anybody here had to do this recently? i can't get the nut to turn. i've tried using pliers to turn the nut, but the shape of the outside nut is round and smooth; so and there is nothing to grab onto, thus the pliers keep slipping!

 

are you trying to take off the atenna from the outside? I dont remember any nut of the outside of the car maybe I'm missing what your saying.

you could use a vise grip or tool like it, and grip antenna and twist coutner clock wise, and atenna will come out. then gotta pull back the carper and take off the 4? bolts and pull out.

 

the haynes manual instructs me to remove the nut from the outside exterior of the car. thi will allow me to remove the old mast from the outside. i'm only replacing the antenna mast, which broke in half recently. supposedly, this doesn't require i get into the trunk to access the motor at all.

 

When I changed mine I followed advice I found on the boards and used a pair of needle nose pliers. It does work, however be very careful. It's very difficult to keep the pliers on the nut and slipping gave me a nice scratch. I then put duct tape over the paint around the area and continued. I got the job done but I'm still pissed about the scratch.

If your handy you could make your own tool by cutting a socket down so that it has tabs to fit in the slots. I did this once to make a special tool to remove the window on a Saturn and it worked out great. I got the socket in the clearence bin for $0.49.

Or you could just use the pliers and be very careful.

 

instead of a socket, use a pipe fitting, they are easier to cut notches in them.

 

my outside nut has two flat grooves on the inside portion where the antenna comes out. i don't know if i can fit needle nose pliers in there since the flot portion of the pliers will only fit into one groove at a time. i may have to make custom pipe fitting that twiggy144 is mentioning.

 

I've unfortunately had to change mine twice and both times it was a bear to get out. Just keep working and suddenly it will slip. Make sure your pulling at the correct spot. It is misleading if I recall correctly. It's really easy to then put the mast in. Simply have the radio on, slip the plastic gismo in the hole and have someone turn the radio off. (Be prepared for this to move quickly) You have to be ready to slip the metal part of the mast into the hole and your done. Reassemble. Good Luck!

 

Put a small screw driver in one of the two slots on the chrome nut piece. Push it counter closewise to loosen.

 

Sorry, I should have explained better. You open the needle nose pliers putting one point in each of the groves, it is very much the same technique used when using needle nose pliers to turn the rear break calipers if you don't have a caliper tool.

 

I had to do this recently as well. I took a pair of pliers and wrapped an old rag around the teeth. Then gripped the round nut and turned it counter-clockwise. It came off fairly easy. The tough part was putting the nut back on. I squeezed the pliers so hard the teeth ate through the rag and left some nice grooves on the round nut. It's down as far is it could go, but the antenna mount is still a bit loose. Good Luck!

 

I'm telling you - use a small screw driver and push it into one of the slots on the nut.

 

They do make a special socket for it but if you aint got one you can use a pair of needle nose pliers. Stick the nose of the pliers into 2 of the noches in the antenna nut & turn.Make sure you hold on hand over the nut, So you don't slip and end up with a nasty scratch on your qrt panel.

 

thanks for all the help guys, i appreciate it. i'll give it a try within a few days.