Turn the drum by hand (hold one of the paddels in the inner drum and rotate it ) if it feels as though it is greating or is noisy, then yes it is the bearings, but if it spins smoothly it could be just one of the balance weights come loose. There is a lot involved in changing the bearings on one of these machines, it has to be completely dismantled just to get at them.
casper...http://www.selfix-uk.co.uk
November 2008