terryd
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Elk Creek/Covington Va
Well, I've been here for a while, figured I'd contribute something to the site.
What I've got is a 98 Cherokee SE 2dr. My club uses CBs to communicate on the trail and I wanted one with the weather bands so I could get weather forecasts while out camping. So, I picked up a Cobra 18WXSTII.
As for mounting it, I decided to use the screws that hold the visor clips to mount the bracket to the top above the mirror. I like this spot because its not down in the passenger compartment where knees will get bumped and does not require cutting up the dashboard to install. The measure ments on my plate are 10" OAL and 8 7/8" between centers of the mounting holes. The holes for the visor clips are 3/8" for the screw to go through, and 3/16" for the alignment dowels.
To get the antenna cable back to the rear of the Jeep, I removed the driver side A and C pillar mouldings and the rail above the rear side glass. I also removed the panel that ran behind the speaker bar, the panel on the rear hatch and both front visors. I used a friends fiberglass "fish-sticks" to pull the cable back over the headliner on the drivers side, across the panel and through the factory gromet that goes between the gate and body that has the rear washer fluid hose in it.
Then routed the cable with the hose down the passenger side of the gate.
I routed the cable through a hole in one of the rear gate braces that pointed it right at the hole for the tag-light wire. I used spiral wrap to keep the cable from rubbing the metal.
To get it outside, I used the factory tag-light gromet. I unplugged the tag-light on the inside of the gate and pulled the gromet and wire out. I used a razor to split the gromet lenght-wise.
I then put the tag-light wire back through the hole and pulled the CB cable through. Next I pulled a little slack through the gate on each and wraped the split gromet around the wires, pushing it back into the body and plugging back in the tag-light harness.
My friend Don then installed the cable ends.
The radio I have uses two wires for power and one for ground. One of the power wires is constant for memory, the other is switched to turn the radio on and off with the key. I didn't want that feature, so we soldered the two power wired together and ran them down the pass. side A pillar to the fuse box. I used a piggy-back fuse holder down to one of the 25A fuses in the factory box. This gives me the ability to operate the radio with the engine off and w/o the ignition on.
As for the antenna mount, I wanted something unique. I had seen all the mounts that put the antenna on the hood or hanging off the side of the body. I wanted something that would protect the antenna and connectors as well as look slick.
I used a piece of 1/8"x1.5" aluminum from Lowe's to make my bracket. First I pulled the panel over the tag light. I then took a medium sized ball-peen hammer and shaped my bracket to fit behind the panel. Using a Dremel tool to trim the panel to allow the mount to come up through it.
We then drilled the two 1/4" holes in the mount and transfered them to the body. Don ground the paint off the inside of the gate around the holes to improve the ground. Using a fender washer on one of the screws that hold the bracket on braced up the sheet metal well enough for what I do with it I think. Nothing fancy, but I like the way it looks when its all assembled.
What I've got is a 98 Cherokee SE 2dr. My club uses CBs to communicate on the trail and I wanted one with the weather bands so I could get weather forecasts while out camping. So, I picked up a Cobra 18WXSTII.
As for mounting it, I decided to use the screws that hold the visor clips to mount the bracket to the top above the mirror. I like this spot because its not down in the passenger compartment where knees will get bumped and does not require cutting up the dashboard to install. The measure ments on my plate are 10" OAL and 8 7/8" between centers of the mounting holes. The holes for the visor clips are 3/8" for the screw to go through, and 3/16" for the alignment dowels.
To get the antenna cable back to the rear of the Jeep, I removed the driver side A and C pillar mouldings and the rail above the rear side glass. I also removed the panel that ran behind the speaker bar, the panel on the rear hatch and both front visors. I used a friends fiberglass "fish-sticks" to pull the cable back over the headliner on the drivers side, across the panel and through the factory gromet that goes between the gate and body that has the rear washer fluid hose in it.
Then routed the cable with the hose down the passenger side of the gate.
I routed the cable through a hole in one of the rear gate braces that pointed it right at the hole for the tag-light wire. I used spiral wrap to keep the cable from rubbing the metal.
To get it outside, I used the factory tag-light gromet. I unplugged the tag-light on the inside of the gate and pulled the gromet and wire out. I used a razor to split the gromet lenght-wise.
I then put the tag-light wire back through the hole and pulled the CB cable through. Next I pulled a little slack through the gate on each and wraped the split gromet around the wires, pushing it back into the body and plugging back in the tag-light harness.
My friend Don then installed the cable ends.
The radio I have uses two wires for power and one for ground. One of the power wires is constant for memory, the other is switched to turn the radio on and off with the key. I didn't want that feature, so we soldered the two power wired together and ran them down the pass. side A pillar to the fuse box. I used a piggy-back fuse holder down to one of the 25A fuses in the factory box. This gives me the ability to operate the radio with the engine off and w/o the ignition on.
As for the antenna mount, I wanted something unique. I had seen all the mounts that put the antenna on the hood or hanging off the side of the body. I wanted something that would protect the antenna and connectors as well as look slick.
I used a piece of 1/8"x1.5" aluminum from Lowe's to make my bracket. First I pulled the panel over the tag light. I then took a medium sized ball-peen hammer and shaped my bracket to fit behind the panel. Using a Dremel tool to trim the panel to allow the mount to come up through it.
We then drilled the two 1/4" holes in the mount and transfered them to the body. Don ground the paint off the inside of the gate around the holes to improve the ground. Using a fender washer on one of the screws that hold the bracket on braced up the sheet metal well enough for what I do with it I think. Nothing fancy, but I like the way it looks when its all assembled.