So we're mid-way through the replacement of my two shocks, new spring, and new drop links.

It was all smooth, springs are compressed and everything but then.. problem!

See the parts I planned on reusing, referred to by Fiat as the shock absorber block and flange - a rubber piece (plenty of these available online)

But the shock absorber 'block', this metal 'disk like' object with a bearing in it..

Two on my car are seized. The bearing is open and the oil is so broke it's like mud! I'm going to need two new 'strut bearings'.

These are nowhere to be seen online, not eBay, not Shop4Parts or Eurocarparts. I'm planning on phoning local motor factors, but if they don't have it then it'll be a dull trip to Fiat :-(

Really hoped to re-use them, but the car is sitting up in my uncles garage now with two wheels removed and new drop links sitting loose!

Will post some photos of the whole job once done, but for now I have attached a photo of the parts I mean..

Please help!

If you know a site / link who sells it, please share!
If you've had to buy them for Fiat, then what was the price? :-/

Thanks again, priceless help I've gotten from this forum and if I wasn't spending all my pennies on the Panda I'd be donating more, and I will!

Search for topmounts on eBay and other sites.

gr J

A3jeroen said:

Search for topmounts on eBay and other sites.

gr J

Click to expand...

Having looked online, only a few sites from abroad have the part available to buy with dispatch times of 1-2 weeks or beyond and the likes of a £16 shipping bill!

Having also looked around some local motor factors (who had the rubber bushing for around £25) I decided to buy the parts from Fiat.

- Strut Bearing (£28.36) x2 = £56.72
- Strut Bushing (£13.20) x2 = £26.40
TOTAL: £83.12 :bang:

A bloody fortune.. Least there'll be new shocks, springs, drop links and now the top mount area.. I hope I feel the difference in the drive for this expense!

Roughly spend £193.12 now on all of this :-/

Shop4parts has the top strut bearing "S4P1746" @ £15.24 in stock each plus delivery.Fiat pn 46746546. They fit Pandas from 1.1 1.2 and multijet.

tinmar49 said:

Shop4parts has the top strut bearing "S4P1746" @ £15.24 in stock each plus delivery.Fiat pn 46746546. They fit Pandas from 1.1 1.2 and multijet.

Click to expand...

thought I'd seen europarts list them too,
Managed to regrease the Punto Bearings when I re-worked the struts

tinmar49 said:

Shop4parts has the top strut bearing "S4P1746" @ £15.24 in stock each plus delivery.Fiat pn 46746546. They fit Pandas from 1.1 1.2 and multijet.

Click to expand...

Just checked, this is the rubber bit S4P1746 - those are quite readily available, I got two from Fiat for £13.20 each there!

It's the metal plate with a bearing in it I need but :-(

According to my ePER parts listing, the bearing is not shown separate, presumably part of the top mount. The top mounts I got from Euro included the bearings. So a quick trip to your nearest factor should fix the problem.

portland_bill said:

According to my ePER parts listing, the bearing is not shown separate, presumably part of the top mount. The top mounts I got from Euro included the bearings. So a quick trip to your nearest factor should fix the problem.

Click to expand...

My local motor factors had the Panda bushing in, not the bearing part at all :-/ The rest had nothing. The place I was at showed me their stock system and the ePer diagram but their availability said 'Dealer Only' :-/

Think I'll have to pay Fiat for it. But I did try all my local motor factors first

That black rubber part contains the bearing, I fitted new shocks, springs and that part about 18 months ago. Incidentally, the lug on the outside diameter must face the rear of the car.

tinmar49 said:

That black rubber part contains the bearing, I fitted new shocks, springs and that part about 18 months ago. Incidentally, the lug on the outside diameter must face the rear of the car.

Click to expand...

It attaches to the metal plate part on mine however? Unless it's stuck to this due to the fact it's so worn in on mine?

If what you say is true then I've wasted a lot of money ordering from Fiat :-/

I ordered it but won't be paying until I'm at the desk to collect it (the Fiat parts)

Here's the kit I bought from Euro. It is SKF branded, so a good name, and includes two strut mountings, and two bearings.
If you are offered anything less, say no.

(Pic not the best, but never have been good at photos.)

portland_bill said:

Here's the kit I bought from Euro. It is SKF branded, so a good name, and includes two strut mountings, and two bearings.

If you are offered anything less, say no.



(Pic not the best, but never have been good at photos.)

Click to expand...

I was shown the part you have in your photo at my local motor factor but I could swear there was no bearing with it!

Even if I ordered that, I'm still going to need the metal plate that it fixes onto it as mine are crumbling.

