Mercedes-Benz GLC Front Suspension Strut: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults
On the GLC, a confirmed genuine technical bulletin addresses a dull thumping noise from the front axle on bumps on related models, relating to the strut top mount bearings.
Illustration for editorial purposes
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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — front struts (aftermarket) Bilstein 24-263016 / Ridex 854S20345
| Front strut / shock absorber (aftermarket) | Bilstein 24-263016 (LH) and 24-263023 (RH) (monotube gas, PR 482); Bilstein 24-262989 (LH) and 24-262996 (RH) (PR 486); Bilstein 24-262934 (LH) and 24-262965 (RH) (PR 485); Bilstein 24-263047 (LH, B6 Performance, PR 485/486); Ridex 854S20345 (twin-tube gas, for vehicles without electronic suspension control); Maxgear 11-1547 (RH, PR 486) |
|---|---|
| Front lower arm / wishbone (aftermarket) | Meyle 016 050 0169/HD (lower, both sides, with ball joint, sold in pairs); Lemförder 38956 01 and 38957 01 (aluminium, both sides); febi bilstein 175619 (aluminium, both sides, 23.8 mm cone); Ridex 273C1227 (aluminium, 340 mm, both sides). |
| Top mount / strut bearing (aftermarket) | Sachs 803 367 (no rolling bearing required); Lemförder 43295 01 (same fitment); Sachs 801 046 and Lemförder 35477 01 (2 per axle); Sachs 803 288 and Lemförder 42185 01 (no ball bearing, 2 per axle); febi bilstein 100409 (elastomer); Maxgear 72-4588 |
| Genuine (OE) numbers quoted | Mercedes A 205 323 00 20, A 213 323 00 20 and A 253 323 00 20 (top mount, Sachs 803 367 and Lemförder 43295 01). |
| Fitment notes | Ridex 854S20345 is the non-electronic-damping version. |
Mercedes-Benz GLC Front Suspension Strut: The System That Quietly Does All the Work
On the Mercedes-Benz GLC, 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.
Mercedes-Benz GLC Front Suspension Strut: What It Does
The strut assembly at the front of the Mercedes-Benz GLC 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.
Mercedes-Benz GLC Front Suspension Strut: Watch: Replacing It
GLC front absorber swap (generation not stated in title, likely X253)
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Confirmed: A Genuine Technical Bulletin Worth Knowing About — Mercedes-Benz GLC Front Suspension
If a dull thumping noise has developed from the front of the car on bumps, this is genuinely worth knowing: a confirmed technical service bulletin addresses exactly this symptom on related models, relating to the shock absorber and strut top mount bearings, which can corrode over time and stop turning freely.
It's also genuinely worth knowing a useful diagnostic technique: with the road wheel removed, checking whether the gaiter and bump stop are loose at the top of the shock absorber's piston is a simple test worth trying.
Mercedes-Benz GLC 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 Mercedes-Benz Front Suspension Strut
The same part, covered across other Mercedes-Benz models.