How to sound deaden the interior of your TJ

Karl said:

I want to quickly bring this thread up to date.

Before I go and do the whole Tub, Would doing the hard top make much of a difference on it's own? I feel like that's where most of the noise is coming from.
What should I use for most sound deadening and best cost for the hard top?

Would love to make the ride quieter inside the jeep. I don't know how anyone would do a solid road trip without making it quieter in there.


Also, how easy is this stuff to take off if ever you want to redo it or don't like it or anything? Does it peel off well or is it a total bitch to remove?

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I would put sound deadener on parts of it. And cover that with some nicer indoor outdoor carpet. When I say sound deadener I mean this stuff or similar:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00URUIKAK/?tag=wranglerorg-20

That top is certainly resonating sound vibrations back at you. Killing those vibrations with sound deadener would be a must do. But I wouldn't use alot of it. You can kill the sound vibrations of a large portion of sheet metal with just a swath of it down the middle. Or a couple swaths. If you covered the top completely in sound deadener it would end up weighing to much. Way to much I think. The stuff is like heavy rubber. A box of it is hard to pick up.

I'd cover that with nice indoor/outdoor carpet. Or similar. That will cut down on alot of noise. And cover up the ugly look of the sound deadener.

You could also use this stuff over the sound deadener. It's heat barrier. If you live in a warm climate I'd highly suggest it. I'm using it over sound deadener on my tub. To stop some of the heat that comes up thru the floor. I would imagine a black hard top would generate similar heat in the sun. Likewise if you do your tub. I'd definitely put this down at least over the parts of the tub that reside over the engine, trans, and exhaust system.

http://www.carinsulation.com/buycarinsulation.html
Lastly. To answer your first question. I think sound deadening the top would make alot of sense. It's almost like a big cone or hat you're wearing that goes almost all the way around your head. Having it sound deadened and covered in carpet. Would certainly make your cab way quieter. But I wouldn't do it instead of your tub. I think both are in order. I think you'd get similar benefits from each.

And think about that heat shield. Even if you just did the very top of your top and the tunnel on the tub. It would help immensely.

PS - @Chris used an additional layer of thick closed cell foam over the sound deadener. This was on his last TJ that he owned. There's a nice set of pics of it. Maybe in this thread. I'll have to look. But he could tell you how much more sound deadening he got for laying that stuff down. It certainly looked impressive. It was like a sound blocking mat. That was very thick.

I found it. It's post #54 on page three. Here's a link to page three.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/how-to-sound-deaden-the-interior-of-your-tj.16153/page-3

T

moab said:

I would put sound deadener on parts of it. And cover that with some nicer indoor outdoor carpet. When I say sound deadener I mean this stuff or similar:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00URUIKAK/?tag=wranglerorg-20

That top is certainly resonating sound vibrations back at you. Killing those vibrations with sound deadener would be a must do. But I wouldn't use alot of it. You can kill the sound vibrations of a large portion of sheet metal with just a swath of it down the middle. Or a couple swaths. If you covered the top completely in sound deadener it would end up weighing to much. Way to much I think. The stuff is like heavy rubber. A box of it is hard to pick up.

I'd cover that with nice indoor/outdoor carpet. Or similar. That will cut down on alot of noise. And cover up the ugly look of the sound deadener.

You could also use this stuff over the sound deadener. It's heat barrier. If you live in a warm climate I'd highly suggest it. I'm using it over sound deadener on my tub. To stop some of the heat that comes up thru the floor. I would imagine a black hard top would generate similar heat in the sun. Likewise if you do your tub. I'd definitely put this down at least over the parts of the tub that reside over the engine, trans, and exhaust system.

http://www.carinsulation.com/buycarinsulation.html
Lastly. To answer your first question. I think sound deadening the top would make alot of sense. It's almost like a big cone or hat you're wearing that goes almost all the way around your head. Having it sound deadened and covered in carpet. Would certainly make your cab way quieter. But I wouldn't do it instead of your tub. I think both are in order. I think you'd get similar benefits from each.

And think about that heat shield. Even if you just did the very top of your top and the tunnel on the tub. It would help immensely.

PS - @Chris used an additional layer of thick closed cell foam over the sound deadener. This was on his last TJ that he owned. There's a nice set of pics of it. Maybe in this thread. I'll have to look. But he could tell you how much more sound deadening he got for laying that stuff down. It certainly looked impressive. It was like a sound blocking mat. That was very thick.

