Dryer belt keeps breaking

[therhett17]

I have a Maytag GDG412 dryer. This will be the third time this year I’ve replaced the belt on this dryer. The first replacement was an aftermarket NOS from a local shop, so when it started slowly shredding after a few months I wasn’t too surprised. I went the OEM route the second time and got a recent-dated Whirlpool belt. Then today, just about 2 months later, I started smelling burnt rubber and found where the belt is breaking as shown in the photo. Is this just bad luck or could there be something else at fault? The dryer works perfectly otherwise, it makes zero bad noises and dries really well. Any advice is welcome!

 

[repairguy]

Something is binding. It could be a drum roller or the idler assembly. Or even the drum glides or a combination. Once you find and solve this issue you should be good.

 

[Chetlaham]

Is it just me or is that belt on backwards (inside out)?

 

[qsd-dan]

The belt is on upside-down. Flat side of the belt faces the drum, this ain't a belt squealing Whirlpool product

From the age of the machine, at minimum, the 2 drum rollers need to be removed, shafts cleaned, and turbine oiled. Re-install. If the rollers are worn or broken, replace.



Same goes for the white plastic idler wheel.



I also remove the motor assembly, blow out the dust, clean the pivoting point of the idler wheel assembly, re-grease, and clean the old grease from the white block and motor frame, re-grease (you can use the same grease for both). Advance the clip to 8:48.



Check the glides to see if they are thin or worn into the cork backing:

 

[combo52]

Yes as mentioned the belt is being installed backwards

A little bit of history.

Maytag was the last company to install the belt around the perimeter of the dryer drum to operate a full-size dryer.

Maytag maintained for years that this was not a good way to build a clothes dryer so when they finally had to eat crow and put the belt around the drum because it is the best way to build a clothes dryer they put the belt on backwards and then they claimed that they had perfected the system, lol

When they came out with her next generation of dryers they did it like everybody else and put the belt on correctly.

John L