Sound proofing to reduce road noise - Page 4

xtremekustomz · 03-26-08, 01:31

Acoustic deadening such as fleece and other materials has been done alot with home audio, in sound rooms, and in movie theatres for a LONG time. The problem is that you have to have a certain thickness to absorb certain frequencies. When you add a deadener to to metal it adds mass to it. If I'm not mistaken some high end car manufacturers even use sand to fill in the floorboards to reduce outside noise. Butyl based and asphault based deadenerss are used alot in car audio and it isn't uncommon for some vehicles to have 8+ layers of this stuff inside. I have 4 layers in certain places in my truck along with a material called ensolite which is a foam that works as a sound barrier as well. I even know of guys that have lead sheets sewn into their floor matts to reduce vibration. It really does make a huge difference inside the cabin. As mentioned though....tires to make a big difference as well. Don't expect a truck that has 35" super swampers on it to greatly benefit from this.

Here is some neat info if you wanna do some reading:

Sound Deadener Showdown

My Truck:

Sherri Zann · 03-26-08, 01:47

So, extremecustomze, did you do any spl measurements on that truck before and after? And did you notice any gasoline mileage reduction after all that deadener was added? Looks like it would add 50-75 pounds of weight.

Sherri Zann · 03-26-08, 02:02

Boon 4376, if you are talking about the foam rods that are used to cram into spaces prior to caulking big gaps (sometimes called 'backer rods'), I think that might be a pretty good idea to get a better seal.

There was a fellow who experimented with small diameter rods like that to get a better seal on his windows. He also found that most of the noise was from the small corner where the window met the door frame, and that a very small bit of the foam stuffed in that corner solved it. But many folks felt that the foam backer rod really helped seal out noise.

$5 foam tube + rubber door seals = less wind noise? - Club Lexus Forums This is the thread. "$5 foam tube + rubber door seals." Go to the third page or so, and there is an improved method suggested by another poster. Also, if you just read the beginning, you will buy 3/8 inch foam, which is probably too large, as folks were cutting it in half length-wise to get the seals to fit back on properly.

Frankly, the seals on my 2003 Civic are like new, but I still think that they should be tighter to limit wind noise better. So I think even with like-new seals, this method could be helpful.

tomstin · 03-27-08, 10:06

Hey Sheri, how's the red truck? It's been awhile since the detail meet at Brandon's. The installation in my Tacoma was similar to xtremekustomz. I installed RaaMmat and Ensolite RAAMaudio - Quality and Value in Automotive Sound Deadening I have a PDF write up with some pictures if your intersted, send me a PM.

Now, I have no scientific data to support my conculsion, but the truck is MUCH eaiser to cool in the summer and is signifcantly quieter going down the road. Installation is a time consuming task. And, bring an extra dose of patience!

My only regret, I didn't do it sooner!

If you contact Rick at RAAMaudio, you will find him very helpful.

xtremekustomz · 03-27-08, 10:45

No I didn't do any measurements before or after. I actually took the factory wheels and tires off after I painted it and put on the 22's with low profile tires and it got even quieter. I'd say it added about 50-60 lbs cause I used 2 rolls of Raamat. As for gas mileage, I get better mileage it didn't change any right after I did it. I actually get better gas mileage now that I have the 22's on there. Like the guy above said....give Rick at Raamat a call and he will be MORE than helpful. He's really a great guy and he will always have my business. I think I've ordered 5 or 6 rolls from him in the last year. For the rest of the build up of my truck you can go to: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2677023 Although by mid summer the paint scheme will be changing drastically

TortoiseAWD · 03-27-08, 12:26

M54,

Either post on-topic, or don't post at all. This thread is NOT about tires.

Do it again, you'll be in timeout for a week.

Tort
(moderator)

Sherri Zann · 03-27-08, 01:07

Okay, don't make the Tort mad! M54, why don't you start a thread on quiet tires? I would find that helpful. No need to use this one thread for everything related to quieting the car.

Tom, great to hear from you. The Red Truck lives! Amazingly, it still looks great. Hope to see you soon if Brandon sets another date. I'd love to see your Raamat write up, but I bet others would, too. Wonder if this new, improved Autopia could house it? I'll PM you in any case.