signs of impending doom -
minor - open the door, turn drum till one of the paddles is at the top. Try to rock the inner (stainless steel) drum up and down. Then turn the drum till the next paddle is at the top, and repeat. Then turn till the third paddle is at the top. repeat. If the drum moves differently (more or less) in any particular position, or if it makes grating/cracking sounds, it might be the spider. (if it has a bit of slack but it is even all round, and rumbles when you spin the drum by hand, it is more likely drum bearings.)
Major - if the machine makes awful banging sounds, or harsh clacking sounds on spin, particularly if the spin is out of balance, then it is likely the spider.
It is unlikely to bust out the top if the spider fails completely, more likely to make an incredible noise, and grind to a halt, possible smashing up the plastic outer drum, detergent dispenser drawer and other internal plastic.
If you create a deliberately unbalanced load, for example by spinning a phone book, you can listen for any horrible noises. That is a pretty severe test so if it spins without sounding like it is going to self-destruct then it is probably fine.
Chris.
