Ok, so as you can probably tell from all the questions I've been asking and threads I've been starting lately, I'm doing my audio install over the Xmas break. I've just finished gutting the car (seriously resisting the urge to go out and drive it to see how it feels with no interior... wised up when I realized I'd trap myself in the car without the door panels/handles installed...) and DHL just dropped off my package of 20 sq ft of 50 mil sound deadener.

Question #1: This **** is pretty heavy; I'm going to be adding enough extra weight in my car with the stereo components... does this stuff make that big a difference?

Performance comes first in my car and I'm trying to keep the system as lightweight as possible, but still want it to be decent.

Question #2: I've got 20 sq ft; where should I put it?

I'm replacing the door speakers with new components, putting new rear speakers in and putting a 10" sub in a Wickedcas corner magic box in the left rear hatch corner. I want to make the best use of the amount I have; not going to get more.

 

dpeding on where you are doing speakres and subs:

if you are doing speakres in the door, then dampening of hte door panel will DEFEINTLY make a HUGE difference...if you did kick panels, then you dont really need to do much to the door sonic wise other than it will kick down road noise by a notch.

with the sub system, in the hatch area, the main source of the rattle in the Z acutally come from the hatch covering panel, so dampening of the hatch would be nice, also the plastic panels between the seat and the arch are MAJOR sources of rattle, but its a pretty big pain to do that part.

dampening of the spare tire well will help kick dopwn some noise, but unless you are doing a spare tire well sub enclosure, it wont generate much rattles from the sub ecause its rather solid steel and not directly in contact with the sub

b

 

Yeah, front speakers in factory locations. So door panels are the mian thing, huh?

By rear hatch, you mean the upper part under the big trim panel?

Shouldn't have much problems getting around the trim behind the seats, since I have the whole interior out of the car right now... I only have so much Dynamat, though, so I want to put it where it'll do the most good sound quality-wise. I have adhesiv backed felt I can put wherever I need to alieviate panel rattles.

 

20 sq ft aint that much..what maybe 10 lbs. Remember what you are applying is vibration dampener not sound/noise control. YOu will want to dampen around your speakers since they will be generating the vibrations. Door panels, inside and outside panels are a good start. Let your ears be the judge in the back. Listen to just your Sub using test tones to identify rattling panels and install the dampener there. I would guess about 5sq ft per door and the rest in the back.

 

Good questions and points. I’m where you are, and have the same concerns. I don’t want to add excessive weight, but I do want my system to sound right. My thought is that the rear cargo area needs some significant sound deadening. The “rear cargo area” includes (1) the rear cubby, (2) the rear floor, and (3) the rear wheel wells. The doors need some help as well (as you said).

Please keep this thread going by telling us what you discover doing your project.

Thanks for posting. --Spike

 

Yeah, prob not quite ten pounds, but every little bit counts, especially since I'm adding heavy components on top of that. Thing is, I always thought the stuff was to cut down on ambient road noise and reverberating sound from the backs of the speakers to aid in better sound quality... If all it really does is dampen vibration, I'm not sure I need it; I'm building a moderte mid-level system and I don't crank the volume to panel rattling levels.

 

20 sq feet? I have about 150 sq feet in my car

 

Just go F/I, and then you won't worry about how much sound deadening you have. I've probably got about 200 sq/ft...

 

+1 but then I don't race.

If you're really that concerned I'd skip the asphalt based sound deadener and just stuff some polyfill into the doors, kick panels, rear quarter panels ... anywhere with a hole! You could probably do your whole car stuffed to the gills for about 3-4 pounds of the stuff. It's available at craft stores where it's used as stuffing for quilts, dolls, and pillows. No annoying smell either.

 

Polyfill, huh? Hmm, I'll keep that in mind. I'm going to go ahead and use the 20 Sq ft of Dynamat I have, since I already have it and just that much doesn't weigh much (did the doors today with half of it) and go from there. Thanks for the tip.