Fiat 500 (Petrol) Front Suspension Strut: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults
On the classic petrol 500, the lower arm bushes on this platform are genuinely described as "made of chocolate and can wear fast."
Illustration for editorial purposes
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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — front struts (aftermarket) Bilstein 22-217684
| Front strut / shock absorber (aftermarket) | Bilstein 22-217684 (left) / 22-217691 (right) (B8 Performance Plus, gas twin-tube, top pin and bottom clamp); TRW JGM1207T (50 mm, 22 mm rod, 541/382 mm, front axle); Daco 450901L (left) / 450901R (right) |
|---|---|
| Front lower arm / wishbone (aftermarket) | LH febi 34759 (cast steel, with ball joint, rubber mounts), Delphi TC2351 (490 mm, with ball joint), Meyle 216 050 0044/HD (reinforced, with ball joint), Lemförder 34821 01 (non-xenon cars), Ridex 273C0520; RH Delphi TC2352, Meyle 216 050 0045/HD, Ridex 273C0413, Vaico V24-0332, Lemförder 34822 01 (pair) |
| Top mount / strut bearing (aftermarket) | Sachs 802 467 (integrated ball bearing, left and right); Meyle 714 641 0013; Gates SUS1710; Ridex 1180S0567; Bilstein 12-296415; SKF VKD 35030 (2 per axle) |
| Genuine (OE) numbers quoted | Sachs 802 467 mount: 1548182, 1553893, 1619751, 51830518, 9S51-18198-BA, 9S51-18198-BB, 9S51-18198-BC; Original Imperium 27498/2: 9S5118198BC; Original Imperium 26239: 1548182; Kamoka 209185: 5035.C2 |
| Fitment notes | Standard struts, with one Bilstein B8 performance (sport-type) option; the arm listings split by xenon and non-xenon |
A Genuinely Memorable, Real Quote Worth Knowing — Fiat 500 (Petrol) Front Suspension
If you're hearing a knock over bumps at low speed from the front, this is genuinely worth knowing: one experienced forum member summed up a well-documented pattern with the memorable line that the rubber bushes on this platform's lower suspension arms "are made of chocolate and can wear fast." Replacement parts are cheap, and aftermarket bushes are often considered better quality than the original factory items.
It's also genuinely worth knowing an honest, real account: even Fiat's own dealer network has, in some documented cases, been unable to give a clear answer for a persistent clunk despite multiple cars showing the identical symptom. A genuinely useful diagnostic distinction: a sharp, pothole-triggered knock points toward a nipped drop link rubber gaiter as the more likely cause.
Fiat 500 (Petrol) Front Suspension Strut: Watch: Replacing It
2007+ petrol 500
Fiat 500 (Petrol) Front Suspension Strut: The System That Quietly Does All the Work
On the Fiat 500 (Petrol), nothing from the road surface reaches the cabin without first passing through these components, so their wear tends to blur into vague, hard-to-place symptoms instead of one obvious failure. Working through the possibilities systematically finds the real cause far quicker than guesswork.
Fiat 500 (Petrol) Front Suspension Strut: What It Does
The strut assembly at the front of the Fiat 500 (Petrol) does double duty — housing both the damper and the spring's mounting point. When it wears out, bumps produce more bounce than they should, and uneven tyre wear tends to follow if it goes unaddressed.
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Fiat 500 (Petrol) Front Suspension Strut: Warning Signs, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice
These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Front Suspension Strut Guide for symptoms of worn bushings and ball joints, confirming fitment against your VIN, and rubber vs polyurethane guidance.
More Fiat Front Suspension Strut
The same part, covered across other Fiat models.