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Thanks!

Tub: I think I'll do the Noico 80 and Noico 170 for the tub under the carpet

Hard Top: This is what I'll do first. I'm curious to see what it's like with only the hardtop done. I'll do the Noice 80 and then a carpet. Seems to be the best price to performance ratio after reading several forums (the options are endless!). I should paint the whole inside first so it's not a large square carpet then white eggshell around the windows. Tempting to try and match it to the sahara interior, but grey is certainly the safe bet.

As for the temperature, I live in Vancouver and it's temperate all year. If I'm in a climate where heat or cold are an issue then I'm on a roadtrip and camping or tenting and the temperature in the vehicle is the least of my concerns.

Hands down this is 100% for the noise canceling/dampening at highway speeds in the cabin.

As an aside, I read that people didn't like the Noico 80 being seen, since it's the reflective finish. I am seeing Noico 80 in black! Much better.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01BKKZ1AM/?tag=tjforum-20

You cant really use the bubble wrap in foil anywhere you step, it pops the bubbles.

There is a hard top specific headliner. I have no experience with it but it seems to have decent reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008SAX5CE/?tag=wranglerorg-20

I did my hardtop and it made a significant difference.

1st, apply your CLD product. I used Kno Knoise Kolossus because I had a lot of it left over. (It's the thickest CLD product on the market at 100 mils.) You do not need (nor want) 100% coverage on the hardtop. Excessive CLD doesn't add much dampening, but simply lowers the resonant frequency. Excessive CLD will add significant weight that the hardtop cannot support, and could eventually result in the hardtop bowing in. I cut 8" wide by 22" long strips and placed them between each of the corrugations.
2nd, fill accessible voids with polyfill. I filled the voids over the header bar, the voids in the rear corners, and the rear overhead void.
3rd, install your insulating/sound absorbing material. I used the Boom Mat that @nk24 linked.
4th, add a small layer (1/8") of closed cell foam to any non-functional contact surfaces on the hardtop. The big one of concern is the sound pods on the 03-06 TJs. This layer stops the banging noise from the hardtop banging on the pods.
5th, add insulation to any remaining uncovered areas. I used hydrophobic melamine foam for this.

astjp2 said:

You cant really use the bubble wrap in foil anywhere you step, it pops the bubbles.

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@asstip Seriously? Lol!

nk24 said:

There is a hard top specific headliner. I have no experience with it but it seems to have decent reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008SAX5CE/?tag=wranglerorg-20

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Yeah. And boom mat and others. They’re also 300 dollars +.
When I can just make it with noico and a carpet and it will look nicer ‍

Steel City 06 said:

I did my hardtop and it made a significant difference.

1st, apply your CLD product. I used Kno Knoise Kolossus because I had a lot of it left over. (It's the thickest CLD product on the market at 100 mils.) You do not need (nor want) 100% coverage on the hardtop. Excessive CLD doesn't add much dampening, but simply lowers the resonant frequency. Excessive CLD will add significant weight that the hardtop cannot support, and could eventually result in the hardtop bowing in. I cut 8" wide by 22" long strips and placed them between each of the corrugations.
2nd, fill accessible voids with polyfill. I filled the voids over the header bar, the voids in the rear corners, and the rear overhead void.
3rd, install your insulating/sound absorbing material. I used the Boom Mat that @nk24 linked.
4th, add a small layer (1/8") of closed cell foam to any non-functional contact surfaces on the hardtop. The big one of concern is the sound pods on the 03-06 TJs. This layer stops the banging noise from the hardtop banging on the pods.
5th, add insulation to any remaining uncovered areas. I used hydrophobic melamine foam for this.

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That seems like a lot. I’d rather use noico 80 and make one big square on the roof. It’s 80 not 100 mills so should be lighter. Then I don’t have voids and don’t have to fill with poly fill.
Now add sound proofing material?
Isn’t the noico 80 itself (or your CLD) the first layer IS the soundproof layer?

Honestly after all the stuff I’ve read this seems like overkill. I’m just going to get one big square of noico 80. For cost and weight, it’s GREAT. Then a big square of carpet cover. I’ll paint the rest to match.
It’s a 1997 Tj

This but one piece of noico 80 and one piece of indoor/outdoor carpet. Paint the white sides to match. Done

moab said:

@asstip Seriously? Lol!

