Land Rover Defender Front Suspension Strut: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults
On the Defender, hydrabush fluid within the front lower control arm on related models has genuinely been confirmed causing a specific knocking noise.
Illustration for editorial purposes
Opens live listings in a new tab.
OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — front struts (aftermarket) Bilstein 19-061177 / KYB 345014
| Front strut / shock absorber (aftermarket) | Bilstein 19-061177 (B4 twin-tube gas, no spring); Bilstein 19-216980 (B4 twin-tube gas); Bilstein 24-002431 (B6 4600 monotube gas); KYB 345014 (Excel-G twin-tube gas); Ridex 854S1799 (twin-tube gas, 1 per axle). |
|---|---|
| Front lower arm / wishbone (aftermarket) | Lemförder 44031 01 (RH, lower front, pair 44030 01 for LH); Lemförder 43592 01 (RH, lower rear, cast steel, pair 43591 01); Master-Sport 44030-PCS-MS (LH) / 44031-PCS-MS (RH) (lower front); GSP S065755 / S065756 (ball joint and bush, 23.3 mm cone, side not stated); Moog LR-TC-14861 / LR-TC-14862 (rubber mount, side not stated) |
| Top mount / strut bearing (aftermarket) | Sachs 801 050 (L/R, 2 per axle); febi 1004314 (L/R, elastomer, no bearing); febi 31448 (L/R, plastic, rolling bearing, outer 113 mm); KYB SM5787 (repair kit); KYB SM5586 (mounting kit); Monroe MK323 (with bearings); SKF VKD 35036 (2 per axle) |
| Genuine (OE) numbers quoted | RSC100040 (Ashika MA-LR008 and Japanparts MM-LR008 telescopic dampers). Sachs 801 050 top mount quotes 1433283, 1441144, 1465258, 1466167, 1510474, 1539863, 1679526, 1801056, 30681642, 30736504, 30794009, 31201027, 31277826, 31681161, 6G91-3K099-AA, 6G91-3K099-ABB, 6G91-3K099-ABC, 6G91-3K099-ACA, 6G91-3K099-ACB, 6G91-3K099-NAB, 6G91-3K099-NBA, DG9C-3K099-BXA; Original Imperium 38419 quotes RNR100060 |
| Fitment notes | check by VIN. |
Land Rover Defender Front Suspension Strut: The System That Quietly Does All the Work
On the Land Rover Defender, these components absorb every pothole, bump and cornering force before any of it reaches the cabin, which is why deterioration here rarely announces itself with one obvious symptom. Working through it methodically finds the actual cause faster than guessing ever will.
Land Rover Defender Front Suspension Strut: What It Does
The Land Rover Defender's front strut does two jobs in one unit — damping the suspension's movement and providing the coil spring's mounting point. Wear here shows up as excessive bounce after bumps rather than a quick settle, and left long enough, uneven tyre wear tends to follow.
Land Rover Defender Front Suspension Strut: Watch: Replacing It
Classic Defender; no L663 front suspension video found.
Opens live listings in a new tab.
A Genuinely Useful Piece of Context Worth Knowing About Suspension Knocks — Land Rover Defender Front Suspension
If you're hearing a knock from the front suspension, this is genuinely worth knowing: a confirmed technical bulletin on related Land Rover models identifies hydrabush fluid within the front lower control arm as the cause of a specific knocking noise, with no effect on suspension operation.
It's also genuinely worth knowing a useful two-person diagnostic technique: with the engine running and handbrake on, turning the steering wheel back and forth while a second person observes the ball joints from underneath for play.
Land Rover Defender 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 Land Rover Front Suspension Strut
The same part, covered across other Land Rover models.