Power antenna replacement

[Auce]

Who's done the Tacoma whip mod or a smaller knubby style? Mine finally snapped off. The antenna (motor I guess you would call it?) still works fine. I can hear the motor go up and down when the radio powers on and off. I'm not interested in replacing the OEM one as my power antenna won't manually go down with my new head unit. The easier install, the better. I'd prefer if I have a choice to not take off the bezel and do that process all over again.

This one here caught my eye and looks like a relatively easy install.

Amazon.com: AntennaMastsRus - Conversion Kit is Compatible with Toyota 4 Runner (1996-2002) - Toyota Hilux (1998-2005) : Electronics

Any other suggestions from the group? Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Devbot]

I have a Taco antenna. I'd recommend it, works as it should and looks much better imo. Also nice to not worry about the mechanism breaking

 

[Brian.]

the item you linked looks like just a mast intended for the automatic motor, and may be exactly what you want/need. But the Taco whip conversion is a Completely different beast, you replace everything from the head unit (plug that fits into the HU, wire though the firewall, mount the new mast on the inner fender) on out to to the antenna you see. I did it, it was a ~2 hour job mostly due to my meat mitts being oversized and not fitting into tight places well. It's annoying, not difficult. Quality is outstanding though, as you'd expect from a Toyota part.

I suspect the easy solution is the mast you linked, but I don't know how much easier who who knows about quality or longevity. Want to do it twice?

 

[Devbot]

the item you linked looks like just a mast intended for the automatic motor, and may be exactly what you want/need. But the Taco whip conversion is a Completely different beast, you replace everything from the head unit (plug that fits into the HU, wire though the firewall, mount the new mast on the inner fender) on out to to the antenna you see. I did it, it was a ~2 hour job mostly due to my meat mitts being oversized and not fitting into tight places well. It's annoying, not difficult. Quality is outstanding though, as you'd expect from a Toyota part.

I suspect the easy solution is the mast you linked, but I don't know how much easier who who knows about quality or longevity. Want to do it twice?

What do you mean? The antenna doesn't require the corresponding headunit whatsoever, i used it with the OEM one for a month or so, unless im misremembering. The only difference between the two units is backlight color and ours having plugs for an amp and secondary antenna .Should take you maybe 30 minutes max to swap out the masts themselves, wouldn't exactly call that a "beast"

 

[Bad Luck]

What do you mean? The antenna doesn't require the corresponding headunit whatsoever, i used it with the OEM one for a month or so, unless im misremembering. The only difference between the two units is backlight color and ours having plugs for an amp and secondary antenna .Should take you maybe 30 minutes max to swap out the masts themselves, wouldn't exactly call that a "beast"

I think he meant “from the head unit” as in the entire cable that plugs into the head unit and not the head unit itself. Which is required if you were to replace the entire power antenna assembly.

 

[octanejunkie]

To install the taco whip mod antenna you need to replace the motorized base with a fixed mount base.

If your motor is still good, you can just replace the antenna assembly by feeding in a replacement antenna when you turn the radio off and you hear the antenna motor running to retract the antenna

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[3bears]

I think it is a neat idea. sure beats out replacing everything to do a taco whip..which I have done twice now...however for me...in the outback...it would be nice for being able to add a taco whip or any extended antenna...those stubbys work ok for flat landers and city folk
feel free to pass that on to the designer/seller

 

[brillo_76]

I have replaced 2 power antenna mast. I can see folks wanting to just put a new whip antenna on. I just like the ability of the antenna to retract though. Turn off the radio and your antenna tucks in. That's the reason I keep them.

 

[Auce]

To install the taco whip mod antenna you need to replace the motorized base with a fixed mount base.

If your motor is still good, you can just replace the antenna assembly by feeding in a replacement antenna when you turn the radio off and you hear the antenna motor running to retract the antenna

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

The motor is still good but my antenna won't retract without powering off the truck. This is something I'd like to avoid.

 

[Auce]

I think it is a neat idea. sure beats out replacing everything to do a taco whip..which I have done twice now...however for me...in the outback...it would be nice for being able to add a taco whip or any extended antenna...those stubbys work ok for flat landers and city folk
feel free to pass that on to the designer/seller

I'm 99% a flatlander /city driver. My signal for FM doesn't have to be "perfect". I use my Sirius XM app, But I'd still like to have some local reception when I don't wan to burn through my data plan.