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There are those who have tried and failed!

The CLD stuff (like Noico 80) is not designed to absorb noise. CLD = Constrained Layer Damper. It is designed to reduce the vibration of the panel it is attached to. The sheet metal and the base surface slide along each other as the panel flexes, and the rubber absorbs the energy from those vibrations. As a result, it dampens the flexing of the panel it is attached to. It does little to reduce airborne noise, especially of higher frequencies. It prevents resonance in body panels, and eliminates the body panel as being a source of noise.

A sound absorber, like the Boom Mat, melamine foam, or the polyfill, actually absorbs airborne noise. It’s effective frequency absorption band is dependent on its thickness. A 1” thick pad, if I recall correctly, absorbs most noise above about 1000 Hz. Doubling to 2” thick would get you to 500 Hz and up. Most of the noise is coming from inside the cabin or below, soma sound absorber on the hardtop is very effective at reducing road noise, because everything above about 1000 Hz is absorbed, not reflected.

In addition, the absorbers like the Boom Mat and the melamine foam provide a significant amount of thermal insulation, so you can keep it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. CLD does not have any significant insulating effect.

The most effective way to reduce airborne noise isn’t CLD or absorber, but actually a blocker. Mass loaded vinyl (MLV) is great for this. However, there isn’t much reason to install it on a hardtop, because there simply aren’t many sources of noise above the vehicle. It is more effective to install a blocker in the door and body panels.

I couldn't find this already discussed, but does anyone know what the difference between Dynaliner and Dynamat are?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JT5NIU/?tag=wranglerorg-20

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00020CB2S/?tag=wranglerorg-20

The weight of the Dynaliner is significantly lighter than the Dynamat and thicker. Do you need both? Is it for blocking different frequencies? Different uses?

toximus said:

I couldn't find this already discussed, but does anyone know what the difference between Dynaliner and Dynamat are?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JT5NIU/?tag=wranglerorg-20

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00020CB2S/?tag=wranglerorg-20

The weight of the Dynaliner is significantly lighter than the Dynamat and thicker. Do you need both? Is it for blocking different frequencies? Different uses?

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Dynamat is a Constrained Layer Damper. It consists of a butyl rubber layer bonded to a thin piece of sheet metal. When installed it creates an offset layer of sheet metal from the panel it is attached to. When the base panel flexes (such as during vibrations), the base metal and attached sheet slide relative to one another. The butyl rubber absorbs energy and dampens the vibration, thereby reducing the created or transmitted noise. It is only effective for sound that causes the base metal to flex. For example, knock on your steel doors. That reverberating sound you hear would be significantly reduced with the dynamat or any other CLD. As a result, it happens to be very effective at reducing low frequency noises and rattles. It does not absorb nor reflect any significant airborne noise any more than the base metal.

Open celled foam is effective at reducing noise that has twice the wavelength of the thickness of the foam or smaller. As a result, 1/2” of open celled foam will absorb most frequencies above 2000 Hz. Doubling the thickness to 1” will allow it to absorb 1000 Hz or above. (Search 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz on YouTube to get an idea of the pitches.) Boom Mat has a thickness of 1 inch.
The open cell foam is good at absorbing high frequency and airborne noise, but does very little to absorb lower frequencies or prevent creation of noise through panel vibration. It is also an effective thermal insulator, unlike the Dynamat.

The 3rd kind of sound deadening is the barrier. Barriers such as Mass Loaded Vinyl that are decoupled from the base metal, usually with closed cell foam, are the most effective at reducing road noise. Instead of preventing it or absorbing it, it simply reflects it. Luxury Liner Pro is an example of this kind of product.

The Dynaliner appears to be a closed celled rubber foam, so it probably has the effect of reflecting higher frequency noise. Closed cell foam is better at insulation than open celled foam, but is generally poorer at sound absorption.

Ideally, you want all three types, but not in the same location.

Any large panel that can vibrate should get a CLD product. This typically includes the floor, the walls, doors, and roof, as well as any other large areas of sheet metal or even large plastic panels. You can also get butyl rubber rope you can jam in crevices to eliminate rattles and provide extra damping. After the product is installed, you’ll notice that the reverberating sound caused by knocking on the panel is reduced to a dull “thud”.

