What is the path for the antenna cable to get back into the cabin? (1 Viewer)

[rubirnr]

1996 LX450

I’ve searched Mud and the internet, in general, but haven’t found what I’m looking for.

Someone stole the power antenna locking nut and the antenna shaft exited the unit. Not knowing what I was doing, I broke the shaft’s geared plastic lead; it was very brittle.

I got a replacement, but since I still didn’t know what I was doing, I couldn’t get it installed. I thought there might be a piece of that lead still wrapped inside the unit, so I decided to remove the antenna body, with the intention of working on it in the engine bay.

It came out completely because the signal cable was severed. I know that this antenna body was installed a few years ago and I wonder if the original was severed as well.

I’ve fixed this cable by getting the piece connected to the factory radio and reattaching it to the section permanently attached to the antenna body. (I found a YouTube video on how to do this)

I’m thinking that I need to get some type of lead from the passenger footwell through some hole that would lead to the fender area. I would then attach the cable to this lead and pull it through.

Am I on the right track?

I reached up high from inside and I found an unprotected hole that feels like it could cut through the cable, but I just can’t get my 12g wire into that hole. My hand feeding that wire is getting in the way of feeding that wire, if that makes any sense.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Once I get this resolved, I’m doing a complete audio upgrade with a new head unit, speakers, and an external 8-channel amp, with DSP, that will connect directly to the tweeters, midrange and subwoofer drivers without the need for crossovers

 

[NeverFinis]

sorry for the dirt...this was before I cleaned it.

It looks like it comes through a side hole, and not the firewall. It does wrap around the hvac blower housing, to the front of the evap housing

I also seem to remember it is clipped in at various points.

 

[greentruck]

The only "easy" way to do this is to attach a "fish" lead to the coax before it's pulled through what is essentially a 90 degree turn. You're on the right track . in what you're doing, but you may need something lighter and more flexible than 12 gauge, then attach the 12 gauge through it,

Basically, if you look up inside the fender at the very top of the back of this space, there is a hole that turns 90 degrees. Pretty hard to do with your fingers, but maybe you can grip the coax end with some long needle-nose pliers or a long hemostat and thread the eye of the need;e that way?

If you get really desperate, you can take the fender off, but that's last ditch.

 

[DivByZero]

Don't bother with the original hole, snip the old wire and poke your new one through a more accessible rubber grommet in the firewall. You can only really do this one properly with the entire dash out, and I really do mean the entire thing.

 

[John Young]

I've started deleting the radio antennas from my Land Cruisers. I just never use the radio and instead plug in my phone. I started this on the RHD to LHD HDJ81 because the radio antenna was on the wrong side, but since then I've deleted it on a 98 Prado. Anything on FM I can get on my phone--WAMU in Washington DC id online with better fidelity, and every time I have scanned FM stations it is just unlistenable.

You can call me cantankerous if you want, but AM and FM just no longer interest me.

Partly it is that here in the UAE there are only a couple of English language radio stations and really that are not that interesting.

 

[Outsane]

I replace my antenna with a ham antenna

 

[John Young]

I replace my antenna with a ham antenna

Can you share the specifics of what you did and what equipment you are using. I have friends and family that are interested in shifting to ham for the Land Cruisers.

 

[Broski]

I replace my antenna with a ham antenna

So did I !
With this slick mount that you make NMO mount replaces antenna - https://solvefunction.com/shop/ols/products/nmo-mount-replaces-antenna

Really Happy with this set up.
It's tight but you can get the cable through and hooked up with out removing the dash or fender.

 

[rubirnr]

So, removing the entire dash to find the antenna cable you pushed through the passenger-side firewall grommet makes no sense at all. I’ve pushed a 4g power cable through that grommet without a problem.

Declaring that you don’t bother with RF anymore because you stream media using your phone is not helpful, because it has nothing to do with my OP; it doesn’t answer my question and only shares an opinion about radio stations.

In case this is needed, I’m wanting to preserve this cruiser as much as possible. I also want to listen to public radio without paying for extra streaming fees using the GSM network

Offering a different antenna for the purpose is not useful, because my OEM antenna will work as soon as I connect it to the radio.

So Lee, how did you route that antenna’s cable to your radio?

