Can anybody explain the setup of the front shock absorbers?

Do they have a top mount and some random disk thing?

I was expecting just a shock then a top mount, but parts sites seem to show these two things that are actually as expensive as the shocks!

Havnt taken apart my fabia ones. Should go somthing like shocker then strut top bearing under the bonnet. Could be why they cost so much being a heavy duty bearing.

Vwspares have them.

Top mounts and top mount bearings

So both them two bits go at the top?

Which one usually wears first?

Thanks

Yep both go on.

Not sure which go first tbh. Replaced both when I had coilovers fitted as had the strut off so thought may aswell

I don't think that they NEED atomatically replacing unless they're shot I would see first the random thing is the bearing which unless they've been changed recently can be split (don't loose the balls) cleaned and regreased they do seem to attract dirt but only turn slowly and not far -- lock to lock

The bearing, when new, as far as I can remember, does not get greased - which is strange but explains why these bearing get rough with age. The thing is, when you separate a strut from its added bits, you normally find that the top of the bearing assembly has become part of the top mount - so don't assume that you have bought the wrong parts if the old parts do not look like what you get sold. Obviously, the top mount is fitted last just after the top bearing is fitted to the strut.

interesting the bearings on my 02 ibiza had gease in (new from factory) as I washed them in a jar of petrol they had a fair bit of road grit in there