I had my 3' Firestik installed on a Teraflex rear tire carrier antenna mount until yesterday, when I installed a beefier tire carrier that wasn't compatible with the antenna mount. So, I"m thinking about drilling a hole in my rear bumper just slightly offset from the right rear taillight and installing it directly there using the Firestik stud. Questions:

1. Will using the stud as the mount like that work?
2. Will my reception be ok?
3. How should I ground it?
4. Suggestions on cable routing (the coax already comes to the right rear speaker box, so I just need to get it out of and under the Jeep and under the bumper.
5. Would replacing the 3' with a 4' antenna be an improvement given that the tip of the antenna will be significantly lower installed on the bumper vs the tire carrier?

Thanks for any input or suggestions!

 

Is your new carrier flush up against your tail gate or does it just not have enough clearance for the Terraflex mount? I'm not an expert on grounding, but I think you get a better ground mounted to the body itself instead of the rear bumper - if anyone knows differently, please chime in. If it's just a clearance issue, have you looked at the Arizona Rocky Road mounts (http://www.arizonarockyroad.com)? I have two on my jeep and love 'em. They really don't have much of any depth right where they bolt up to the existing holes from the factory tire mount. Firestik recommends 60% of your antenna be above the roof line and the Arizona RR mounts are the highest sitting antenna base I've found. Plus, the guy that makes them is really great with customer service and really fast on shipping. Another mount to consider would be the license plate housing mount. I haven't personally talked to anyone with one of those so I don't know how well they hold up, but it's at least another option over drilling a hole in your bumper. If you went with something like either of those, your 3' antenna would be fine. If the bumper is your preferred mounting location (or only option), then yes, you should think about replacing the 3' with a 4' antenna. The 3' might still work, especially if you go topless, so give it a try first and decide if the range and performance are acceptable for how / when you use it if you just use it to talk to your buddy in front of you on the trail, it's fine). If you see a marked difference, then switch to a 4' antenna.

 

The tailgate is not grounded that is way a ground wire has to be added if someone mounts an antenna there. Where the bumper attaches to the frame, that is grounded.