Jump to content

Soundproofing


Recommended Posts

Hey,

Now it's probably not the first thing of everyone's lists for to do's but unless you own a challenge vehicle or the like, you will always end up having a thought about soundproofing. The only thing that could pass for it in my current 90 in the thick rubber mats that I have bought. I don't even have the pads for under the bonnet.

Has anyone fitted an aftermarket soundproofing system or made their own? What is the noise reduction like? Any other noise reducing ideas? Living with a 200TDi it can get quite noisy! :P

People's thoughts/opinions?

Pete

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest mortus

my 200tdi is strangely quiet (maybe im deaf?)

in the rear of it i have 3 layers of old carpet, and they certainly make a lot of differance when traveling on tarmac with open tread tyres.

in the footwells i have an inch thick padded kinda stuff... not sure what it is, it was there when i bought it, i think that must deaden the sound a lot, and ive got 2 rubber mats on top of that.

other than that, ive got no bonnet sound proofing and its not bad at all.

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my 110 it is ply lined then carpeted on the ply lining and the roof has been lined to with carpet, also i have added 2" thick foam to the rear floor which is good for the dog and it is pretty quiet in there. I have standard Defender mats in the front and they seem to work with keeping the noise down.............also the 6x9 speakers seem to drown out the engine :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ripped all my sound proofing out when I got mine becuase I liked the spartan look but then found myself putting it all back in when I changed the engine for a 200TDi. It was just way too noisy on the motorway.

Since then I got a bit obsessed with sound proofing. I've now got Series 3 sound proofing around the seat box (its some kind of fiber stuff with black plastic on the out side) I cut it to fit then made holes and used those black push clips that are used for holding the wheel arches on.

Then I found a scrapped TD5 at a garage and bought the foot well sound proofing. it all fitted pretty much with very little modification. I chose this option becuase my bulkhead is modified for my engine so I wouldnt be able to buy a moulded set anyway.

The next thing that makes a difference is having head lining. I only have front head lining and am waiting till I can afford to buy full rear roof and side lining.

What I will probably do before then is to buy some thick rubber sheet (about 10mm or somthing) and make a rear liner. Was planning on just one rectangle sheet on the floor and 1 strip on top of each of the wheel arch boxes.

I dont think I am going to bother trying to sound proof the engine side of the bulkhead and bonnet. Does anyone know if it will make such a big difference when I am proofing everything inside anyway?

Something else to think about is a bell housing and gear box blanket that I have seen advertised in LRO. Anyone got any experience with them?

Sound proofing is as much about stopping sounds bounce around the inside as it is about stopping it getting in in the first place I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mo,

On most bonnets there appears to be a cut-out where silver pads are placed- I know mine were removed to fit chequer plate.

Pete

Yup, I know :) I should have put a wink after it :)

Trying to sound proof a 90 or 110 is like chasing your tail. Save your pennies for shiney bits :)

Mo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've put 2 5 inch 100 watt speakers in the front head lining and two old wodden boxed hifi speakers in the back just behind the bulkhead facing back.

For a while they were powered by Pioneer mp3 disc head unit but now I have a small amp and the carputer driving them.

Sounds great on high volume and keeps the noise out... just you end up with a ring in your years at the end of a trip :P

You can see them all in this old pic, before I removed the head unit and made the back tidy.

post-7320-1205792256_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are three big sound problems to consider -

Engine- most of the noise comes from here and comes straight through the tea tray that passes for a bulkhead, and up through the thin ally bonnet and through the windscreen. Make sure there are no open grommet holes in the bulkhead, your floor panels are well screwed down, the rubber rocker cover on TDi's makes a small difference, you will notice a big improvement if you get a thick piece of rubber sheeting (I use 3mm rubber floor matting from Machine Mart) and cut it to shape so it covers the top of the engine and tucks right down the back to the bellhousing, and as wide as you can. Ran it like this on Motorways and in the Sahara, no probs with heat or melting rubber. I also line the inside of the transmission cover with it - really cuts the whine down - might even stretch to a proper gearbox blanket one of these days.

Tyres - Mud tyres are generally loud. But what you gonna do. I also put thick rubber floor matting down covering the footwells and as far up the bulkhead as poss, and in the load area - cuts out a fair bit of the tyre noise. Any extra bits of carpet etc are going to be a bonus.

External noise - there isn't much padding in doors, side panels or the roof and a lot of traffic noise comes in from outside, especially on the motorway. Haven't bothered to do anything about this as I've got a soft top, so onto a loser really.

Tighten up any rattly bits of metal, make sure exhaust hanger bushes are ok and not passing too much vibration through, and close any external air gaps in panels etc (make sure the cats escaped first)

Most of the panels making up a 90 or 110 are large and flat and vibrate very well, like flat panel speakers. Anything dense and absorbant will help - machine mart rubber matting is dirt cheap and does a decent job - easy to cut and can be hosed down easily as well. Acoustic foam would probably be a bit better but more expensive and cant see it drying out very quickly.

Thise Wright off-road mats look like the dogs danglies as well, read a few good accounts of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. By using our website you agree to our Cookie Policy