reducing cab noise

[stevenelle]

What have some of you done to dampen the road and engine noise as heard inside the cab. The engine noise, road noise and transmission noise is loud enough so you can't carry on a conversation. None of the original materials are left on the firewall, doors, back of cab, roof of cab. What should be the priority of insulation and how thick does it need to be to get significant sound reduction. I have put some of the newer aluminum / tar sound deadener on the floor and firewall and then some 1/2 inch foam. So far limited improvement. Does the entire inside need to be insulated? I'm hard of hearing already and don't need any more noise damage.

Also, would you recommend to insulate the inner side of the hood or not.

[grey beard]

Stevenelle,

Good question, and I'm gonna' listen real close to the answers you get. I am at the same place you are in my quest for good stuff, although my original firewall pad is still intact, although of zero value for insulation - it's just one layer of cardboard.

Here is one of many web sites I have found on the topic. I have no personal experience with this but it looks logical, to say the least. I do know that stuff like Dynamat would cost a king's ransom to do a complete Pilothouse cab, so I'm going to look real closely at Lowes and Home Depot for a replacement material that may work better.

http://www.lobucrod.com/

Let us all know what you decide to use. We'd all like to have nice quiet cabs, and I finally have an inatact floor once again, after much metal work. It is my belief that to do the job properly, the entire cab - roof and all - would need a good layer of sound deadener, and especially the firewall area as well as the door skins and cavities. I do have a good source for rubber floore matting of similar pattern to the original, but of course it will have no border as the original mats displayed.

Good Luck!

[grey beard]

Here's yet another resource you may wish to investigate.

http://www.stockinteriors.com/HeatSound.asp?Itemid=4783

[greg g]

There are several deal like Dyna mat being sold, most is cut peal and sitck. Last year, I bought some stuff to insulate my furnace ducts running through my garage. It is a cellular foil deal that installs with a pressure sensitive tape, gonna use it on the underside of the roof and rear of the cab, and maybe on the floor. I also have some of that roofing membrane that goes on the edge of the roof that is peel and stick also. I am planning it on using the inside of the firewall.

And there is that spray / on roll on lizard skin stuff that has been mentioned in a positive light on a couple other boards.

[MBF]

When I made the upholstered panels on the back of my cab I used a 1/4" sheet of luan, and some light foam under the material. I only went down below the top of the seat back. That made a big difference. Anything you do to soften up the interior is going to cut down on the noise level (door panels, kick panels, headliner, etc). Like you I don't have anything on the firewall yet, but plan to use something like the dynamat product-especially on the roof to cut down on the heat during summer shows. I've got rubber matting on the floor which also helps, but because the windshield gasket I got from Roberts leaks in the rain, I haven't put any type of backing under it as I don't want anything that holds water-but it doesn't see much rain locked in the garage. Mike

[Chuck U&R]

Here's a link to another board about the same question -

http://ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3226&highlight=Dynamat

[stevenelle]

Dave Grey Beard - what is your source for rubber mats? I have seen a 4 x 8 sheet 1/4 inch thick at Tractor Supply for $46.