Muddy Beast
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- WA
So I recently installed my CB radio, and I remember going back and forth to several threads to find a guide on a hood mounted CB radio specifically...so I decided to throw up a few pictures on my set-up to hopefully be a one read stop for future members.
This was done on an '89 Cherokee Limited. It should be pretty much the same on most Cherokees though, especially older ones.
What I got:
First, I decided to go with a firestik antenna set-up, with their hood mount, spring, and firefly tunable tip. Also, I decided to get a Cobra I9DX IV CB Radio, I got this from Amazon.com for some $40. I chose this CB Radio because it's small, and has all the functions I will ever need, and then some at a decent price. Not to mention after lots of questions and research, Cobra has been proven to be a good name (My dad even used Cobra some 30 years ago when he wheeled).
Tools I used:
-Cordless drill
-Various titanium drill bits (to get threw the sheet metal, and dash plastic)
-Lighter (to shrink up the heat shrink on the spade connectors)
-Philips head screwdriver
-Various wrenches
-Pen (to mark my drill holes)
-Zip ties
-Electrical tape
-knife (to cut the zip ties)
Ok so what I did...
First I installed the antenna mount, I decided where I wanted the antenna to be (as far back as I could) keeping in mind how accessible it will be to get a drill in and where the Coax cable will be going. I came up with this little location...
^ You can see in the photo the mount is attached to the bottom and side of the panel, you have to drill these holes (the bottom ones are a little tough...its 2 panels) but the screws go right in for the most part.
Then I found a way to mount the coax, I found a grommet I could put the cable thru on the firewall that came out just above the fuse box. So I pulled the grommet out (lots of wiggling) and cut a slit just big enough to squeeze the cable threw. Then I fed it thru to my interior and guest how much cable I would need on the inside trying to keep most of it in the engine compartment (I had a 9ft coax, so there was plenty of extra cable). Then I found various places to zip tie the extra coax to in the engine compartment and doing my best not to make sharp bends (it's hard on the coax) so giving lots of slack around corners and what not.
^ This is the grommet hole I came up with, and where all of the cable went.
From there I mounted my CB Radio. I played with various positions based on where I could easily put the cables, and where I could see and use the CB Radio easily. I decided just above my leg.
^ As you can see it doesn't come in contact with my leg, and there's plenty of room for everything.
Mounting it is pretty easy, again you just figure out where you want things and mark where the screws need to be on the dash with a pen, then check behind the dash with your hands to see if there are any cables or wires you could hit, if not then go ahead and make the drills. Obviously after you drill the holes you screw the mount brackets in. After I set-up my radio I fed all of the wires (power and coax) up above previous wires to electrical tape to other things late.
Then I took my power cables and grabbed some spade connectors from Radio Shack, set me back about $5, and I attached those to the power for the CB Radio. From there I found a spot in the fuse box that wasn't used (I just chose a random spot that worked) and stuck the positive (red wire) spade into that. Then I took my negative (black wire) which I also connected a spade connector to and found a ground (anywhere on the frame/chassis should work) that wasn't being used, which was a bolt mounted on a bracket above the fuse box (there were spots for 2 more bolts, so you could always pick those up if you needed) and I maneuvered a set-up using that bolt and various other connectors I had made big enough for the spade connector using pliers, then electrical taped it so it wont shake out easily, and bolted everything down to that bracket. (Keep in mind my posative connection came with a fuse already in it, if yours does not you should get a fuse set-up)
^You can see where I connected the positive (red wire) to the fuse box...it's the big obvious red cable.
^This is a closer look at the bracket, again, it's just above the fuse box/brake pedal.
All in all that is essentially how I did everything. I wish I took photos while I was setting it up, but I forgot. However, hopefully this information will help someone out there, as I sure wished everything I put up was on the web (easy to find) prior to mounting the CB.
If anyone has any further detailed questions, just shoot me a PM, and I'll do my best to answer them.
EDITORS NOTE: I'm not a professional, and this was just how I decided to do things simply and safely. However, my father is an electrical engineer/project manager with 30+ years experience and he gave my set-up the OK. Some people connect their CB power directly to the battery, however my dad told me that it's pointless (exposed to the weather, and no REAL benefit) so I decided to keep them in the cab.
