Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum banner

Sound deadening

11K views 32 replies 15 participants last post by  SavangeM 
#1 ·
I tried searching but didn't couldn't find what I was looking for. Has anyone done a full sound deadening install? What did you use how much did you buy? Would 150 sqft be enough or too much? Results, pics?

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
 
#2 ·
I bought 100 square feet of Fatmat Rattle Trap and covered the floor and sides of the FJ from the back of the front seats back. I did the rear doors, the cargo floor, under the rear seats, and all the way up to the headliner on the sides. I still have quite a bit left and sometime soon I'm going to continue the floor and sides around the front seats, the four side doors, and the firewall. If there is still some left at that point I'll drop the headliner and work on the roof.

I'd say 150 sq ft would do the whole FJ, depending on how much you apply. You only need 25% of each body panel covered to dampen the vibrations and deaden sound. I put on much more than that.

I don't have any photos readily available.
 
#9 ·
I'd say 150 sq ft would do the whole FJ, depending on how much you apply. You only need 25% of each body panel covered to dampen the vibrations and deaden sound. I put on much more than that.
^ this. The manufacturer only recommends a certain amount of the butyl material to dampen vibrations. Then use sound insulation on top 100% coverage like Noico green 170 mil liner. When I redo mine, I am going to use the Noico liner on top of the butyl layer.
 
#5 ·
It's definitely more quiet in the rear of the FJ. I've been converting my FJ into a 4WD camper so I also added fiberglass insulation between the frame and body panels in the rear, which of course further deadens the sound. I decided to use the material to deaden outside sounds since my goal is to have a comfortable sleeping area in the rear of the FJ. I want to eliminate noises from other cars if I'm sleeping at a highway rest stop, for example. I think doing the floor under the front seats (where the transmission is) and doing the side doors will help a lot to eliminate road noise.
 
#6 · (Edited)
The fatmat has a black, sticky adhesive but I don't think it's asphalt based. It has no odor, even in the triple digit Utah and Arizona summers. I ordered it from Amazon. Looking at it now, I only bought 50 square feet, not 100. I remember now thinking that what I had left and another 25 square feet would finish the whole FJ. It looks like right now it's $109.95 for 50 sq ft on Amazon.

 
#7 · (Edited)
Rattle Trap is what I used. One 50ft roll was able to cover the front doors, rear door and flooring in the trunk area. I had pics of it but cant seem to find them now.
I have another 50ft roll in the garage that I plan on doing the roof with. After that, I will buy another 50ft to do the floor and rear suicide doors.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. I have a 1400 watt Rockford Fosgate system in my FJ so the rattle trap made a huge difference with sound quality and rattles caused by vibration.
If I could do it again, I would have started with the headliner. Thats where most of the noise from the roof rack, rain, and bass flex are coming from.

Yes, I think 150ft would be enough to deaden the FJ.

If your budget allows, look into Second Skin. They are supposedly the best for sound deadening and are recommended by most in the car audio community. Sadly, my budget doesnt allow for Second Skin products :(

https://www.secondskinaudio.com/
 
#8 ·
My budget won't allow for second skin unfortunately. I love the fact that it's made in the USA. I am going to go with noico 80 mil. Figured I would do it top to bottom. Once the seats are out is the vinyl floor a pain to remove/reinstall? Off topic I Was thinking of hiding my 2 amps under the front seats? Anyone else try this?

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
 
#11 ·
I used Noico 80 mil sound deadener as a base, and on top of that I used Noico 170mil for from Amazon. It was installed on the 4 doors and roof. It has dramatically changed the quietness in the cabin and my audio sounds much better! Funny thing is I recently installed the TRD Catback exhaust and I can hear it from my rear door. I ran out of materials, so I can hear that exhaust. It will be fixed as I just ordered more material to finish the rear door! Good luck!!!
 
#12 ·
I added 2 layers of second skin's damplifier pro on the roof and added a layer of their luxury liner pro. It made a significant difference in reducing the noise from the roof.

The majority of the noise in the FJ comes from the rear wheel wells, the rear floorboard, and surprisingly.....the door handles!!! Now I have driven the FJ now for over 2 years without an interior, and piece-by-piece...... slowly insulated the car. So I am more than qualified to tell you what works and what doesn't work.









-B

P.S. BTW I have over 400lbs of sound insulation in the FJ.
 
#19 ·
Just check the foam padding underneath the plastic floor liner. If it's not moldy then you're good to go. If it is moldy just scrap it off and wipe it clean.

-B
 
#14 ·
I just finished up with my sounding deadening project. What a difference!

