After reading many threads on this and deciphering other information as to what to do, I have completed my CB antenna mount and am happy with the outcome. I want to thank The Green Lantern, Sewie, and others who provided me with the information and insight in getting this completed.
So others may learn and not have to hunt all over the place, I am listing and showing what I have done. I mounted my CB antenna to the rear spare tire mount.
- Had a local metal fabrication shop create a stainless steel channel bracket to mount to the spare tire mount bolts. The width between the two bolts is 8". I had the protrusion be 2" in order to clear the rear wiper. The span across the spare tire mount is 6". I used 18 gauge, stainless steel.
- Mounted the bracket and at first used a Firestik mirror mount (Model M-164A), however I soon found out that the protrusion off of the channel bracket was too great and the antenna bracket was in the wheel well of the mounted spare tire. I had an old Firestik flat mount (Model SS-134A) which I bent into an "L" shape.
- Mounted the "L" bracket onto the channel bracket and attached the antenna cable to it.
The rear wiper does rub against the spring coil on the antenna but I figure I may remove the coil when not using the antenna off-road where flexibility is a concern.
For the antenna cable, I ran it under the front gear selector plastic, under the carpet near the pedals, and underneath the molding near the door. I then removed the Monsoon subwoofer cover, continued the cable under this cover, and out through the door. I noticed there's a door vent in the middle of the spare tire mount which was very nice as I ran the antenna cable through it and then attached it to the mount.
This took some time, but not an overly difficult job. The majority of the time was spent planning the project, running into hurdles and adjusting the plan, and actually removing molding and other parts (which was pretty easy), and then actually installing everything.
Spare Tire "channel" bracket
Antenna Mount
I went with the Midland Handheld #75822 as the local radio shop recommended it over the Cobra. This unit doesn't require an installed switching box as does the Cobra and there are actually a few more features. Both the Cobra and the Midland are made by Maxon and are pretty equal. I bought this unit from Amazon for a very reasonable $85.
Hope this helps anyone who needs to install a radio in their vehicle.
Bill