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Noise dampening project

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34K views 45 replies 11 participants last post by  bini  
#1 ·
I want to reduce road noise in my 2016 RAV hybrid but could not find any company so I'm attempting it myself.

Most is self explanatory, I will post some pictures.

Bought alot of dampening material.

Silent Coating Vibro Damping 2mm
Silent Coating Sound Absorber 6mm
Silent Coating Noise Isolator 7mm

Cost about $400 but plenty of it

Starting with doors (close to zero dampening material it appears)

Image


Window down for measuring clearance

Image




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#2 ·
I look forward to your progress. As some know, I had my entire floor, rear hatch, rear quarters, and all doors sound deadened on my 2016 SE by a local shop. They used the Ballistic sound deadener.
https://www.carid.com/ballistic-sound/sound-suppression-bulk-kit-9-pcs-mpn-ssbk.html

Road noise was only reduced about 2-3 decibels (helped some), but the biggest difference I notice are stereo sounds better and cleaner, doors now sound and close like a Lexus, and tapping on all door panels and quarter panels is a complete change to a quality sounding and feeling built car. Also, this helps with small door ding resistance, and insulates the car better to retain heat / cool air.

You are adding additional material than I had done, so your results may well be even better.

Best of luck....keep us updated.
 
#8 ·
First real test, front doors only. Lost 3-4 db at 55mph. Car is now VASTLY improved in road noise i took it up to 75mph there is just wind noise now.

The road noise left comes from behind now, I think from the trunk area.

Really really happy sofar this was the only problem with this orherwise perfect car!


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#11 ·
Great pictures!

Those grey patches that come stock are the same ones I noticed in the trunk. When I added dynamat ½ year ago in the trunk there was almost no gain. I suspect it's better to use a noise absorber mat in those places where Toyota already have put some dampening in from the beginning.
 
#30 ·
In this picture (which you said was stock state) it looks like there is a white bag in the frame above the wheel well. Did you get a look at that? Any idea what it is?

Torque said:
Stock

Image
Click to expand...
 
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#25 ·
:confused: There are no airbags in the doors.
 
#31 ·
Excellent work so far - it is inspiring to see something like this. I am now considering doing the same on my RAV4.
 
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S
#36 · (Edited)
Thanks for the post. I have moved from a 2001 Highlander which was really very quiet to a 2016 Rav4 Limited which is *considerably* more noisy. So I am getting tired of all of the noise and am going to attempt this project. I did a knuckle thump test and found quite a few areas that had absolutely *NO* panel damping at all...

- The hood close to the windshield
- The rear door cavity below the glass
- The entire roof! Stick your head inside the cabin and tap on the roof.
- The rear quarter panels especially on the passenger side.
- Front wheel plastic fender liners.
- Rear passenger wheel well.

All 4 doors seem to have had at least the outer skin sound deadened. However, I don't know how much noise that gets into the door makes it through the plastic door panel(s). I think that this may be significant. On the highlander the windows would cam out and open up a gap between the glass and the glass seal strip and would increase the noise significantly. The trick was to tap them down just enough to get rid of the cam-out. Cabin got much quieter.

Any other suggestions as to hot points to add dampening?

Torque, did you ever consider doing the hood, roof, or back door? I remember doing the back door on the HL and it seemed to make a noticeable difference.

Thanks,
Steve
 
T
#39 ·
Sounds like you completed a pretty extensive install to block sound. Have you added any products to absorb the sound? Like 3M thinsulate or similar products? They are super lightweight, water and flame resistant. We have a few pieces here and there but on other cars I've seen them cover entire interior panels. There was an old 3M video about boat manufacturers lining their rooms with this material to cut out the engine noises. I know you mentioned wind noise but thick carpeted floor mats with rubber backing (like found in luxury cars or Lloyds mats) can also help to absorb/block sound. I also read how the new CX-5 managed to tackle NVH and one way was to carpet the rear cargo panels in order to absorb the sound and not reflect it off the hard plastic panels.

Another tip was to keep the door seal gaskets lubricated/clean so they can maintain a good seal against wind noise. The new civic has "triple door seals" but you still have to keep them clean. I'm sure tires can make a big difference but I don't know which ones in particular are universally praised. There was another article online about wheel/tire noise. It's not limited to the wheels and tires though. The noise travels through the suspension components to the mounting points on the chassis and into the cabin. If you have a lot of miles you would also want to check your shocks/struts and any other rubber bushings that might be worn.

I used to have a Lexus LS430 and a trick they used in the fender liner was a felt like material to reduce noise. It also had laminated glass up front on the side windows for further sound proofing. And of course thick carpet front to back.
 
S
#40 ·
TOY4WD said:
Sounds like you completed a pretty extensive install to block sound. Have you added any products to absorb the sound? Like 3M thinsulate or similar products? They are super lightweight, water and flame resistant. We have a few pieces here and there but on other cars I've seen them cover entire interior panels. There was an old 3M video about boat manufacturers lining their rooms with this material to cut out the engine noises. I know you mentioned wind noise but thick carpeted floor mats with rubber backing (like found in luxury cars or Lloyds mats) can also help to absorb/block sound. I also read how the new CX-5 managed to tackle NVH and one way was to carpet the rear cargo panels in order to absorb the sound and not reflect it off the hard plastic panel.
Click to expand...
I have used acoustic poly foam absorber in the roof and upper rear quarter panels where MLV was not an option due to weight.

As far as absorbers go they are not nearly as efficient as MLV blockers.
They also don't work well for frequencies below 1KHz. However, MLV has its own issues in that sound can go around it if not sealed which is nearly impossible in vehicle applications. I think the main reason that it works in vehicle applications is that it will block/absorb sound radiating directly from a surface where it is placed if isolated with a thin layer of CCF.

TOY4WD said:
I used to have a Lexus LS430 and a trick they used in the fender liner was a felt like material to reduce noise.
Click to expand...
The front fender liners are the next avenue of attack and I was hoping that Torque would chime in and let me know what he did and the results that he obtained.

So where was the felt placed in your Lexus? All the way around the circumference of the fender liner or just on the firewall?

TOY4WD said:
It also had laminated glass up front on the side windows for further sound proofing. And of course thick carpet front to back.
Click to expand...
Thick carpet makes a good absorber but unfortunately you won't find it in modern vehicles due to the added weight and MPG edict penalty. The LS also has the advantage of a sealed trunk space to contain/block noise from the rear end of the car.
 
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