Cannot get any distance out of my CB set up - need help

First off it is hard for me to follow you, not your fault.

Second it sounds like what you did is rip everything out, replaced it with a straight coax from the radio to a tee and the to the antennas.

If that is right the problem is that you need to just run it to one antenna, not two.

I would have left the original stuff in place, just ran coax to a single antenna and tuned that one.

 

I would also go with longer antenna but lean the antenna about 20 deg forward..Its not gonna affect any setting but it will allow for a longer antenna but keep in mind as well..You will have to set swr again with longer ant..Short ones dont like to tune well in cb band..
Make sure all connections are clean and as ridgeline said,one coax for one antenna..Leave the other for the stereo alone..

 

think of two ant this way...you lay two donuts on their flat side on the ground....Your looking down on them as if your lookin at your feet while standing...
Now center of each donut is your ant...That will be roughly what your transmission pattern will look like with two ant...
On the donut on your right cut away the bottom half(9 oclock position to the 3 oclock position) of that donut..Thats your new radiation of a single antenna....It doesnt provide more range as per say just reaches out at a different angle more efficiently with two antenna..

Yes get another heavy duty antenna bracket,get the heavy duty wilson stud,none of that chromed over stuff..Im guessing a 5 ft firestick with tuneable tip or a skip shooter with same...Dont get the ones with the wire wounds all wrapped up inside cause those are a pita to tune..
Even a wilson 2000 will do the trick and take a lil more abuse of the low trees than a solid fibreglass will..

 

Well it is what it is....My only other idea is to mount ant on the lower side of the mirror arm with about 20 or more degree of lean...Get a 5 + foot fibreglass ant or a longer shafted wilson...IF you get a longer fibreglass ant,be sure the load coil (wire windings)are at the top with the tuneable tip..https://www.rightchannelradios.com/collections/firestik-cb-antennas
Only problem is the lower you mount the ant the less reception you will get but it will be a better set up than 3 ft ant..

 

I will suggest getting your own bracket for the mirror. Those stock ones have been through hell and back.
Especially an 05, as I have an 04. I used to use the stock mirror studs, then I seen the ground on the one was rusted out. Went and got an aftermarket mount, 3 ft firestick, and an 18 foot coax. I also have a cobra 29.
After my transmission and receiving problem was on the way to being fixed, I had a fellow driver help me and we found out my mic was causing me to not get out far at all. I was using a stock cobra mic.

Went an traded that in at the local cb shop for an Astatic mic, and now I have no issues for reaching people.
Not promoting Astatic by any means, just saying my stock mic was part of my problem.

If you have a bad mic, the cobra radio won't let you receive or transmit very well, if any at all. Don't know why, but it doesn't.

 

Was just browseing your 1st post again...SWR does NOT equal range...Its good to have it anywhere between 1.0 to 1.6,after that your wasteing to much of the radios power..By fcc law a radio is only allowed 4 watts but heck everyone ends up with more at some point..Use an external meter to test swr...Do it out in the open,none of your buddys hangin around and set it as if your hooked to a trailer goin down the road..No power wire within 100 ft and trk n trailer should be straight..
Long story short is that you have an electrical signal leaveing your radio but some gets reflected back..Im not sure ill get the terms correct but lets say you have a 1.5 swr....The 1 means all the power gets sent to antenna...The .5 is what comes back into the radio cause of rf grounding,static,bad set up and or mis match...The more that reflects the harder it is on the radio..

 

For someone that does not own an antenna analyzer I highly recommend keeping things simple and running a single antenna. It makes it a lot easier to troubleshoot the problem