I used:
Damplifier™ Butyl Rope (3/8" x 15') MADE IN USA
Heat Wave Pro™ (4' x 6') = 24 sq feet. Thermal Insulation Radiant Barrier * MADE IN USA ------I USED TWO OF THESE!
Mega'Zorbe Peel & Stick Hydrophobic Melamine 1/2" Foam - 1 Sheet (24"x48" = 8 sqft) -----I USED 6 SHEETS, ouch!
XL Build Package - 120 sq ft of Damplifier Pro & 72 sq ft of Luxury Liner Pro * Made In USA *

I used the Damplifier pro on the doors (inner skin and outer), quarterpanels, wheel wells, tranny tunnel, roof, and pillars.

I used the luxury liner pro on the floors, doors (inner skin only), wheel wells, and some of the rear panels. I used everything I could, but to do the rear pillars, I would've needed a bit more.

I used the Heat wave pro for the roof, and under the foot wells, back to under the seats. I also fit a layer under the rear trunk floor.

For the roof, I did a layer of damplifier pro, then I glued on a layer of Heat wave pro, then a layer of Melamine. That melamine is a great product! Expensive as hell though!

I used melamine everywhere I could, door cavities, pillar cavities, roof, and any scraps went to the back of panels.

Butyl rope went behind door supports and roof supports.

As far as material consumption, I used every square inch of melamine, I could've-would've used more if I had it. I had exactly what I needed for butyl rope, damplifier pro, luxury liner and heatwave. I literally only have slivers and scraps left over. The results are fantastic. Slight wind noise from my cow catcher roof rack, but it is very comfortable and quiet. Totally worth the time and money investment. My advice is this: You only want to do this ONCE, it takes a lot of time and effort. Don't skimp on the products and make sure you have everything you need on hand. I bought an industrial set of scissor from McMaster carr. They have coated handles and the cutting edges are about 8" long. They are are serious business, but they cut all the materials with precision and little effort. Way better than using a knife! Buy extra door clips from Amazon before hand, you'll probably break a few when you put the door panels back on, if you have enough material behind them. Also, second skin will have 20% off coupons around the holidays! Keep an eye out for them around the 4th.
 
#15 ·
Doc, blown thanks for the replies! I ended up scoring a 36 square ft box of dynamat for 30 bucks on letgo. Best score ever! B thanks for the pics that gives me some ideas to run wiring for my stereo system and cameras. Also great job on the mat install! Waiting for the rest of my noico deadening to come in the mail. Did you guys install aftermarket stereo systems after the sound deadening or just wanted reduced road noise?

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
 
#16 ·
I wanted both!

I already had a Kenwood Excelon dnx994s, but while I had everything out, I installed a JL VX1000/5i, Morel 6.5 Hybrid components in stock locations running active, and a used WickedCAS fiberglass sub box with two JL10w3v3's. Pretty nice little setup, I'm happy with it. Really like the active crossovers and DSP.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I'll have to guess (I really cant remember) I'd say (1)dynamat xtreme bulk pack & (2 )dynamat xtreme Mega packs, (3) 1/2" sheets of dynaliner.. an wait for it..... (1) 3" queen size memory foam mattress pad ($40 amazon??????<img src="http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Wink" class="inlineimg" /> the dynamat which covered everything except the rear side doors an the flooring under the seats (front an rear) as i haven't decided my full audio set up yet... the roof is 1 layer dynamat xtreme then a layer of 1/2" dynaliner , the load floor, rear door, front doors & side body panels all recieved 1 layer dynamat xtreme... i also dynamat the plastic doors panels front & rear... the mattress pad.. (pure genius) pics to follow.. (pic with dynaliner is from my 2wd fj.. b4 I sold it I pulled the dynaliner (its expensive af) as well as my vinyl wrapped headliner an swapped them to my 4wd fj) all the other pics are of my 4x4

I did the entire rear end because I'll be adding custom enclosures "in" the rear sides.. (I'll remove the mattress pad as needed) the enclosures will be molded in & be backed with dynamat so (wood , metal , fiberglass etc) it wont touch the metal an add noise..
 

