CB antenna tonneau cover bracket fab + clean install

[Bigfoot Tracker]

So after selling my Jeep, and picking this truck up, I wanted to put my radio in my new truck.. but I couldn't find anything that I liked as far as mounting the antenna. Plus there were very few options to where I could put my radio.

So this is what I came up with.

I found something I could use at the hardware store near my house. (DoIt Center) the serial is on the sticker in the picture if you're interested in it.


It needed another bend in it for me to mount the antenna to. So I heated it up and hammered a 90° bend in the top after taking a measurement. Then drilled a hole for the antenna stud.



After test fitting it again with the holes drilled for the bolts, I realized that it wouldn't stay put without something to support it against the bottom of the bed rail.


So I had to come up with something. For my idea I had, a lathe would have been great. But I don't have one. So I cut the head off of a bolt and put it up in my drill press. I used an angle grinder to take the threads off of it.




Then I welded the bolt to the bracket and grinded it down. You'd never know that it was a bolt.


Then I put a new coat of bed liner on it.


After all that, it fit perfectly. It was time to run the ground and the coax cable. For the coax cable, I used a 18' fire ring cable.

The idea of the large hole in the bracket was so that the fire ring cable would just go straight out the back of the bracket. It worked out perfectly.


I seen people running their coax under the truck and up through a drain plug hole. I found a better solution. Take out the plastic behind the rear passenger seat, and there's a vent. I didn't even need a wire coat hanger to do it.

Pull it through where it's easiest. Then fish it back out the truck and up through the vent. Then pull it all the way back in the truck. No drilling. Needle nose pliers came in handy here.


Also, there is a perfect place to ground the antenna just above the vent to the right. The seat bracket was put on the truck before being painted. So there is bare metal under those bolts.


I'll continue this write up following this initial post.

 

[Bigfoot Tracker]

I don't have pictures of how I ran the coax to the front of the cab. But I ran it under the panels beside the driver side rear and then front seats.

After that, it goes across to the passenger side under the dash.

Another thing I seen on YouTube that I didn't agree with was people poking / drilling holes to get a new wire through the firewall.

the cable for the hood latch goes through that same rubber insulator on the driver side. From under the hood, if you push that hood latch cable toward the engine, that'll leave you with plenty of space to get a straightened out coat hanger in there. No drilling or cutting. No new holes.

Also, that white plastic clip was very convenient for making the wire look like it belongs there.


I ran the wire underneath the fuse box and up to the battery following the factory positive wire loom, so that barely any of it is seen.


The radio ended up to the right of the console. I used a steel molle panel I found on ebay. It holds both the radio, and the mic.

Instead of using nuts on the inside of the console, I used riv-nuts.

And because the speaker is planted up against the console, I had to get an external speaker so I could hear my radio. I'm up to three holes that I've drilled now, so I didn't wanna drill any more. So u just used clear double sided tape. It's plenty strong enough to hole a light little speaker up against the bottom of the dash there.


Here's some pics of it all together with the tonneau cover on. Plenty of space for full functionality of the cover. (And hell yes I added more stickers during the process. )

 

[jdr3366]

Really nice job. One reason I haven't gotten a CB radio is the lack of satisfactory (for me) places to stick the antenna.

You solved that problem. Probably requires more metal work and wiring skill than I have to do the job right, but I'll study your pictures a bit and walk around my truck one more time. Thanks for sharing.

 

[B-Man]

Great job!

 

[Bigfoot Tracker]

Thanks guys.

Really nice job. One reason I haven't gotten a CB radio is the lack of satisfactory (for me) places to stick the antenna.

You solved that problem. Probably requires more metal work and wiring skill than I have to do the job right, but I'll study your pictures a bit and walk around my truck one more time. Thanks for sharing.

If you don't have a welder, drill press, or a lathe, you could bend the bottom of the bracket inward toward the bed rail so it'll support it up against it that way. Then all you'll need is a vice, a torch, and a hammer.

 

[jdr3366]

all you'll need is a vice, a torch, and a hammer.

Well, alrighty, then.

Happy Easter.