For £86 at Fiat I expect the complete set. They did say that included the bearing

You are always going to struggle if you are not clear what you want. I've re-read your posts, and cannot see where you say you need the spring seats, if that is now what you are talking about.

You would do well to use the ePER link at the top for a good parts picture when searching for replacement parts, it will help get the right thing first time.

The pair of top mounts in the box I have has a cardboard divider between them. The small bearings will migrate to the bottom of the box, so possibly when you viewed them you only saw one mount and not the whole boxfull.

Look at the pic.
Item 5, 46746544, is the top mount, which should include the bearing. From Fiat, they come singly.
Item 8, 51857576, is the spring seat, unlikely to be available from anywhere other than Fiat.

portland_bill said:

You are always going to struggle if you are not clear what you want. I've re-read your posts, and cannot see where you say you need the spring seats, if that is now what you are talking about.

You would do well to use the ePER link at the top for a good parts picture when searching for replacement parts, it will help get the right thing first time.

The pair of top mounts in the box I have has a cardboard divider between them. The small bearings will migrate to the bottom of the box, so possibly when you viewed them you only saw one mount and not the whole boxfull.

Look at the pic.
Item 5, 46746544, is the top mount, which should include the bearing. From Fiat, they come singly.
Item 8, 51857576, is the spring seat, unlikely to be available from anywhere other than Fiat.

Click to expand...

Hi portland_bill, apologies. I did refer to these parts incorrectly and differently in each post.

I can now confirm that I need Part 5 and Part 8 on your diagram. And that I experienced exactly what you said - Part 8 was unavailable from anywhere but Fiat. Part 5 was available quite reasonably from motor factors near me.


Latest update on my situation too;-

Called Fiat, they will have Part 8 in stock tomorrow for me at a cost of £12.30 each. I told them not to bother with Part 5 as they wanted around £40 each - a local motor factor is ordering me in two for £24 each!

The top spring seat lug must be lined up with the lugs which hold the shock to the swivel hub or the ends of the spring wont seat properly. As I said before, the bit sticking out of the top bearing must face to the rear of the car, and you do the nut up till it runs out of thread. The Sachs shocks that I bought came with new nuts for the extreme end inside the engine bay, I never managed to apply the full torque to them even with the weight of the car on the suspension as the weedy size of the hex key to hold the damper shaft from turning wasn't man enough. They haven't loosened so far.

tinmar49 said:

The top spring seat lug must be lined up with the lugs which hold the shock to the swivel hub or the ends of the spring wont seat properly. As I said before, the bit sticking out of the top bearing must face to the rear of the car, and you do the nut up till it runs out of thread. The Sachs shocks that I bought came with new nuts for the extreme end inside the engine bay, I never managed to apply the full torque to them even with the weight of the car on the suspension as the weedy size of the hex key to hold the damper shaft from turning wasn't man enough. They haven't loosened so far.

Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing that. So tomorrow when I fit mine I won't panic if I can't quite get full torque!

Well I'm completely confused...

First you ordered the parts from Fiat...

- Strut Bearing (£28.36) x2 = £56.72
- Strut Bushing (£13.20) x2 = £26.40

Now you're having some parts from Fiat(#8) @ @ 12.30 each
But not having some parts from Fiat (#5) @ £40 each
And getting them from a motor factors @ £24 each...

WTF??

bluejohn125 said:

Well I'm completely confused...

First you ordered the parts from Fiat...

- Strut Bearing (£28.36) x2 = £56.72
- Strut Bushing (£13.20) x2 = £26.40

Now you're having some parts from Fiat(#8) @ @ 12.30 each
But not having some parts from Fiat (#5) @ £40 each
And getting them from a motor factors @ £24 each...

WTF??

Click to expand...

Apologies... Yesterdays post is the final and true info and actions I took!

I got my parts today - and damn do I feel stupid.

YES, the bearing DOES come on the bushing..

I was confused as the bearings were stuck to the metal plate on my Panda due to the wear and breakdown of them...

I could have had all this sorted on Saturday had I been aware of this! It was my own ignorance however, people did tell me it was part of the bushing but the difficulty of the Internet is nobody was able to see mine clearly to tell me it wasn't meant to be like that!


Anyway, that's the whole suspension done now. At a grand total of £195 I don't think that's so bad eh?

If it's of interest I can post quite a few photos from the process tomorrow?

Thanks to all who replied as you really helped me out!

Good result best of luck with the work. Check the wheel alignment when you've finished. My old bearings were still in their housing but in really rough condition. I can see your confusion having the bearings stuck to the spring plate with rust.