86IROC112

Need to replace my broken power antenna before I reinstall my fender.


What's out there and what have you found that worked? I know the direct replacement ones are kind of expensive. Any luck with the universal ones?


Thanks.

navy02ws6

If your motor is still good and it's just the nylon cable inside the antenna mast that's snapped, I would try and source just the antenna mast, and reuse everything else. They're not hard to rebuild, as long as you don't disturb the sealed motor. Bought a new mast for my '02 T/A for $35 on eBay, works fine. Much cheaper than spending the $300 on a complete new power antenna assembly.

Edit: couldn't find an entire replacement mast, but they do have just the cable, which you can use if you antenna isn't bent. http://www.antennamastsrus.com/GM/Po...01988-1992.htm

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Crown-Automo...BZHpn7&vxp=mtr

This is a direct fit like original. I bought 2 last year if you need the whole thing. If not, they sell just the mast and cable like navy02ws6 mentioned

RedLeader289

iTrader: (2)

There's a few of us who have rebuilt the units and replaced the nylon cable with woven steel cable. If you buy a replacement they will all have the nylon cable which will just break and leave you in the same spot.

write up here: (see my comments on the last page)

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/hist...-thread-5.html

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

That's funny RedLeader! I started that upgrade over a year ago! Things came up....It's still on my workbench! I did get the cable end soldered!!!

I need to work that this weekend. Thanks!

bk2life

autozone sells a complete new unit (universal) and it works well. like $60 bucks for the entire thing.

RedLeader289

iTrader: (2)

Ha, I know the feeling, starting one thing which leads to another and so on and so on lol.

86IROC112

The exterior metal extension part was broken when I got it. Once the fender was off I noticed a wire to the unit was cut. I will have to hook that back up to see if the motor and all that still works.

VTSummit

is there really a reason to go to such extremes to save the original when there are universal ones for cheap?

RedLeader289

iTrader: (2)

It's not so much an effort to save the original as it is an effort to "fix it right" so-to-speak. The reason most power antennas seem to fail is due to the nylon push/pull cable that drives the antenna breaking. All the replacements still use this nylon cable which after a few years of use ends up breaking.

By replacing the nylon with a steel cable you eliminate this issue. Nothing wrong with buying a new antenna or an autozone unit or something, it's just that it typically hasn't fixed the problem for good in the long term.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

That was my take, RedLeader289. I wanted an original. I wanted THE original. Every bracket, every bolt hole lines right up. Fender nut, all of the factory wiring and connectors, it's plug and play. And I hope it will last my lifetime. I wasn't as sure a replacement would. I paid to have mine done. I like to rebuild stuff, but had zero desire to horse with that thing.

Nothing "wrong" with going either way. Do what satisfies you.

VTSummit

Ah- I was afraid there was some special voodoo that made a replacement difficult. I'm honestly fine with a non-retracting one and I'll just remove the mask when it goes under the cover. I've got bigger priorities right now- but I'll keep the original one to rebuild later.

GeneralDisorder

iTrader: (1)

I concur - that is a dead ringer for the factory unit I rebuilt. At the time I couldn't find anything that looked original like that. Nice find! Someone is missing the boat not selling those for F bodies.

I used a nylon pusher for a C4 vette. I got a GM one on eBay for $25. Fortunately that's all I needed and I was able to clean up all the other bits and get it working reliably.

Here it is cheaper from Summit:

https://m.summitracing.com/parts/cwa-56003151

GD

86IROC112

Both the Ebay and Summit ads say it's for a Jeep? Same unit as our Third gen units? If so, for $80 I'm in.

dragonmas

want work on a 87 z28 vert

jworks

iTrader: (1)

I pulled mine apart and replaced the nylon with the steel cable, hooked it all back up and the motor quit. so maybe sometime in the future it will be replaced, but for now a stationary antenna works just fine.