Attachments

#25 ·
just in case there's an off pic.. I also swapped my entire 2wd dashboard into the 4wd truck (this will upset a few people) but I truly hate the 3 gauge cluster atop the dash... i have all that stuff in my aftermarket headunit.. it's just looks cleaner too me
 

Attachments

#26 · (Edited)
Just some FYI for those not immersed in the world of audio, but want to be. "Deadening" materials serve 3 different purposes based on the product (in general). There's products that mass-load (like vinyl, lead, etc.), products that create damping via a constraining layer, and products that decouple. Old-timey methods to deaden usually involve adding mass, which reduces the resonant frequency and lowered the efficiency of the transfer of energy from vibration into sound. That's Dynamat's original claim to fame. This gave way to Constrained Layer Damping, which is a form of absorption through the mechanics of friction, is a great way to reduce resonance. The science of it is actually fascinating. In simple terms a visco-elastic material is combined with a constrained layer (like aluminum), and energy in the form of vibration is converted into (low level) heat. The amount of energy taken up by this is pretty amazing, and it is very effective. The last type of product is a decoupler. This is usually foam, but could be batting materials like jute or sometimes more exotic products like 3M Thinsulate. Typically, making a plan that involves all of these types produces the best results. For instance, installing CLD, then foam, and then MLV (Mass Loaded Vinyl) works especially well together, and is considered the basic "process" for doing high quality deadening work.

I'm a DIYMA member and in the forum, we have a guy named Nick that's started up his own sound deadening business, called Resonix. Nick has researched this topic a great deal, and has found some killer products out there that do what we (in the audio hobby/industry) need so badly, such as a closed-cell foam with the perfect properties to decouple without adding a squeak or making a panel hard to put back on. I plan on using quite a bit of that in my FJ when it is time to do the audio overhaul I have planned in my head. I've used lots of different deadening materials in the past, and the one I've kept returning to is Knu Knoconceptz Kolossus, at least for CLD (Constrained Layer Damper). Prior to Resonix showing up as an option, I always landed on Knu Kolossus and used it with great results.

One tell-tale of good mat vs. not-so-good mat is how it is packaged. If it comes on a roll, it typically will not be the product you want to put in your vehicle, and instead maybe consider that for your house's roof. Good quality CLD is going to come flat-pack in rectangles/squares. It is better on the product to be packed like this. I also like using foil-foam-foil insulation products sometimes. These are usually mid to high-grade insulation products for things like trailers, garages, attics, and so on. I use a product called Low-E that has worked well in applications where I can't add MLV, due to weight concerns. Products like this don't weight much at all (they are mostly air and aluminum!), but it is effective reflecting and absorbing heat as well as some sound. I found this quite useful building sports car setups, where sound is important but adding hundreds of pounds would be unacceptable.

For my FJ, I'm not sure what I'll end up using but I'll probably start with the Resonix CLD and foam, and see if MLV is even necessary.

edit: It is important to mention that studies have shown CLD coverage only needs to be in the 20-30% range (typically only on the flat surfaces) for it to be effective. Deadening a curve does nothing, because the metal is not weak and resonant there. So to line the whole vehicle in CLD is a waste of materials. Now, lining in MLV or decoupling foam (which needs to be closed-cell to prevent moisture retention) should definitely be considered a full-coverage thing if you can get it. But if you are after bang for the buck and bang for the pound of CLD material, heed the ~25% range of coverage target and don't worry about blanketing an area.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FatJohnson
#29 · (Edited)
Just some FYI for those not immersed in the world of audio, but want to be. "Deadening" materials serve 3 different purposes based on the product (in general). There's products that mass-load (like vinyl, lead, etc.), products that create damping via a constraining layer, and products that decouple. Old-timey methods to deaden usually involve adding mass, which reduces the resonant frequency and lowered the efficiency of the transfer of energy from vibration into sound. That's Dynamat's original claim to fame. This gave way to Constrained Layer Damping, which is a form of absorption through the mechanics of friction, is a great way to reduce resonance. The science of it is actually fascinating. In simple terms a visco-elastic material is combined with a constrained layer (like aluminum), and energy in the form of vibration is converted into (low level) heat. The amount of energy taken up by this is pretty amazing, and it is very effective. The last type of product is a decoupler. This is usually foam, but could be batting materials like jute or sometimes more exotic products like 3M Thinsulate. Typically, making a plan that involves all of these types produces the best results. For instance, installing CLD, then foam, and then MLV (Mass Loaded Vinyl) works especially well together, and is considered the basic "process" for doing high quality deadening work.

I'm a DIYMA member and in the forum, we have a guy named Nick that's started up his own sound deadening business, called Resonix. Nick has researched this topic a great deal, and has found some killer products out there that do what we (in the audio hobby/industry) need so badly, such as a closed-cell foam with the perfect properties to decouple without adding a squeak or making a panel hard to put back on. I plan on using quite a bit of that in my FJ when it is time to do the audio overhaul I have planned in my head. I've used lots of different deadening materials in the past, and the one I've kept returning to is Knu Knoconceptz Kolossus, at least for CLD (Constrained Layer Damper). Prior to Resonix showing up as an option, I always landed on Knu Kolossus and used it with great results.

