Patching antenna holes in roof.

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Mar 13, 2014 | 11:04 AM

damarble

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Patching antenna holes in roof.

Any good idea for sealing these up? There are 3 of them in a line from front to back and each is about an inch in diameter.

I'm leary of welding them because the roof is already flimsy and I don't want to distort it. Maybe just go really slow, a couple tacks, wait, a couple tacks, wait.

Mar 13, 2014 | 11:24 AM

garthneddy

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From: Franklin, IN

I've bought the patches they use on old police cruisers before without any leaks. You should be able to order them through the Gales catalog still.

Mar 13, 2014 | 02:15 PM

mramc1

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From: West of Rochester, NY

I'd use a 1" dia. rubber body plugs with a light coat of silicone around the edge to seal them up. Should be able to find rubber plugs at any autoparts store cheap. They look like a grommet with no hole in the middle. Usually they are used to cover holes in floors and rocker panels from the factory.

Mar 13, 2014 | 06:39 PM

Diesel_Brad

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From: Gilbert, PA

The best way I have found to fix and repair holes is to use panel bonding adhesive and a patch that is 2" larger diameter than the hole. "glue" the patch from the backside and the adhesive will actually fill the hole. Then you can do any needed body work and paint and never worry about them again

Mar 13, 2014 | 08:44 PM

damarble

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel_Brad

I like the sound of this. I saw a product by 3M like you describe.

Mar 14, 2014 | 12:36 AM

broke vet

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Quote:

Originally Posted by damarble

Most likely they're 3/4" holes. That's a common size that fits many different mounts.

If the mounts were overtightened or the antennas on the mounts struck anything overhead the edges of the holes may well be distorted. A straight edge can help verify whether the holes are still good.

Brad's fix is good for permanent. If you need something for right now, check with a two-way radio shop to see if they have any antenna hole plugs. These are a rubber-like elastomer with a 2" top surface that laps over the edges of the hole and a 2" lower flange that holds it in place and is deformable to allow you to roll it up and put it in the hole.

Mar 14, 2014 | 01:14 AM

Bierisch

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From: San Antonio, Tx

My F150 has a hole near the third brake light that was about 3/4" and was plugged with a 1" rubber plug and it's surprisingly well kept, when I got the truck I made sure to pull it and resealed it and I check it every couple of months or so and I can't see any oxidation happening inside, just my 2¢