Hey guys! I have a 2015 4Runner LTD. Last weekend I was at a get together in Southern Indiana and there was some inclement weather. Long story short, wind flipped the tent onto my truck and one of the tent poles smashed my sharkfin.

I got home and started doing research on how to fix it and found this video - How to remove 2010-current 5th Gen 4runner sharkfin(XM radio) antenna - YouTube

Cool. Just remove some clips, undo the nut, unfasten the couplings and put the new cover on.

I've been searching for threads on removing the headliner or antenna deletes and it seems like the 2015 models are a "special" year as well.

From what I've gathered, apparently I'll need to remove the REAR SEATS along with everything else in order to access the headliner area?

Passenger rear cargo/sub panel tear-down. - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum (specifically this post)

I downloaded the TSM from here and the 2016-19 manual from this thread but am having a difficult time figuring out where to start when prying the upper rear side panels off?

I got the rear tabs out:

And I got the garment hooks out:


But I don't want to crease the headliner so would like a bit more wiggle room to get inbetween the headliner and the roof.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

if i remember correctly, you have to remove the plastic panels. Which means removing the lower ones above the wheel wells first.It's been a couple years, but I think that will probably give you more room

This is correct. Start at the rear and work your way forward until you can get to the antenna. All the plastic molding covers the headliner.

Headliners are always a ***** to remove. Helps to have a second set of hands and eyes.

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You can skip removal all together if you want to pull back of liner down some (4-5 in) and put some spacers to keep it down while you working to remove 1 nut and connector in that small space. I did it and it worked out fine but you have to realize this practice is most likely to cause headliner creasing. Your choice: 1- relatively safe (have several panel clips because some will break) but eternal because dropping the liner will mean removing most interior panels, 2 - risky but will take hours instead of days. I went route 2 because my time is worth heck a lot more than the job plus any possible broken parts including liner itself. Maybe because of caution thrown into the wind all turned out flawlessly and no damage done. G.L.

Do I have to completely detach all of the lower panels in order to detach the upper side panels to drop the rear of the headliner? Or can I partially loosen the lower ones & remove the top bolts to detach the upper trim panels?

Pop out rear pillar trim to be able to get any flex out of headliner.

Do I have to completely remove the lower rear interior panels to be able to take off those rear pillar trim pieces?

When I had to replace mine, I found this video helpful:

How to remove 2010-current 5th Gen 4runner sharkfin(XM radio) antenna - YouTube

That video is pretty close to what needs to be done. You see what I mean by major time saving on this project? "Damn the torpedoes!"

UPDATE:
Ok, so after some major swearing and prying and pulling and removing some bolts that didn't need to actually get removed & then reinstalling them, I finally got the headliner down enough to get the broken sharkfin out! HUZZAH!




Time to remove the broken cover pieces from the mounting screws and put the new cover on fresh from the dealership. Grabbed my needlenose pliers and screwdriver and a few minutes later I'm ready to mount the new cover that I got from the local Toyota Dealership.

Wait.

What the hell. This isn't going to fit.



This isn't even the same footprint!




What the FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF. I put the model year, make, etc into the Toyota parts website, and this is what it said I needed: 2015 Toyota 4Runner Radio Antenna Cover. ATTITUDE BLACK MC - 8607760010C1 | Oxmoor Toyota, Louisville KY

So I called the dealer parts guy.
Me: 'so I entered in the info and your website gave me this, but it doesn't fit'
Parts Clerk: 'Well ok but when I put in your vin it doesn't give me that but lists this antenna assembly instead, which is $380'
Me: 'I don't need an antenna assembly. I need the cover to the assembly.'
Clerk: 'You ordered the wrong part this is what you need, that'll be $380'
Me: Why does your site return the wrong part when given the correct vehicle info then?

and round and round we went. Super pissed at this point. Not only did they charge me 20% more than the website price for the original sharkfin I ordered, but they're wanting me to pay $100+ extra for this assembly! W T F

So at this point the back of my truck is disassembled and I can't figure out what my next steps are - order this assembly from someone else (F that dealership) or try to find a new sharkfin cover or something else entirely?

Any suggestions?

Edit: 2015 Toyota 4Runner Radio Antenna Mast. BLACK - 8676035011C0 | Oxmoor Toyota, Louisville KY this is the product apparently I have to buy instead of getting just the cover.

look up sharkfin delete. other toyotas user a lower profile antennae that swap on. maybe thats an option since youre already fully disassembled lol

The one thread I found shows the guys using a vibrating saw to cut down the fin?

Hey so, I did the swap to a low-profile antenna and have some info in here: https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3575836-post32.html

I found this thread to be incredibly helpful in identifying the plug: Low profile XM (shark fin) antenna swap

Good looking out my dude!