CB Radio/Firestik II Antenna Installed In A 3rd Gen 4Runner
1/25/2003

Additional parts:

Ordered from Alf Enterprises

 P/N R1-A, Firestik External Quick Disconnect (optional)

 P/N SS3-H, Firestik Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Spring (optional but recommended)

 P/N MK-274-R, Firestik Adjustable Stainless Steel Channel Mount Mini Kit
The mini-kit comes with hardware and 18’ of coax, more than enough to suit most needs.

Mounting the Connector Box
First, select a mounting position for the power box.  I chose to mount it vertically, along the black plate that extends out from behind the center console on the drivers side:

I secured the box with zip ties.

Antenna Coax
I opted to push through the big rubber grommet that also secures the hood latch cable.

Some people have been able to just push the coax through the same hole used for the hood cable, but I was not so lucky.
Instead, I just put a new hole in the grommet.  I punched a hole with a nail, and then followed up with needle nose pliers.
The needle nose pliers worked out well, because by opening the grips I was able to expand the hold nicely, but not enough to tear the grommet.

It's helpful at this point if you can have someone else hold the coax steady on the pliers from the engine side, then you can go back inside the truck and clamp down on the coax with the pliers.  Then it's just a matter of pulling the coax through by removing the pliers.

Connector Box Power
You have a few options here, but for simplicities sake, I went straight to the battery.
To run the wires, I just taped the wires to the coax and then pulled the coax backwards in to the engine bay.  As the tape came through, I was able to remove the wires from the coax.  I just ran to the battery terminal leads.
You can turn on the CB to check the power connections, but DO NOT key the mike without having an antenna connected!

Coax and Barrel Fitting
The Firestik coax is ready to go, but other coax may need to be stripped.
First I unthreaded the barrel fitting from the pin supplied in the mini kit.  The barrel goes over the end of the coax, threaded end out, followed by the connector pin.   Push the coax in to the connector pin to get it started.  Twist it in so the tip of the coax is at least even with the tip of the pin.  If it goes past a little, that's fine; you can always trim it back.
Use a little solder to complete the connection.  Slide the barrel up and screw it over the connector pin.  Screw the connector in to the back of the power box.

Mounting the Antenna Bracket
Be SURE of your location!  Don't be afraid to dry-fit before drilling holes.  Make sure that the hood will clear the bracket.  Not all hoods are aligned the same.
The gap will be different truck to truck, and you could have a bigger gap on one side of your truck vs. the other side.
If it is going to be tight, you can pick up some felt stick-on pads or tape and stick them to the bracket.  That should offer the edge of your hood some decent protection.

Mark the screw holes and then drill pilot holes.  You can then mount the bracket with the screws provided.  It's not really necessary to sand the area where the bracket mounts; sinking the screws in to the sheet metal will provide an adequate ground.

You're now ready to attach the coax to the bracket.  You can determine the amount of coax to comfortably run to the engine bay side of the firewall, and also from the CBs power box to the cab side of the firewall.  You will have a lot of excess cable.  I chose to bunch mine up in the shape of a “yarn-like skein” (like a flattened out circle), as reported in step 21 of Firestik's “Things Every CB’er Should Know” document .
If you do choose to coil it, the coil should not be less than 12’ in diameter.  I secured it with a cable tie, and tucked it down in the corner of the firewall, below the master cylinder.
Once you have the coax cleaned up, attach it to the bracket as shown in the instructions that came with the mini kit.

CB to Box Connection/Mounting
Connect the CB to the power box by matching up the connectors.  Tighten the barrel fitting to secure it.
I ran the cord just under the plastic trim of the center console.  The cord tucks up there nicely, just pull the plastic out a bit, and feed it under.

For now, I just keep the CB in the console when not in use.

You can close the console without crimping the cord.

You get a “non-invasive” mounting option when you purchase a Firestik mini-kit (see the Additional Parts list).  They include a microphone hanger that works really well, and the best part is you can change spots for it as often as you like.
Here’s a picture of the hanger.

One spot  I’ve used to hang the mic is off of the fan lever.

Another possible spot is off of the windshield wiper lever.

I really prefer this hanger as I really didn’t want to drill holes in the interior.
An option for a more permanent mount would be to put the CB along the bottom of the center console using the mounting bracket supplied with the CB, as Vince did.

SWR Testing
At this point, the install is almost complete.  The only thing left to do is tune the antenna by testing the SWR.  You can buy your own SWR meter from a radio/electronics store, or you can just take your truck to a CB shop.
Most if not all shops offer SWR tuning for under $10.  Initially, I purchased my own SWR meter from Radio Shack, but it turned out to be defective.  In the end, I returned it and took the 4Runner to a shop.  The test usually takes only 5 minutes.  In any case, you should always tune the antenna to optimize performance.

Thanks to Vince and Al (HBoss) for ideas and pics.

If you choose to do this mod good luck, and if you have any questions  (mertztr) on the Yotatech Forum.

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