Volkswagen Up! Front Suspension Strut: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

On the Up!, front-end knocking often points to worn drop links — but on a nearly-new car, it can be leftover transport packing a dealer missed.

Illustration of a suspension strut and coil spring

Illustration for editorial purposes

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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — front struts (aftermarket) Bilstein 22-222046 / KYB 3338038

Accuracy note: Covers the Volkswagen Up! (2011-) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Front struts, lower arms and top mounts are sold by side and by suspension spec — standard, sport / lowered (S line, M Sport, R-Line, ST-Line etc.), heavy-duty and adaptive / electronic damping all use different part numbers, and some makers split by engine or front axle load. The references below are UK aftermarket catalogue listings for this generation, labelled by brand; genuine numbers are shown only where a listing quotes one. Confirm the fit against your VIN, and replace struts and top mounts in pairs.

Front strut / shock absorber (aftermarket)	Bilstein 22-222046 (B4, twin-tube gas, 18 mm rod); Bilstein 22-222084 (B6 Performance, twin-tube gas); Bilstein 22-222107 (B8 Performance Plus, twin-tube gas); KYB 3338038 (Excel-G, twin-tube gas, 18 mm); Meyle 126 623 0017 (Original quality, pairs); NTY A-WW-047 (left and right, 18 mm rod); Febi 1002563 (left and right, 313/474 mm).
Front lower arm / wishbone (aftermarket)	LH Lemförder 37171 01 (sheet steel), Delphi TC3215 (with ball joint, 430 mm), Ridex 273C0721 (378 mm), Mapco 54702 (with ball joint), Meyle 116 050 0114 (without ball joint); RH Lemförder 37172 01, Delphi TC3216 (with ball joint, 430 mm), Ridex 273C0720 (with ball joint), Vaico V10-3148 (without ball joint), Meyle 116 050 0115 (without ball joint).
Top mount / strut bearing (aftermarket)	Sachs 802 070 (without ball bearing, 2 per axle); Sachs 802 270 and 802 697 (front L/R, 2 per axle); Lemförder 25346 01 (2 per axle); Febi 09227 (elastomer, without ball bearing); Febi 37878 (left, with ball bearing); Monroe MK077 (rolling bearing); Meyle 100 412 1019/S (full set with bearings)
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	Sachs 802 070 mount quotes 1J0 412 331, 1J0 412 331 B, 1J0 412 331 C; Febi 09227 quotes 1J0 412 331 C. None for struts or arms.
Fitment notes	Standard twin-tube gas struts, with Bilstein B6 and B8 as firmer upgrades; no engine split stated.

Confirmed: Drop Links Are a Genuine Weak Point — But Check This First on a Newer Car — Volkswagen Up! Front Suspension

Across VW owner forums, one specific weak point comes up consistently enough on older Golf-platform cars to be worth checking first: the anti-roll bar drop links, which wear and produce exactly the kind of knock or clunk heard over bumps and rough surfaces. A genuinely useful diagnostic method before replacing anything: since drop links sit under constant tension normally, disconnecting one end temporarily and taking the car for a short test drive is a reliable way to confirm whether it's genuinely the source of the noise — if the knock disappears with it disconnected, that confirms the drop link.

A genuinely distinctive finding worth knowing on a nearly-new car: some vehicles leave the factory or dealer with plastic transport packing pieces still fitted inside the strut assembly, intended to protect the suspension during shipping and meant to be removed during pre-delivery inspection — but occasionally get missed. This produces a genuine knocking noise that has nothing to do with wear at all, and is a simple, free fix once identified, rather than a worn part needing replacement. Worth specifically asking a dealer or garage to check for this if a knock appears on a car that's only a few months or a couple of years old, before assuming genuine suspension wear.

If drop links check out fine, the next most commonly reported cause is the strut top mount bearing, or — on higher-mileage examples — the lower control arm's rear bush, which can develop a "sloppy" fit even while the rubber itself still looks visually sound. Genuinely worth checking both before assuming a full strut or shock absorber replacement is needed, since these are considerably cheaper fixes if they turn out to be the actual cause.

Volkswagen Up! Front Suspension Strut: The System That Quietly Does All the Work

Everything the road throws at the Volkswagen Up! — bumps, potholes, cornering loads — passes through these components before it reaches the cabin, so wear here tends to show up as vague symptoms rather than one clear failure point. A systematic check beats guesswork every time.

Volkswagen Up! Front Suspension Strut: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: Stoßdämpfer wechseln bei einem VW UP! (Skoda Citigo, Seat Mii). Change shock Absorber

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Bilingual title, shock absorber on VW up!

Volkswagen Up! Front Suspension reference plate

Before you buy: suspension components vary by trim, engine weight and whether your car has the standard or sport-tuned setup. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

Volkswagen Up! Front Suspension Strut: What It Does

On the Volkswagen Up!, the front suspension strut combines a shock absorber and the coil spring's mounting point into a single assembly, controlling how the suspension compresses and rebounds. Once it wears, the car keeps bouncing after a bump instead of settling quickly, and tyre wear often becomes uneven if it's left unresolved.

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Volkswagen Up! 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 Volkswagen Front Suspension Strut

The same part, covered across other Volkswagen models.