Be QUIET! or... how to sound-proof your Taco cab

I took the grille off and taped the edge with plastic Teflon style tape, like non sticky packing tape. Still seems to rattle. I think it’s mostly the A pillar grab handle loosening up from the clips. I’ll keep trying to figure it out, maybe new clips will help some. I can see how an intermediate layer to keep the two pressed apart would solve it so maybe a foam weatherstrip. I’m also planning to check the wire harnesses on that pillar next time I take off the handle trim panel.

Such an odd little problem.

 

how much time was expended in this endeavor ?

 

Hey man. I’m pretty mechanically inclined and crafty, but it was also my first time installing sound matting and also learning how each part comes off and then how to get it back in place. There was a good amount of watching YouTube videos. The rear window motor also needed to be unfastened and hung up with rope temporarily. And then everything reattached.

Also there was the install of new speaker wire, amp and head unit. The whole thing took three long weekends. Longer than I thought but I piddled around a bit. It was a good fall of 2020 project I figured. Just applying all of the sound matting was I’d estimate 1/3 of the total time. The beer probably didn’t help either!

 

I actually have it all installed and have been living with it for about two weeks. Is there a reduction in sound? Yes. Is it life changing? Nope. Is it worth it? Not in my opinion. It's super expensive and time consuming and the effect is pretty minimal. Takes way too much time and money to do it right and it's just not enough of a change to warrant it.

If you're super bored and have money to burn, sure, do it. If your interior is already completely disassembled, it might be worth it. To me, though, it's not worth taking things apart or spending the money on.

 

I did my truck to with kilmat than the foam over that. reduced my noise by 50%floors the doors roof covered everything I could . Get under the center console too. Make sure you get the roller and acitone wipe everything down before application.. takes about 20 hours...

 

Ain't nobody got time for dat

 

Sure you do. We’re all stuck at home with all this covid BS. If it’s worth doing. Then do it right ... just rip the entire interior out and get a few bears have fun with it. On the stock jute insulation make some cuts next to the wires and cut it out. Instead of unplugging everything. That will save you some time. That’s what I did. Then after your all done with killmat and foam put the jute back on top of that. My Tacoma is almost as quiet as my Rover now..

 

So down for this. But scared of bears. Ok to sub beers?

 

We are not all stuck at home sir, nor did we all get additional federal money.

DoT life.

 

I broke down and tried your fix. It works perfectly.

 

I had the rear panel out (to remove the headrests in my access cab). I had the seats out to install heated seats. I had the center console out to run the wiring and install the switches for the heated seats. I had the door panels off to upgrade the speakers and spray rustproofing. At that point all I had left was to pull the carpet and a few trim pieces around the doors. I stopped short of pulling the headliner though.

 

Sweet. Maybe I should print up tiny pieces of paper with a TRD logo on it and charge people $35 for a "custom rattle eliminator".

 

Any sage advice for all you guys that did this mod last year? Was it worth it?

I’ve been planning on doing it myself but I wasn’t really sure about the layers and the vinyl. I’m mostly worried about building things up too thick and not being able to put it back together.

 

1000% worth it.

Most panels sit above the area they are covering with only the mounting points touching. Just make sure you cut a large circle around any mounting hole in the sheet metal so the panel can fit.

 

Okay sounds good. How many layers did you do?

 

Depends on the location, but the doors I did the inner and outer sheet metal, on the roof I did a spray on sound deadener (its lighter weight) and the rear wall I did a spray on followed by a single layer of noico.

Later this summer I will be doing a single layer of noico on the floors, and then a layer of foam on the roof.

 

Right on! I was thinking of doing a single layer of butyl on all doors and back but from reading this thread it sounds like I’ll probably want to do more. Vinyl sounds like it work pretty well, I might do a layer of that as well.
I’d like to do the floor and possibly the roof but I’m worried I’ll mess something up.

 

Floor and roof are pretty easy. Just block out a weekend for the floor and a weekend for the roof.

You dont need to take the headliner all the way out to do the roof, just lower it enough to put the sound deadener up.

 

I undertook a similar project in my 2001 Dodge Cummins to sound "proof" the cab as much as possible. I used a great product that I don't think exists any more, at least the company where I bought it is defunct. I used a product that is kind of like a 1/8" layer of Dynamat like material, sandwiched on both sides by two more 1/8" layers of very pliable but sends foam. I used 3m M77 spray adhesive to stick it on. I removed the seats, carpet, interior door panels... everything but the headliner and dash. It made a very noticeable difference. I am not entirely sure of the product name, but I bought it from a company in Florida that specialized in marine sound insulation (boats) called www.soundstop.com That domain is currently for sale, I don't know what happened to the company, they may have changed names, closed up, merged.... I bought from them in 2003 or 2004.

Update: Ok, I may have found my answer. I did some google-fu for 'sound stop sound proofing' and found a company called 'Blue Ridge Fiberboard' out of Virginia that sells a sound proofing product they call SoundStop, but it is a board-like product. Their web site claims they were established in 1920. So perhaps they got wind of this other company in Florida selling another sound deadening product and using the same name, and so maybe the VA company sued the FL company and put them out of business......

 

So, for the loaded mass vinyl stuff, does it have to be all loose and whatnot to work properly? Or can it be fully adhered to whatever surface?
Like in the video clip they have for the second skin stuff on their Amazon product page.

$85 Second Skin Luxury Liner Pro - 2 in 1 Sound Insulation for Cars - Mass Loaded Vinyl and Closed Cell Foam - MLV Noise Barrier Made in USA (1 Sheet)

https://www.amazon.com/Second-Skin-Luxury-Liner-Soundproofing/dp/B01NAFWT3S