Tweet
Quiet!
Summer heat is in full force this week, luckily with the cab painted inside and out I can keep the door closed and the AC unit on and get some other work done.
First order of business was to install some sound deadening in the empty cab since I would need access to everywhere. After doing some research online I decided to go with Sound Deadener Showdown products. I liked the systematic and scientific approach he outlines, and while you can get everything from him, you don't have to, there's no secret sauce, just a simple formula.
I did end up ordering everything from the site, since he's in MD, shipping isn't outrageous or slow. If you don't live close I'd recommend getting the tiles, foam, and glue from him, but find the vinyl locally, that stuff is very heavy and expensive to ship!
So the first step is to install the CLD tiles. This is like the stuff you see elsewhere but the foil is heavier and since all it's really good for is damping panels you don't apply it everywhere, just follow his formula. More doesn't hurt but it's diminishing returns. There are good instructions on the site.
Second I used the butyl rope between the cab braces and the back wall, the stuff is very sticky, they provide a special paper to help you work it with it sticking to your fingers. That further supports the panel and helps keep it from ringing. The factory had some sort of fiber material stapled in here, but it's obvious they put it on before the two were together since the staple ends that held it face inward. Mine was partly missing and the rest went when the cab was dipped. This easily works as well or better. I didn't fill all the gap, I want air movement, just installed chunks, again it's all about a flexible support of the panel.
Both of these made a huge difference in the sound of the cab, everything just "thunks" vice the hollow ring it had before, but that's just the first step in his system. It helps dampen vibrations from the vehicle itself, the next step is to try and dampen outside noise.
There's not enough room to absorb the sound, so the goal is to block it, for that you need mass, and for that he uses heavy vinyl, to keep it from vibrating the metal a thin closed cell foam is used to separate the vehicle from the vinyl. Basically you are trying to create a second wall inside the cab so any sound has to work through both items. Again the web site has lots of instruction on how to build these, it's a little tricky, but it will all be hidden so beauty isn't the goal. I also like that he recommends velcro to hold the vinyl panels to the metal to allow for easy removal should it be needed.
You can hear the end result in this video. I'm not finished but the vinyl layer only goes below the windows since they allow sound in and will always break the bubble. But still just the CLD tiles were worth it, we'll see how effective the rest is when it's on the road!
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/S3k6LGnEQDs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Summer heat is in full force this week, luckily with the cab painted inside and out I can keep the door closed and the AC unit on and get some other work done.
First order of business was to install some sound deadening in the empty cab since I would need access to everywhere. After doing some research online I decided to go with Sound Deadener Showdown products. I liked the systematic and scientific approach he outlines, and while you can get everything from him, you don't have to, there's no secret sauce, just a simple formula.
I did end up ordering everything from the site, since he's in MD, shipping isn't outrageous or slow. If you don't live close I'd recommend getting the tiles, foam, and glue from him, but find the vinyl locally, that stuff is very heavy and expensive to ship!
So the first step is to install the CLD tiles. This is like the stuff you see elsewhere but the foil is heavier and since all it's really good for is damping panels you don't apply it everywhere, just follow his formula. More doesn't hurt but it's diminishing returns. There are good instructions on the site.
Second I used the butyl rope between the cab braces and the back wall, the stuff is very sticky, they provide a special paper to help you work it with it sticking to your fingers. That further supports the panel and helps keep it from ringing. The factory had some sort of fiber material stapled in here, but it's obvious they put it on before the two were together since the staple ends that held it face inward. Mine was partly missing and the rest went when the cab was dipped. This easily works as well or better. I didn't fill all the gap, I want air movement, just installed chunks, again it's all about a flexible support of the panel.
Both of these made a huge difference in the sound of the cab, everything just "thunks" vice the hollow ring it had before, but that's just the first step in his system. It helps dampen vibrations from the vehicle itself, the next step is to try and dampen outside noise.
There's not enough room to absorb the sound, so the goal is to block it, for that you need mass, and for that he uses heavy vinyl, to keep it from vibrating the metal a thin closed cell foam is used to separate the vehicle from the vinyl. Basically you are trying to create a second wall inside the cab so any sound has to work through both items. Again the web site has lots of instruction on how to build these, it's a little tricky, but it will all be hidden so beauty isn't the goal. I also like that he recommends velcro to hold the vinyl panels to the metal to allow for easy removal should it be needed.
You can hear the end result in this video. I'm not finished but the vinyl layer only goes below the windows since they allow sound in and will always break the bubble. But still just the CLD tiles were worth it, we'll see how effective the rest is when it's on the road!
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/S3k6LGnEQDs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Comment