The brushes are in the motor - bits of carbon that remain stationary and deliver electrical power to the rotating part of the motor.
Your brushes may have failed but the usual symptom is that the drum rotates OK during washing but plays up to begin with on the spin cycle - i.e. your brushes may not necessarily be the cause of your problem...
Here's a video of w/m brushes being changed...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GmtRBiXLFc
Good luck...
Peccavi, December 2009