One tell-tale of good mat vs. not-so-good mat is how it is packaged. If it comes on a roll, it typically will not be the product you want to put in your vehicle, and instead maybe consider that for your house's roof. Good quality CLD is going to come flat-pack in rectangles/squares. It is better on the product to be packed like this. I also like using foil-foam-foil insulation products sometimes. These are usually mid to high-grade insulation products for things like trailers, garages, attics, and so on. I use a product called Low-E that has worked well in applications where I can't add MLV, due to weight concerns. Products like this don't weight much at all (they are mostly air and aluminum!), but it is effective reflecting and absorbing heat as well as some sound. I found this quite useful building sports car setups, where sound is important but adding hundreds of pounds would be unacceptable.

For my FJ, I'm not sure what I'll end up using but I'll probably start with the Resonix CLD and foam, and see if MLV is even necessary.

edit: It is important to mention that studies have shown CLD coverage only needs to be in the 20-30% range (typically only on the flat surfaces) for it to be effective. Deadening a curve does nothing, because the metal is not weak and resonant there. So to line the whole vehicle in CLD is a waste of materials. Now, lining in MLV or decoupling foam (which needs to be closed-cell to prevent moisture retention) should definitely be considered a full-coverage thing if you can get it. But if you are after bang for the buck and bang for the pound of CLD material, heed the ~25% range of coverage target and don't worry about blanketing an area.
Sorry for digging this up from the grave, but excellent post! I found this while searching for what others have done in their FJ. I recently found the Resonix sound solutions products and the helpful articles and videos that they have on their site and youtube channel. It's very in depth, but I haven't found anything that breaks down this stuff as detailed as they have. I'll be doing my whole interior and fender liners with their CLD Squares and Fiber Mat soon. I might do their Resonix Guardian in the doors when I do the sound system, but I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Edit: I ended up finding some really good reading material on the subject. Posting them here for anyone interested

Sound Deadener Products - Reference Information & Guide
Sound Deadening Material Buyers Guide
Sound Deadening Material Testing Results
 
#27 ·
Amazing write up☝☝... I've been the car audio industry over 30yrs an I've seen many companies come an go.. as of late everyone an their cousin has a deadening material option.. I'm not going to name 20 different examples. but I will give 2 (from my personal experience..) Dynamat (the official godfather of deadening) xtreme vs Stinger Expert Mat. on the surface the only difference is price.. Dynamat is about double the cost.. BUT what I've found is u need twice as much Stinger mat as u would Dynamat to get the same result (ie double the weight) Dynamat uses a thicker layer of aluminum on their product increasing heat rejection & sound deadening with a minimal increase in weight.

Now as I've said there are tons of new companies with tons of new ideas an options.. (Some work, some dont..but that's going to be trial an error)

but thinking outside of the box (or brand names) has its benefits too

Example that $40 3" thick Queen size mattress topper is worth its weight in gold.. it adds volume without adding much weight at all...

Another thing, don't only focus on the metal panels (common mistake). the plastic panels (especially in the fj) are thin so adding material (mass/density) to those as well makes a HUGE difference (as ANY VIBRATING SURFACE adds noise) I did the back sides of my front doors , rear door an rear quarter panels. Huge difference.

I keep a roll of blue painter's tape on hand, then take a vehicle for a drive (as a passenger) an listen for rattles , buzzing, creaking etc mark the areas with blue tape then disassemble the area to find the noise an figure out how to eliminate it.

As anyone will tell u.. when u eliminate one noise.. you'll notice another & another. it's a timely process but done right very rewarding..

My fjs is on it's way to be as quiet as my Lexus Ls460 (which has 2 layers of stinger mat smh) with 1of Dynamat Xtreme an a lil imagination..
 
#28 ·
But one issue you can run into is that installing open-cell foam (like mattress topper) inside cavities of a vehicle can cause moisture retention in that material. If you want to explore this, consider closed-cell foam alternatives or liberally spray a product on it that repels water and resists mildew and mold. Else you're looking at potentially one huge mess in there.
 
#30 ·
Be sure to look into McMaster-Carr and also Grainger, as sometimes those high priced audio store materials are available in bulk for far less $.

Here is a thread which started out dealing with failed body mastic but then describes how to get the exact same, aluminum faced butyl sheet as Dynamat, etc. for way less, and also includes much of the information for how to remove the interior trim as well.

 
Top