I guess I’ll have to dig into my 97 LX450 and see where that cable is going. Just peering through the door jamb, it appears to be passing through, between the fender well and the body, but I literally can’t put my finger on it just yet

 

[Broski]

Pull the glove box and all will be clear
And maybe the kick panel.

Or maybe a spoon might be just the tool

 

[greentruck]

Pull the glove box and all will be clear

That will help once you negotiate the turn and get it inside. Getting that far is the problem. It could be that a hook could be made and extended through the hole into the fender space in order to snag a fish line, though, which could be helpful.

 

[rubirnr]

SOLVED

I only needed the correct tool.
I used a stiff wire, similar to a coat hanger, and zip-tied the wire I used to pull the antenna cable through.

From the passenger side foot-well, this tool was able to get through that hole I found d earlier.

From the engine compartment, looking into the access hole where the antenna goes, I could now see the tool and the wire

I pulled that wire out and attached it to the cable and then pushed the cable into the access hole and close to the hole in the body.

I was then able to pull the cable through. Before I mounted the antenna again, I wrapped the section of cable with a plastic, cork-screw-like section of wire wrap, the kind that you would use to keep a bundle of wires together. I then wrapped that in fabric, harness wrap, to keep it in place. That section is what is hanging out in that sharp-edged hole.

Tested my antenna cable fix and everything is working perfectly.

I then proceeded to remove the head unit completely to get on with the audio system upgrade

 

[DivByZero]

Good work! I have a RHD cruiser, and I'm wondering if this is more difficult or the same on our models. I gave up when I tried this before, but if what you've done translates to RHD vehicles, I might give it another go.

 

[bart0]

Following for updates (Aus 96 GXL here)
Is there any reason the FM cable (and the power for up/down) can't run out of the big fender hole where the antenna in installed, through the engine bay and into the large round grommet in the firewall? Would the cables need to be wrapped/protected from heat or something similar?

 

[Scota4570]

I was unsuccessful in pulling an antenna wire through the OEM route on my '92. The coupling on the end did not fit through the hole that was originally used. I took the front fender partially apart. Fishing the route involves going around corners. I spent many hours on it and gave up. I fished it through the firewall as describes one post above. That works but I got huge interference from the ignition system. I wrapped the coil to distributor center lead with foil and grounded it. I did the same with the the antenna cable. The interference was cut 99%. The original cable routing was obviously done that way to minimize interference from the ignition system. I do listen to AM radio on the OEM head unit. It matters to me that it works. Good luck.

 

[greentruck]

I recently had occasion to play fish with the coax while replacing a physically crumbling antenna drive assembly with a good used one. This time I used 5/16" Clear Vinyl Coated stainless steel cable Gorilla-taped to the coax plug. It took a couple of tries, but I was through in record time. This stuff has the right combination of flexibility and stiffness needed for this task.

 

[bart0]

I recently had occasion to play fish with the coax while replacing a physically crumbling antenna drive assembly with a good used one. This time I used 5/16" Clear Vinyl Coated stainless steel cable Gorilla-taped to the coax plug. It took a couple of tries, but I was through in record time. This stuff has the right combination of flexibility and stiffness needed for this task.

Do you think it’s possible, or even preferable, to get a sort of ‘extension cable’ threaded through and poking out in the antenna access hole, where you could then plug the antenna cable into without fishing it through ever again? Might be overkill as I don’t expect to have to do it ever again once after this time.

 

[Scota4570]

If the ends are not cut off then I would absolutely try and extension.

On mine some idiot cut the cable ends off the factory cable. I was able to remove the old cable with difficulty. I used that to pull a string then a strong wire. I then secured the new cable to the wire. I made a minimum diameter streamlined torpedo out of electrical tap. I greased that up. I then tried to pull that through the hole. It was impossible to do. The hole is too small. It is also extremely hard to reach and must be d one by feel.

I then started to disassemble the front quarter. I realized that was getting me nowhere. At that point I gave up. Shielding the ignition and antenna cable accomplished the task. It appears the factory routing is that way to shield from ignition noise.

 

[greentruck]

SNIP I then secured the new cable to the wire. I made a minimum diameter streamlined torpedo out of electrical tap. I greased that up. I then tried to pull that through the hole. It was impossible to do. The hole is too small. SNIP

Try a smaller wrap. First one I did with the vinyl coated cable had the same results. I reapplied the Gorilla tape in minimal fashion and it slithered right in.