The barrier should be installed any place where there is an external source of noise. This generally includes the entire tub (road, tire, and drivetrain noise), firewall (engine and wind noise), doors (wind and traffic noise), and walls (wind and traffic noise). The roof is rarely treated because there simply aren’t any significant noise sources from above.

Finally, the insulation/absorption material is installed to absorb high frequency noise that would otherwise be reflected in the interior, as well as for thermal insulation. The roof is by far the biggest area. Other commonly treated areas include the voids in the door, voids in the dash, and other voids throughout the vehicle. For the Jeep, the Boom May kit is a very good addition that will cover the hardtop well. Other areas such as the walls of the hardtop or the interior of the doors can also be treated.

TL;DR:
1. Prevent
2. Reflect
3. Absorb

toximus said:

I couldn't find this already discussed, but does anyone know what the difference between Dynaliner and Dynamat are?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JT5NIU/?tag=wranglerorg-20

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00020CB2S/?tag=wranglerorg-20

The weight of the Dynaliner is significantly lighter than the Dynamat and thicker. Do you need both? Is it for blocking different frequencies? Different uses?

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Dynamat is the aluminum backed sound deadener that goes directly on metal. And stops vibrations in the tub from making noise. The Dynaliner is a thick acoustic "mat". Meant to go over the aluminum backed sound deadener. It helps keep ambient noise from entering the cab.

@Chris used both Noico products like this on his TJ. You might ask him how much improvement he got with the mat added.

Can I ask why your using Dynamat? There are many other products out there with the same sound deadening characteristics OR BETTER for way less. Second Skin has sales all the time. And they sell smaller pieces called "B grade". That is alot cheaper.

I would use Noico or Second Skin, then a layer of EZ Cool or http://www.carinsulation.com/ Same stuff. The EZ Cool goes down on top of your sound deadener with 3M adhesive spray. Then your carpet. The EZ Cool car insulation blocks 97% of heat. EVen if you do it just over the tub and exhaust that would help a great deal.

Look at the paint on lizard skin too, it’s a excellent heat barrier and sound deadener. The nico stuff is heavy and has a oily feel to it but should work excellent

Thanks for the info. The Dynalinder is closed cell if that makes any difference?

moab said:

@Chris used both Noico products like this on his TJ. You might ask him how much improvement he got with the mat added.

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I actually own that TJ. I didn't realize there was 2 layers. There is definitely an improvement.

moab said:

Can I ask why your using Dynamat?

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Right now I'm looking to cover my fuel cell with it since the pump and squirting fuel is loud. I might cover other areas as I go. I need the thinnest and lightest that has the "quietest" properties and won't absorb water... I don't care which brand saving money is good but not worth it for this area if the product is heavier or thicker.

you can get sound deadener in various thickness. 80 mil is quite common. I recently bough killmat on amazon and it sticks fine and is the same rubbery gunk that all the companies use.

toximus said:

Thanks for the info. The Dynalinder is closed cell if that makes any difference?



I actually own that TJ. I didn't realize there was 2 layers. There is definitely an improvement.



Right now I'm looking to cover my fuel cell with it since the pump and squirting fuel is loud. I might cover other areas as I go. I need the thinnest and lightest that has the "quietest" properties and won't absorb water... I don't care which brand saving money is good but not worth it for this area if the product is heavier or thicker.

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Waterproof varies. As the material itself is waterproof. But water will most likely seep in between the seams.

If say you did your tub and left the Jeep out in the rain with the top off. The water would not soak into the material. But you would have water left in the tub between the seams of the material. Could it be shop vac'd out and left out in the sun to dry? Yes. You just aren't going to maintain a waterproof barrier with this stuff. Make sense?

So with the knowledge that none of it holds water. I'd go for the thickest aluminum back sound deadener. The thicker the better. As they are all pretty much the same material. And use the closed cell foam on other areas where you might get benefit. I think with your gas tank. The 80mil stuff should work fine. Either Noico, Second Skin or Raamat.

Remember, once this stuff goes down it's not coming back up. And you don't have to cover an entire area to acheive good sound deadening qualities. Like the doors. You could put a couple strips on the door (whatever you could fit in there with your hands.) And you will hear a noticeable improvement. You don't have to cover every surface. But I would cover the tub. If it's not already covered.

Twopoint said:

sorry for the delay in answering but they do, check out :
https://www.stockinteriors.com/AutoCarpet.asp?Itemid=22333&ModelId=256

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Has anyone use this product