XJ CB mounting a bit differently...

So I decided since I had a little time today, Id mount my CB. I have a Cobra CB from walmart....Nice little deal and it works good for me. But I had a little trouble mounting it so the roof of the XJ. The head liner could not support the CB with a few screws, especially on a bumpy road. And the roof was really the only place I wanted to put it so that it was out of the way, yet accessible when needed. So I thought....and thought. And I came up with an idea, but wasnt sure it would work or how to go about it. But I figured it out and this is what I came up with...

The idea behind this was to have the hanger that came with the CB to support the weight of it...duh. But since screws couldnt do it and there is only one piece of metal between me and the outside world, I couldnt go through it either. So I decided to spread the weight of the CB throughout the entire hanger, not just 3 little screws.

I took off both sun visors and the little clips that hold them in place while stowed. Then I removed the mirror. I also took out the screw that hold the windshield frame molding in place. This allowed barely enough wiggle room with the headliner. I figured out where I wanted to mount the CB, and made two slits in the headliner for the hanger. I then put the hanger between the roof and the headliner and, with a bit of difficulty, got the hanger through...like this:




So Im spreading the load out on the head liner. Unfortunately, I didnt take a pic of the bracket before the install, but its just a "U" shaped bracket that Im sure you can visualize. I just put the two uprights (facing down) through the slits in the headliner, and you cant even tell that the cuts are there.

Then I mounted the CB and routed the cables down the pass. side windshield frame under the moulding, to the fuse box. Very stealthy...ha.

Finished:


Mounting this way also raised the CB up out of the way even more (the thickness of the head liner). After screwing the visors etc. back down, the head liner seems to be just fine, supporting it very well. I might end up puting a little JB Weld or something up in there to help, but right now it seems to work.

Thats it! Thanks for reading. Questions and comments welcome.

Very nice. I have the same CB, I didn't know they sold it at walmart. Nice little unit.
I mounted mine to the visor screws. I just used a flat piece of metal and drilled holes through it for the screws.

The only thing I would worry about is sag in the HL but it should be ok.
Good job.

I love it, very clean install. One question though, how does that bracket stay up there between the headliner and roof? or i should say what is holding the bracket between the two?

I really like the idea of the roof mount, but I am afraid that you might pull down that light weight material they attached the cloth to over time. Someone here said they put a thin piece of plywood between the roof and the headliner. This would spread the weight over a greater area and you'd have something to screw the bracket into.

Hopefully it will work out for you. It is a nice clean installation.

jk333 said:

I love it, very clean install. One question though, how does that bracket stay up there between the headliner and roof? or i should say what is holding the bracket between the two?

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It is a solid upside down "U" shape, so the cross piece is just resting on the headliner while the supports drop down through slits in it. It cant move around at all.

I was also thinking that it might need a little reinforcement, but for now it actually seems pretty solid. Like I said though, what I might do is slide a little shim between the roof and the top of the bracket and somehow inject some type of bonding agent between them all...so then the roof and not just the headliner would be supporting it. I will figure something out...for now it works though and I like the cleanliness.

Thanks for the compliments and ideas!

Deadman 94 xj said:

Very nice. I have the same CB, I didn't know they sold it at walmart. Nice little unit.
I mounted mine to the visor screws. I just used a flat piece of metal and drilled holes through it for the screws.

The only thing I would worry about is sag in the HL but it might be ok.
Good job.

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Yeah, thats a good idea too...ha...I didnt have any metal laying around and I guess I got a little impatient, but its working out ok right now.

I dont know if they still have it at wally world, as I got it a couple years ago, but yeah, it was at walmart.

XJ_Otto said:

Yeah, thats a good idea too...ha...I didnt have any metal laying around and I guess I got a little impatient, but its working out ok right now.

I dont know if they still have it at wally world, as I got it a couple years ago, but yeah, it was at walmart.

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It should work just fine. I wish I would have thought about doing it that way. It would have been a little easier and just as functional.

Pure genius! My citizen band radio is going to it's new home tomorrow...thanks guys for the inspiration!

XJ_Otto said:

It is a solid upside down "U" shape, so the cross piece is just resting on the headliner while the supports drop down through slits in it. It cant move around at all.

I was also thinking that it might need a little reinforcement, but for now it actually seems pretty solid. Like I said though, what I might do is slide a little shim between the roof and the top of the bracket and somehow inject some type of bonding agent between them all...so then the roof and not just the headliner would be supporting it. I will figure something out...for now it works though and I like the cleanliness.

Thanks for the compliments and ideas!

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That clears it up perfect, again great install and pics. :sunshine:

Nice job!!

dont hit any large bumps, I got all kinds of ideas that on a hard landing or two it will be coming down another inch. I would try to snake a large piece of thin plywood up there if nothing else. good idea though.

Thanks guys...Ill keep it updated about how its holding up and when and if I use some adhesive on it. Ill get a couple better pics of the finished product also.

Ive got mine mounted exactly the same as deadman. Its worked out very well. Its a little smaller radio but Im glad to see a bigger one will fit there.

next time I get to doing mods, I am gonna try to mount mine in the dash where the stock radio goes. My trail truck does not have a radio anyway.

so I drove around today and while I did, I tried to hit some bumps out on the road to see the integrity of the mounting job. I have to say, it seems really solid. It didnt flex much at all, even with me pushing around on it with my hand. I think alot has to do with the fact that its mounted close enough to the visor clips and the downward bend of the headliner that the weight doesnt effect it that much. Ill continue to monitor it, but as of right now, even on big bumps at 55 plus, it doesnt move at all. Just a quick update.

XJ otto... what if you get some of thay epoxy putty or some type of epoxy to hold the brcket to the metal roof. Maybe not needed at the moment but perhaps some insurance down the road.

just put some foam double stick tape between the roof and mounting bracket it should take some of the wieght off of the headliner

I may do this soon, but as I said, it seems completely stable right now. But it wont be as simple as just gluing or taping the bracket to the roof. The reason is becaust there is around 3/4" clearance b/w the top of the bracket and the roof. And I cant pull the bracket up to the roof b/c there is not enough space b/w the CB and the HL. So some kind of filler, like a plywood blank, would need to be put in there...Doesnt make it all that difficult, but like I said, it seems just fine right now. For a serious offroad excursion, I would get around to reinforcing it for sure.

XJ_Otto said:

I may do this soon, but as I said, it seems completely stable right now. But it wont be as simple as just gluing or taping the bracket to the roof. The reason is becaust there is around 3/4" clearance b/w the top of the bracket and the roof. And I cant pull the bracket up to the roof b/c there is not enough space b/w the CB and the HL. So some kind of filler, like a plywood blank, would need to be put in there...Doesnt make it all that difficult, but like I said, it seems just fine right now. For a serious offroad excursion, I would get around to reinforcing it for sure.

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If the glue is "soft" enough, you could get a piece of brake bleeding tube (or something like it), put the glue in a bottle that you can connect the tube to, and pump it on in there.
Might work.

Ray H said:

Ive got mine mounted exactly the same as deadman. Its worked out very well. Its a little smaller radio but Im glad to see a bigger one will fit there.

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Ha, I think you're the one that gave me the idea a long time ago, on another forum. :cheers: