Lollipop Bushes

Having changed my wishbone lollipop bushes for polyurethane ones, I thought I would post up my method as a guide to others. This is the method I used, it worked for me, but I accept no responsibility for any loss damage or harm that may come to anyone as a result of attempting what you see here.

These are the bushes I chose....

They are the standard concentric bushes, many people recommend using eccentric M3 bushes, but I chose standard.

This is the standard bush that it replaced.

1. First you will need to jack the front of the car up and place on axle stands, then remove the wheel on the side you are working on.

2. Then remove the ball joint that attaches the wishbone to the back of the hub, its best to use a ball joint splitter for this, I used the scissor type and found it relatively easy, but how you do it is up to you. You will also need to disconnect the ARB drop link from the underside of the wishbone..

3. Now you can remove the 2 bolts that hold the lollipop to the underside of the car

4. The wishbone should now be free to rotate on the one remaining ball joint that holds it on to the sub-frame. Spin the wishbone roundso the lollipop end is sticking out from under the car. It is much easier to work on it here.

5. Now cut through the rubber spokes inside the old bush. I found a hacksaw best for this, but I had to dismantle it and then re-assemble it looped inside the lollipop. Its tough going but use plenty of lube and it will help you cut through.

You should then be left with this on the end of the wishbone...

6. You will really struggle to pull this off as its rubber wrapped around a metal ring with rubber inside press fitted over the wishbone. So to make it easier to pull off you need to cut it. I chose an angle grinder (my weapon of choice) you may be able to use a hacksaw but angle grinders are so much quicker... Any way you only need to cut through the metal ring, and be very careful not to mark the wishbone itself.

7. Leave it to cool!!! then you should be able to pull it off fairly easily and find yourself left with this (minus the copper grease)...

8. Now its time to remove the remains of the old bush from the lollipop. To do this you will need to cut through the metal outer ring with a hacksaw (angle grinder won't fit in there), again dismantle your hacksaw and reassemble inside the lollipop if necessary...

Cut through the bush outer ring only, don't mark the inside of the lollipop!!! Although you don't actually have to cut all the way through, just weaken it enough for the next stage to work

9. Now get a big drift and a big hammer. Mount the lollipop in a vice and where you have cut, give it a ruddy good clout...

The ring should split if you have cut it enough and start to collapse on itself, it should then be relatively easy to knock it through the lollipop with a hammer

10. Now we need to fit the new bushes. This will be very difficult if you don't have a vice, so I recommend you find one you can borrow if you don't have one. Using a block of wood to protect the bush sandwich the bush between the lollipop and the afforementioned block of wood like this...

Then tigthen up the vice carefully making sure the bush slides in evenly all the way round. Obviously you will have to stop before the bush is all the way in as the back face of the vice will stop the bush.

11. You will need a large diameter tube or ring like this...

Which is a bearing race from a land rover. It needs to be bigger than the lip of the bush but small enough to fit up against the face of the lollipop. You must then assemble in the vice like this..

You can then tighten the vice to finish pushing the outer bush in.

12. Now apply plenty of copper grease to the ridged part of the puple inner bush (do NOT use grease if you're using rubber bushes!). Then press in to the centre of the lollipop so you have this...

13. Apply a liberal coating of copper grease to the wishbone where the bush is pressed on,

and it should now be relatively easy to push the lollipop/bush assembly back on to the rear of the wishbone. I used a block of wood and a hammer to knock it on. Make sure you knock it all the way on or it will be very difficult to do the lollipop bolts back up again.

Note: if fitting M3 Lollipop bushes, pay attention to the placement of the hole, relative to the lollipop shaft.

14. Now bolt the lollipop back into position, refit the ball joint, ARB drop link etc, and you're done!!!