Replacement Antenna Mast
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New User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 16
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Replacement Antenna Mast
I'm looking for a replacement antenna mast for my '04 SD. The stock steel spiral antenna is 32" and smacks against the top of my garage opening. As I see it, I have three options:
1) park outside
2) buy another house with a taller garage opening
3) buy a shorter antenna mast
Am I the only one with this problem?
1) park outside
2) buy another house with a taller garage opening
3) buy a shorter antenna mast
Am I the only one with this problem?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,200
Likes: 4
From: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
I bought a 14-incher, black with a curl in the middle like a cell phone antenna.
Comes with universal adaptors. Matches up with the Ford base on my Lariat exactly.
ADVANCE Discount Autoparts in NY state...$12.00.
Remember to use some grease or silicone jelly on the threads, cause they use cheap metal for the adaptor and when it corrodes, will never loosen without damage to the base. Good luck. Clears the garage door now!
Comes with universal adaptors. Matches up with the Ford base on my Lariat exactly.
ADVANCE Discount Autoparts in NY state...$12.00.
Remember to use some grease or silicone jelly on the threads, cause they use cheap metal for the adaptor and when it corrodes, will never loosen without damage to the base. Good luck. Clears the garage door now!
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by krelvinaz
4) Lower the truck.
Not an option... 
These arent Bullet, but shorter than the roof. Fancy cool styles if your into it. I personally didnt get any antennas from here, just remembered they sold replacements.
http://www.truckaddons.com/Catalog/s...tenna_toys.htm
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Well I guess I am not alone. Faced the same situation when I picked up my truck last week. So I went to the auto parts store bought an universal antenna removed the ball and cut it to length just to miss the door and replaced the ball on the end. I went this route because anything that was available was too short in my opinion. I used locktite on the treads and put in on the truck. Looks fine and it cost all of $6.28 + tax and about 15 minutes of work. I have the original stored away just in case it has to go back on.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,008
Likes: 1
From: Port St. Lucie, FL
You forgot another option...
5) Pull up to garage, get out, let 3/4 of air out of tires, pull into garage.
5) Pull up to garage, get out, let 3/4 of air out of tires, pull into garage.
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 387
Likes: 0
From: South Texas
FWIW: I had an aftermarket antenna on my current truck when I bought it (used) and had the most awful whine that drove me crazy. It took quite a while before anyone figured out that it was the antenna causing the whine. I put a factory antenna on for about $12 and the problem was gone. This was after replacing the windshield twice, thinking it was not sealed properly.
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Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 4,742
Likes: 8
From: OK
The OEM antenna can save you some big $$ if you ever need to pull into a parking garage. It's kind of like a built-in height guage... if the antenna smacks a cross-beam, then you need to get out and make sure the cab will clear. Would stink to have major cab/body damage.
How 'bout just notching the garage where the antenna hits.
How 'bout just notching the garage where the antenna hits.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
From: latrobe pa
I work at an car audio shop ,and cut and shorten these all the time,carefully clamp ant mast in vise between pieces of card board,adj adjustable wrench to fit loosely over mast,use wrench sliding back and forth to remove ball,grind mast so ball can be tapped back on. if you have a black mast ,touch up with paint,looks great if you take your time. (yes this does work on the ones with the spiral around the mast.)
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
I did a combination of a few of the suggestions posted and it is free. I measured the clearance for the roof of my truck and then measured to the top of the antenna. I subtracted the roof dimension from the antenna dimension which I think was 5". I added a inch to that dimension for clearance (parking garage feeler) and removed 4 " off of the OEM antenna. Pulled the ball off the scrap piece and stuck it back on the antenna.
BTW, the antenna parking garage feeler has saved my roof once already!
BTW, the antenna parking garage feeler has saved my roof once already!
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