This was done on an '89 Cherokee Limited. It should be pretty much the same on most Cherokees though, especially older ones.
What I got:
First, I decided to go with a firestik antenna set-up, with their hood mount, spring, and firefly tunable tip. Also, I decided to get a Cobra I9DX IV CB Radio, I got this from Amazon.com for some $40. I chose this CB Radio because it's small, and has all the functions I will ever need, and then some at a decent price. Not to mention after lots of questions and research, Cobra has been proven to be a good name (My dad even used Cobra some 30 years ago when he wheeled).
Tools I used:
-Cordless drill
-Various titanium drill bits (to get threw the sheet metal, and dash plastic)
-Lighter (to shrink up the heat shrink on the spade connectors)
-Philips head screwdriver
-Various wrenches
-Pen (to mark my drill holes)
-Zip ties
-Electrical tape
-knife (to cut the zip ties)
Ok so what I did...
First I installed the antenna mount, I decided where I wanted the antenna to be (as far back as I could) keeping in mind how accessible it will be to get a drill in and where the Coax cable will be going. I came up with this little location...
^ You can see in the photo the mount is attached to the bottom and side of the panel, you have to drill these holes (the bottom ones are a little tough...its 2 panels) but the screws go right in for the most part.
Then I found a way to mount the coax, I found a grommet I could put the cable thru on the firewall that came out just above the fuse box. So I pulled the grommet out (lots of wiggling) and cut a slit just big enough to squeeze the cable threw. Then I fed it thru to my interior and guest how much cable I would need on the inside trying to keep most of it in the engine compartment (I had a 9ft coax, so there was plenty of extra cable). Then I found various places to zip tie the extra coax to in the engine compartment and doing my best not to make sharp bends (it's hard on the coax) so giving lots of slack around corners and what not.
^ This is the grommet hole I came up with, and where all of the cable went.
From there I mounted my CB Radio. I played with various positions based on where I could easily put the cables, and where I could see and use the CB Radio easily. I decided just above my leg.
^ As you can see it doesn't come in contact with my leg, and there's plenty of room for everything.
Mounting it is pretty easy, again you just figure out where you want things and mark where the screws need to be on the dash with a pen, then check behind the dash with your hands to see if there are any cables or wires you could hit, if not then go ahead and make the drills. Obviously after you drill the holes you screw the mount brackets in. After I set-up my radio I fed all of the wires (power and coax) up above previous wires to electrical tape to other things late.
Then I took my power cables and grabbed some spade connectors from Radio Shack, set me back about $5, and I attached those to the power for the CB Radio. From there I found a spot in the fuse box that wasn't used (I just chose a random spot that worked) and stuck the positive (red wire) spade into that. Then I took my negative (black wire) which I also connected a spade connector to and found a ground (anywhere on the frame/chassis should work) that wasn't being used, which was a bolt mounted on a bracket above the fuse box (there were spots for 2 more bolts, so you could always pick those up if you needed) and I maneuvered a set-up using that bolt and various other connectors I had made big enough for the spade connector using pliers, then electrical taped it so it wont shake out easily, and bolted everything down to that bracket. (Keep in mind my posative connection came with a fuse already in it, if yours does not you should get a fuse set-up)
^You can see where I connected the positive (red wire) to the fuse box...it's the big obvious red cable.
^This is a closer look at the bracket, again, it's just above the fuse box/brake pedal.
All in all that is essentially how I did everything. I wish I took photos while I was setting it up, but I forgot. However, hopefully this information will help someone out there, as I sure wished everything I put up was on the web (easy to find) prior to mounting the CB.
If anyone has any further detailed questions, just shoot me a PM, and I'll do my best to answer them.
EDITORS NOTE: I'm not a professional, and this was just how I decided to do things simply and safely. However, my father is an electrical engineer/project manager with 30+ years experience and he gave my set-up the OK. Some people connect their CB power directly to the battery, however my dad told me that it's pointless (exposed to the weather, and no REAL benefit) so I decided to keep them in the cab.
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