Minimal Stereo Upgrade and Sound Deadening/Proofing

Hey all,

Here is my situation...I have already added a 8" sub in my access cab with 600w mono amp, and have just ordered a basic speaker upgrade kit from taco tunes (the Image Dynamics CTX69) and I do NOT plan on installing an aftermarket HU. In other words, this is no competition stereo, just aiming for better than stock.

So my question to you helpful TW members is this: What kind of deadening do you think I should do with my truck? I really want to focus on reducing the road noise so I am going to do a major soundproofing overhaul. I am just looking for advice on what kind of deadening I should do, since this should all be done at the same time. My sub in between the back seats does cause I little rattle that I believe would be remedied by a little deadener behind the seats. Would it also be worth deadening the doors/floors/roof as well, as I will be installing soundproofing material (CCF and MLV) in all those places?

I emailed Don at Sound Deadening Showdown, and he was very helpful...almost too helpful, as he provided me with a quote that was a little bit higher than I was hoping to pay. At the same time, what he was suggesting to me I believe would have been extremely useful for someone aiming for a competition stereo. In my case, I'm far from that.

Any suggestions/help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

I see you already know about deadener showdown. Im in the process of deadening my truck too, what im doing is "dynamatting" (though im using cheaper brand) http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_27741_Stinger-RKX36B.html

After that, I got some foam upholstery stuff that is like 1/2'' thick with a vinyl layer on one side.. What im trying to do is mimic what SDS says to do with the mass loaded vinyl and closed cell layers. Basically Im just covering every possible surface on the inside of the door & inside the panel with dynamat and the foam.

Heres the dynamat layer (had some extra before i ordered the stuff in the link)




I use spray adhesive to glue the foam to whatever surface. Crappy pic but you get the idea..





The area behind the speaker all foamed up. You should do this inside the layers of the actual door as well as in between the metal & plastic door panel.




I am building a box for my 8'' sub right now so we have similar taste



I got the vinyl coated foam at a fabric store. You can use a good variety of foam I just happened to see this and liked it. It was like $12/yard. The deadener in the link ^up there is the cheapest i have found and its just as good as dynamat. Good luck with your install, hope this helps

 

Thank you...I appreciate the quick response and pics. Will you please make sure to post how you find the vinyl foam to work as a sound blocker. I may very well go this route. Thanks again

 

Well I just took what Sound Deadener Showdown says and simplified it. He says to put dynamat, closed cell foam, and mass loaded vinyl on in that order right? So i just did the quick and easy route and found some foam (its like boat upholstery) with a vinyl layer. The CCF blocks high freq. notes outside the cab, and the MLV blocks lows. The foam acting as the CCF and the vinyl layer acting as the MLV. Its probably not as good as the CCF and MLV, but damn close, especially when you put it EVERYWHERE possible in the doors, ceiling, and firewall!

 

I was informed that some of the 'cheaper' mlv you can find might have an odor to it, as it is made from recycled plastic. Any issues with that? ALso what was the name of the material you used for your MLV? Where did you buy it?

 

Just go to your local fabric store and look around. You can pretty much judge how well it will block sound by feeling it. Also give it a good sniff to make sure it doesnt stank. I used USED carpet pad in my moms car, some of it had some nasty stains in it and id doesnt even stink.. So your good if your buying new stuff.

 

Careful what you use as a substitute for CCF/MLV. If it's not made for an outdoor environment then you could have all kinds of follow-on problems due to moisture/cold/heat cycles. What may work now, may be a nightmare in a year or two. While the full SDS treatment may sound expensive, you also might consider doing it in stages to minimize the one-time costs and to see what actually works for you.

You may get more improvement by starting off with CCF/MLV as opposed to vibration dampner. If you are not driving some serious bass, chances are good that vibration dampner may not be a big bang-for-the-buck upgrade, while CCF/MLV may quiet the cabin down nicely.

 

In my experience ccf does not block highs and mlv blocks highs and lows. Ccf blocks vibrations from rattling trim.