 

[Auce]

I have replaced 2 power antenna mast. I can see folks wanting to just put a new whip antenna on. I just like the ability of the antenna to retract though. Turn off the radio and your antenna tucks in. That's the reason I keep them.

If my radio turned off on without turning the truck off own the antenna would tuck back in, this is no longer the case with the new head unit. Instead of adding a switch and replacing the OEM antenna, I thought the stubby might suffice.

 

[Bad Luck]

If my radio turned off on without turning the truck off own the antenna would tuck back in, this is no longer the case with the new head unit. Instead of adding a switch and replacing the OEM antenna, I thought the stubby might suffice.

If your antenna goes up and down with the motor, then adding a switch for the antenna up/down signal would be the cheapest and easiest way to go about it.

 

[3bears]

I have replaced 2 power antenna mast. I can see folks wanting to just put a new whip antenna on. I just like the ability of the antenna to retract though. Turn off the radio and your antenna tucks in. That's the reason I keep them.

I like the auto retract as well, but in winter my antenna would freeze either down or up or half in between and then you would hear the motor keep trying

 

[Pyral]

If you get rid of your power antenna motor I'd be happy to have it. My motor has had its teeth stripped and nothing can fix it.

Most of the time the motor is fine but the mast has its plastic teeth stripped. If your motor is broken you can unplug the motor when the mast is up and you won't have to keep pulling it up manually.

 

[Auce]

If your antenna goes up and down with the motor, then adding a switch for the antenna up/down signal would be the cheapest and easiest way to go about it.

Cheaper than buying a new OEM mast and whatever else i need?

 

[Bad Luck]

Cheaper than buying a new OEM mast and whatever else i need?

Does your current antenna go up and down already? If yes, then all you need is a switch to interrupt the antenna up signal from the head unit to the antenna motor.

 

[octanejunkie]

Cheaper than buying a new OEM mast and whatever else i need?

Absolutely. Less work, too.
I did it on my 2WD then transfer it to my 4WD along with my pioneer stereo center console bezel

If you still have the factory radio, and CD player combo, the antenna only goes up when you're using the actual radio. At least that's how mine worked. I only added the antenna switch after I went to the pioneer which raised the antenna every time I turn stereo on, regardless of function.

Around the city, I use the antenna in the rear passenger glass which I coupled together with a Y adapter and micro antenna to regular antenna plug adapter.

I have a thread on the entire modification somewhere, but a lot of people have done it

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[jrm]

blue-white power antenna lead

Absolutely. Less work, too.
I did it on my 2WD then transfer it to my 4WD along with my pioneer stereo center console bezel

If you still have the factory radio, and CD player combo, the antenna only goes up when you're using the actual radio. At least that's how mine worked. I only added the antenna switch after I went to the pioneer which raised the antenna every time I turn stereo on, regardless of function.

Around the city, I use the antenna in the rear passenger glass which I coupled together with a Y adapter and micro antenna to regular antenna plug adapter.

I have a thread on the entire modification somewhere, but a lot of people have done it

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

if the after market HU harnass came with a blue-white power antenna lead that has to be connected to a blank pin in the OE harness in order to have the antenna only work when the HU is in tuner mode..

 

[brillo_76]

If you get rid of your power antenna motor I'd be happy to have it. My motor has had its teeth stripped and nothing can fix it.

Most of the time the motor is fine but the mast has its plastic teeth stripped. If your motor is broken you can unplug the motor when the mast is up and you won't have to keep pulling it up manually.

I have a motor off a 1998 that i lost the center nut. The mast is gone. Let me power the motor up and see it it works..Then if it works, I can send it to you..

 

[revans611]

One day I turned on my radio, and the motor raised the mast and it flew completely off of my 4runner. With the radio still on, I picked the mast up off the ground, stuffed the plastic/nylon track in the hole and then turned the radio off. The motor grabbed the antenna and retracted it back into its proper place. The nut that holds the antenna to the body was loose so I tightened it, and I have had another problem with it in many years.