing machine.
Which shock absorber fits your machine
Two part families cover a big slice of Australian front loaders, and both live in our washing machine parts store.
Haier and Fisher & Paykel: one part, two badges
Haier and Fisher & Paykel front loaders share the same shock absorber, part number H0020600213. Same factory, same damper, two different badges on the machine — which is why it is listed both as the Haier front loader shock absorber H0020600213 and the Fisher & Paykel front loader shock absorber H0020600213. Search the part number rather than the badge and you will land on the right damper. Budget $20–35 per shock, and check the model number on your model sticker — inside the door frame or on the back panel — against the listing before you order.
Samsung: the DC66-00343H damper family
A long run of Samsung front loaders, from the WF8802 era through to the WW75 and WW85 H5400-era machines, takes the DC66-00343H damper. It is sold three ways: a single DC66-00343H damper for the rare case where one side was replaced recently, the standard DC66-00343H two-pack for the both-sides job, and a model-matched two-pack for the WW75H5290EW/SA, WW75H5400EW/SA and WW75J4213IW/SA. Pairs run $40–70. As always, the listing that names your exact model number wins.
Always replace them in pairs
The shocks share the load as a team. Put a new damper on one side and leave a tired one on the other and you get uneven resistance: the drum still shimmies, the knock often stays, and the fresh shock wears fast doing double duty. A pair costs $40–70 and fits in the same session. Fit both and be done with it.
The swap: tip the machine, pop the pins
This is one of the friendlier front loader jobs — no wiring, no plumbing beyond unhooking the hoses, no special tools beyond long-nose pliers and a socket.
- Unplug the machine and turn off both taps. Drain the last of the water through the pump filter flap, then pull the machine right out of its alcove.
- With a second pair of hands — these machines are heavy — lay it on its side on an old blanket, or tilt it back against the wall. On most models the shocks are reachable from underneath; a few need the back or front panel off.
- Find the two angled struts running from the bottom of the tub down to the chassis lugs. Each end is held by a plastic pin with a barbed tip.
- Squeeze the barb and drive each pin out with long-nose pliers; pressing a small socket against the pin head shifts the stubborn ones.
- Test the old shock in your hands. It should take real force to push and pull. If it slides like a bicycle pump, it is well and truly done.
- Compress the new shock, line up the eyelets and push the pins home until they click. Repeat on the other side.
- Stand the machine up, level the feet, and run a spin with a couple of towels. It should ramp to full speed with a hum, not a fist-fight.
Allow 45 to 60 minutes end to end. A repairer call-out typically runs $100–165 before parts, so a $40–70 pair of dampers fitted on a Saturday morning is one of the better paybacks in appliance DIY. If a violent bang is still there even at low wash speeds after new shocks, work through the spider arm guide linked in the table above — that is the next suspect.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How do I know it is the shock absorbers and not the drum bearings?
A: Turn the empty drum by hand. Bearings grumble and grate even at hand speed and get louder as the spin winds up. Worn shocks are silent by hand — the drum turns freely — but the machine knocks or walks once a wet load is spinning. The bounce test settles it: press the drum down and let go. More than one bounce means the shocks are gone.
Q: Can I replace just one shock absorber?
A: Replace them in pairs. A new damper working against a worn one gives uneven resistance, so the drum keeps shimmying and the new shock wears out quickly. Pairs typically cost $40–70 and the second one adds only minutes.
Q: What does it cost to fix a front loader that thumps on spin in Australia?
A: If the shocks are the culprit, parts are $20–35 each or $40–70 a pair and the swap takes under an hour. A repairer will typically charge a $100–165 call-out before parts. Bearings or a broken spider arm are bigger jobs, so run the hand-spin and bounce tests first and only pay for what is actually worn.
Q: Which shock absorber fits a Haier or Fisher & Paykel front loader?
A: Most share part number H0020600213 — the same damper under both badges. Check the model number on your model sticker against the listing, or send us the model number and we will check the match before you order.
Q: Do transit bolts matter when moving a washing machine?
A: Yes. Refit them for the move if you still have them — they lock the tub so it cannot slam around in the van. If the machine travelled without them, the shocks absorbed every bump on the road — the reason so many front loaders thump right after a move. Either way, every bolt must come out before the first wash at the new place.
Ready for a quiet spin cycle again? Read the model number off the model sticker and search the part number above. Not sure which listing matches? Send your model number through our contact page and we will match the shock to your machine before you order. Parts are dispatched from Sydney’s Northern Beaches the day you order when your order is in by 12pm, so the weekend fix is very much on.
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.
