My Kitchen Aid washing machine has been problem prone, and I'm not sure what part is needed this time. Over the past 5 years it has started shaking violently during the spin cycle. I replaced all of the pads under the tub, but that didn't change anything. A couple of years ago I had to replace the transmission, and 2 or 3 times my coupler between the motor and transmission has broken. My coupler broke again 2 days ago. I replaced it and immediately while doing the next load of laundry there is a burning smell with a lot of squeaking noise. The noise and burning smell seems to be coming from the motor. I don't think it's from the transmission.
The squeaking noise is not constant. After the washer starts it takes a while for the squeak to occur, and sometimes it goes away. Sometimes it squeaks during the spin cycle too, but not always.
I thought I should replace the motor, but could it be that the brake pads are causing the problem?
It seems to be very labor intensive to replace the brakes and I don't know how to do that, but it does seem cheaper than the motor. I don't have an amp meter. How can I tell what the real problem is? If I replace the brakes, do I need to buy a manual to figure out how to do that, and do I only need to buy brake pads or will I need to buy a clutch & brake assembly kit? Where do I stop at buying parts to fix this?

I agree with Sidfink, and I would fix it before the motor burns up. I never replace the spin tube on this, just the brake shoes and clutch.

If you ordered the part AP3094539, it comes with the brake shoes. I use white silicone grease on the rollers.
When replacing the spin tube, you will need to remove the spin basket and lay the washer on it's back to prevent all the turbine oil from coming out on the floor.