My old antenna mast gave out, only goes halfway up or halfway down. I was going to replace it with a whip antenna but my "Haynes Express Manual" said to replace mast "take off nut at base of mast, turn on radio, guide mast out with geared plastic tail" and do the reverse to replace with a new masts, a piece of cake. I bought a new antenna mast at my dealer and instructions said the same.
One problem: the base of the antenna mast has a sleeve with 3 barbs that keep mast from coming out. The antenna kit supplies a socket that is too small for the base nut and says nothing about retracting those barbs to pull the mast out. To force the mast is to bend the barbs like a wall molly - then it'll never come out!

Any clues? Any ideas? What's the trick? Or has GM done it too me again?