--- title: "Good bye long antenna! Installing a RedRock short black billet antenna" url: "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2023/06/redrock-short-billet-antenna-silverado-1500/" publisher: "Pickup Truck + SUV Talk" content_signal: "search=yes, ai-input=yes, ai-train=no" author: "Tim Esterdahl" published: "2023-06-02T00:00:24+00:00" modified: "2025-07-23T15:12:00+00:00" image: "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_3349.jpg" --- # Good bye long antenna! Installing a RedRock short black billet antenna By Tim Esterdahl Published: 2023-06-02T00:00:24+00:00 Updated: 2025-07-23T15:12:00+00:00 ![Featured image]() A pretty common “mod” these days is swapping out the long antenna for a shorter one like I did with the RedRock short black billet antenna on our long-term [Chevy Silverado 1500 review truck](). The install was pretty simple, and after a few months of having it, the benefits outweigh any cons. ## **Installing RedRock short black billet antenna** In the world of truck “mods,” this one doesn’t get any simpler. Taking a small crescent wrench, you will undo the stock antenna from the hood through loosening the nut attached to it. A few twists with the crescent wrench at the base of the antenna should loosen it enough to free it by hand. Then, taking a look at a the bag of adapter parts shipped with the RedRock short black billet antenna, you will find a setup that works for your truck. For the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500, I didn’t need any adapters and simply screwed on the new antenna. ## **Pros vs. cons** Why take off the long antenna? Was this just for looks? Not for me. Actually, there are a couple things about long antennae that bother me on full-size trucks. First, automated car washes can eventually rip off antennas and damage some of the sheet metal on the hood. People often remove their antenna before going into automated car washes or opt for the touch-free washes for this reason. With the short antenna, these concerns go away. ![]() The factory antenna that came standard the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500. ![RedRock short black billet antenna]() The RedRock short black billet antenna on the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 after installation. The second problem involves my garage. The stock antenna is so long it hits the garage door when I drive into the garage. It’s a small thing, sure, but a long-term issue? Unlikely, but possible. What about the cons? The biggest con is loss of radio reception. I’ve checked a few places near me in rural Nebraska, and I haven’t experienced any loss, but it makes sense that you could, depending on where you live and where you use the radio. For example, if you’re driving through deep, remote valley, the longer antenna is the best way to receive AM/FM stations. ## **The bottom line** The battle over the antenna is playing out in the automotive industry with more vehicles doing away with it. Instead, like in [the 2024 Jeep Wrangler](), automakers are incorporating an antenna into the windshield or using the shark fin antenna for AM/FM along with Sirius XM and Wi-Fi data service. If your truck still has an antenna, this short billet antenna is a good option. The look is cleaner, and you have less concerns about ripping it off. The RedRock short billet black antenna is available through [AmericanTrucks.com]() for $29.99. Pretty cheap piece of mind for car washes and garage doors. *Editor’s note: AmericanTrucks.com provided us the antenna to review at no cost to us.* ## Structured page information ~~~json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2023/06/redrock-short-billet-antenna-silverado-1500/#article", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2023/06/redrock-short-billet-antenna-silverado-1500/" }, "author": { "name": "Tim Esterdahl", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#/schema/person/82b06f99329f69a069a5ab6caed18593" }, "headline": "Good bye long antenna! 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