Drilling a hole in my roof

drilling ahole in my roof of my double cab to install a cb antenna. how does the headliner come out?

 

seriously? i would strongly advise against this

 

don't need to remove the head liner. i installed the antenna for my cb (wilson 1000 antenna) with the head liner in. Just remove the dome light and get access from there.

I centered the roof and marked where I wanted to drill and then went inside and made sure I wouldn't hit a support or wires, then used a small piece of 2x4 to keep the liner spread away from the roof, then drilled it and vacuumed out the shavings. Be sure to seal it up with silicone afterwards, and check on it every now and then. No leaks so far and its been about 8 months.

My truck is black. I would strongly advise against doing this on a very hot sunny day.

edit: pics.

 

why is that? thanks for your concern tho.

Thanks i just got my antenna in today and plan on installing it this weekend

 

I forgot to mention that you should prime and paint the hole after you cut. I have a little bottle of touch up paint for my truck and the same size bottle of primer. just wipe some primer on the bare metal, let it sit a little while, then wipe some paint on it. I'd suggest waiting at least half an hour for it to dry before installing the antenna.

and for routing the coax, you can either remove one of the front pillars or the pillar with the seat belt attached to it. I found it much easier to route the coax to the front of the head liner, then remove the pillar. pop the 2 bolt covers off the handle, then remove the bolts and pull on the pillar.

 

You guys have balls...make sure your touch up paint is laquer. If not you'll have to use clear coat in top if it's waterborne. I can't stress enough how important it is to seal up your bare metal. Make sure everything is completely dry before you use your silicone. I hate silicone cause it doesn't react well with fresh paint, causes solvent popping. Not sure what it does on on cured paint. Either way good luck, props to both of you having massive testes for drilling into your trucks..

EDIT: also using a rust inhibitor on the bare metal first such as por15 would be a good idea before you prime it. My 2 cents

 

i installed one of these this past summer.

 

Thanks for the input fellas

 

All off the antennas seal fully, usually twice around the hole. It should not rust any more than any other bare metal inside of your vehicle.

I've done a lot of commercial installs like this.

You install an NMO first for the commercial ones:



The outer ring pinches the metal bottom part and seals with an O-Ring. Then when you put the antenna on, it seals with another rubber washer. No install I've done in almost a decade has leaked.

That being said drilling into your new trucks paint has some pucker factor for sure. For a CB antenna I'd prefer a fender mount Personally.

You can see my antenna on the drivers side here. I find roof mount CB or VHF are too high and fuck you up in parking garages and other low clearance areas.

I also have a cell booster installed next to my AM/FM antenna on the passenger side with the same fender mount bracket.

 

im saying from a value standpoint. the value of your truck just got lower if u drill through the roof. plus a headliner sux to remove.....

 

anyone know the size of the hole under the factory sat radio antenna?

 

the value of my truck is the last thing on my mind. I care much more about the reliability and adequacy of my vehicle. trucks are made for getting fucked up

 

is there a hole in the roof?
ive never seen that option on kelly blue book

 

Couldn't you mount it in the bed of the truck on one of the bed rails? I know you want the highest point possible when mounting an antenna, but drilling a hole in your roof is permanent.

 

I guess it all comes down to what you want. KBB value and a ride to work in your loafers OR a hole for a CB antenna so you dont have to get out of your truck in the mud to talk to your buddies when hes stuck a hole...to each their own

 

I'm really sorry to have to say this, and I mean no disrespect, but facts will be facts....... You sir, are fucking retarded!

 

I'm curious about this too^^^^^^

 

This is really unnecessary. Just because you don't agree with what he wants to do with his truck, you don't need to be childish and resort to swearing and name calling.

A lot of people here run CB and shortwave set ups and a number of them have mounted the antenna on their roofs. I personally prefer on the bed rail, or on a rear light bar just because of clearance issues in parking structures, but if the OP wants to mount it on his roof, its not stupid. It's the highest point on a vehicle and you want that when mounting an antenna.

OP, like stated above, you don't need to remove the head liner. Come through the dome light and make your hole there, or there should be an access point where the factory Sirius satellite antenna hole is toward the rear of the cab outside on the roof.