Two Locations for Mounting a CB Antenna on a SWB Jeep

By James Hasler

 

When shopping for a CB antenna, I was always concerned with where I was going to mount it. I wanted good reception, but I also wanted to do as little body modifications as possible. Andrew felt the same way but went a different route in mounting the antenna, then what I did. However, we both bought the same 4 foot fiberglass whip antenna from Radio Shack. It comes with an RV style clamp on mount that probably was designed to bolt to the mirrors. This particular antenna comes with it's own ground since it is designed for a vehicle that does not have a steel roof.

In the case of Andrew's TJ, he drilled out a hole in the top of his factory tire carrier and bolted the antenna there. The antenna runs right up along the 3rd brakle light. The following picture, although way overexposed, shows what I mean. The picture is looking down at the spare tire from in back of the Jeep.

Andrew also tacked the CB cable down to the tailgate so that it would stay in place when the tailgate was opened and closed. Here's another shot.

In my case, I could not use Andrew's method since my 32x11.5" tire did not leave a clear path for the antenna. So, I bolted the supplied antenna mount to my factory tire stop.

The reception isn't bad from either of these spots but not as good as on a vehicle with a steel roof. Some tuning will be required.