Reducing Cabin Noise

A very nice list of does and don'ts that will help many in the future whatever vehicle they are working on. Well done.

John (Britprius)

 

Twenty three years ago I spent a week of my life prepping and applying Dynamat to a VW Rabbit project car. It did make a difference but the open exhaust I put on that same week nullified a lot of the gain. It sounded different and better even so. On a different car more recently, I shot weather insulating foam in between the plastic fender well liners and the sheet metal and that made a nice difference in road noise and it was very cheap, quick and easy. I'd like to strip out the interior of that car and shoot foam into all of the body voids, being careful to ensure there are escape holes for excess foam to escape so the expanding foam doesn't rip apart spot welds when it expands. They do use that stuff for blowing apart rocks in mining.

Lately, on my runs up to Austin I've been wearing my Bose noise cancelling headphones and listening to music. The difference is wind, road and engine noise stress is incredible. And yes, I can hear outside noises just fine. I think having exposure to a deafening roar for hours on end is numbing to the senses and wearing the headphones keeps my brain a little fresher for anything that might go wrong. (Flame suit "on"). If you have some of these headphones you should try it when you are traveling alone, of course.

 

do you suppose they would help if driving with my wife?

 

I don't know your wife but maybe?

Jim

 

she makes more noise than the tires... I wish it was legal to duct tape her mouth.