How to Sound-Deaden Your Car

If you already have an elaborate sound system in your car or you intend to have one installed, you will want to do everything possible to block out road noise and to prevent vibration, resonance or rattling of the metal that can be caused by the playing of certain frequencies.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Deadening Material

1. Gather the following tools: knife or scalpel, glue, hair dryer, roller, acetone and rags.

2. Leave the sound-deadening material out in the sun to get warm. This will make it more pliable and easier to work with.

3. Take out the seats, dashboard, door panels and carpet from the interior of the car and strip the carpet from the trunk.

4. Use the acetone to clean the metal surface of the floor, the firewall, the doors and the trunk.

5. Spray glue on to the metal surface, peel off the backing from the deadening material and apply the material to the metal surface. Use the roller to make certain that the material adheres to the surface. Use the hair dryer to heat up the material so that it stays pliable as you apply it.

6. Roll out any bubbles or bumps to make sure that the material is applied smoothly. If you are working on door panels that have ridges, make certain that the material fills the gaps, not just bridges them.

7. Replace the dashboard, door panels, carpet and seats.

Tips & Warnings

• Experts in installation recommend that dampening material be laid out over the floor of the vehicle, in the door panels (especially in the areas where you plan to mount your speakers), in the wheel wells (to decrease the noise that comes from the tires) and in the trunk.

on 11/22/2005 Dynamat is rubberized asphalt. The asphalt is what adds to the mass of your car's panels to deaden sound, and the rubber holds it all together and keeps it flexible. This material is also called polymeric mastic and is available for a fraction of Dynamat's price from McMaster-Carr. The advantage of buying Dynamat, however, is that the material is lighter and has an aluminum flashing on one side that also helps keep out ambient heat.
Covering the sound-deadening material with a layer of jute (hair or fiber carpet pad) will help quiet your car even more and create a soft comfortable feel under the carpets!

on 11/22/2005 It's much cheaper to buy a product similar to DynaMat at Home Depot. It is for roofing and is real cheap!

on 11/22/2005 If you have an old car or truck, take all the seats and carpet out and clean the floor. Use expanding foam (Space Invader is best) used for household insulation and use it as a glue and an insulator for your carpet. Spray it on and lay the carpet down. It works really well!

on 11/22/2005 It really works. Just purchase the entire kit from any car stereo shop or electronics stores that sell car stereos. You may choose to install the kit yourself or an in-store mobile installer.