1) Check for drum bearing failure if your washing machine is noisy on the spin cycle. Drum bearing failure is common when the bearing seals start allowing water to enter. You can take the belt off and spin the drum by hand, and if the drum rumbles, replace the bearings.
2) Turn the drum by hand and listen for loud noises. If the drum itself is split or the 'spider' is corroded, broken or has come apart from the back of the drum it will create a loud noise on every turn of the drum. (When the bearings have gone bad, the noise is constant the entire time the drum is spinning.)
3) Look for obvious dents and creases in the drum or look for coins or small objects stuck inside the tub underneath the drum when a horrendous noise is made while clothes are in the tub.
4) Clear the water pump from obstructions like coins or small objects when a noise occurs while the washing machine is emptying water.
5) Remove the sump hose and look for bra wires if you hear a light scraping noise when the drum is turned by hand. You can also check to make sure a wire isn't poking out of one of the holes in the drum. In this case, you can pull the wire out easily with pliers.
6) Take the belt off and run the motor alone if you hear a high pitched squealing noise to check for motor bearing damage or wear. If you still hear the noise without the belt, it's the motor bearing.
