Overview:
According to my
research, vibrations emit structure borne sound that can account
for as much as 60% of the total reducible noise in a vehicle. While other
sources for noise exist, structure borne vibrations play such a large roll that
they really are the most important problem to address. A good
way to minimize structure borne noise is using a
constraint layer dampener. A constraint layer will do the following:
- convert vibrations into easily
dissipated low level heat.
- add structural integrity and mass to vehicle panels, eliminating
resonance and flexing.
- create a basic thermal barrier blocking heat transfer in and out of
the vehicle.
- create an acoustical barrier preventing noise from penetrating the
passenger compartment.
If you have ever rode in a Superformance or a Shelby you probably noticed that it
"felt"
solid. The FFR can be made to feel the same way by
addressing the bodies natural tendency to vibrate. In spite of the Cobra's reputation for being loud (side pipes, open top, etc.)
.... there is a noticeable difference between cars with and without
good sound dampening materials. Since nobody disputes
that Damplifier-Pro (Second Skin) is by
far and away the best (& most expensive) dampener product on the market, I ordered 80 sq ft (42 lbs) and installed on all interior panels
- including the trunk.
Spare yourself the research time .....there is no
"single" product
that will do a great job at vibration dampening and at the same time provide an
excellent barrier against engine heat.
Sooo... I decided to stick with Second Skin
and use 40 sq. ft. of their HeatWave product (applied over the Damplifier Pro with
adhesive) in critically hot areas (the foot boxes, transmission tunnel and lower
inside door skins (close to side pipes)
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The Cabin Sound Scoop: In
presentation terms I like to call this the last slide first (the punch line)
... Damplifier is an excellent product but 80² ft. was not enough.
Comments:
1. Damplifier adds a very noticeable and positive solid (finished) feeling.
Cost aside....everyone should consider putting this in their car.
2. Pictures don’t do the finished product justice…. I almost don’t want to put
carpet on it.
4. 40² ft. of Damplifier Pro comes in each box. There are 10 sheets in
the box (32" x 18") so... 4sq. ft. per sheet.
5. For those with 80² ft, take my advice and do a single coat on everything
first…
6. The trunk took 24² ft….cabin took remaining 56² ft. If you want two coats
on each foot box + coverage on the inside of the firewall behind the dash, I
would guess that you need another 20 sq. ft (total = 100)
7. Having said this…. two coats of Damplifier Pro is not necessary and really
just plain overkill.
8. I covered the following areas:
all inner trunk panels (one coat)
driver side inside cabin (one coat)
drivers foot box inside panels (two coats)
passenger side inside cabin (one coat)
passenger side inside foot box (one coat)
inside firewall - behind the dash (not enough material left
to cover)
9. Including taping, the cabin took me an honest 9 hours.
10. Did I mention the cuts ….&*(&)&))(*()*()**())*)(!!!!!!! |
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The Trunk Sound Scoop: Why do the
trunk you ask?? Correct.... because it is part of the body, it will vibrate
and will create structure borne noise.
Details:
One layer in my trunk took
6 sheets (24 sq. ft).
it took me 4 hours to
complete - including using some aluminum tape to finish the joints.
since the box weighs 21.8
lbs I just added a little over 13 lbs to the trunk
So far I give
Damplifier a thumbs up. It really gives the
truck panels a solid feeling ... as well... panel frequencies (sound) has been
reduced to a dull thud.
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While you do not need to heat
Damplifier to get the glue to set, you should use a roller
to force the butyl into all the little surface
undulations. When my roller got lost in shipping I
decided to make one. This is the 427 of hand
rollers.
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Tips:
1. Cuts - blood?
Bring a box of bandages to
the garage - you'll
need them. The aluminum foil seems innocent but I guarantee at least
5 slices before you are done. You might
consider wearing gloves (personally I tried but found that I
needed better dexterity) but you will need at least two
fingers to remove the backing paper from the butyl.
2. Getting Wet?
As far as water goes,
you must pay attention to the Heatwave because one side is a "jute" style fiber
that will not deal well with moisture. When installed it is important to
place it with the foil facing up
to act as a moisture barrier. The edges should be taped with a foil tape.
Since the Damplifier has an aluminum heat shield it will not rust but It
may oxidize over time.
3. Good independent comparison info
http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/
4. Bond Strength.
Do not underestimate the
bond strength of the butyl backing. The good news is
that it does not bond immediately upon contact so you have
time to reposition sections. That being
said.... if the piece you are trying to install gets folded
somehow and the backing touches another piece of backing,
the bond is instantaneous. Lucky for me this only
happened once and it was near the end of the installation.
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