Im about to put some carpet in my car and i think i need to put something under that to make it quieter, does anybody know of a cheap alternative to dynamat, ive heard that peel and seel is good but im not sure if i can use that in a car. and would anyone know if i have to take the dash out to put in new carpet.

Thanks

 

I haven't tried it yet, but another forum member told me about Second Skin Audio. you might want to check it out.

Understand that there are three different methods for sound dampening. Using all three with yeild the best results.
1) mass dampening: this adds mass to a panel to increase the energy needed to make it vibrate.
2) total seal: this you make sure there are no holes or passages for sound outside the car to make it's way in.
3) Absorption: porous material absorbs the sounds wave decreasing the energy.

Also, if you are really cheap, I ahve used other methods in the past. one is to go to Lowes or HD and buy the 12"x12" peel and stick floor tile. heat them with a heat gun, trim to fit with utility knife or kitchen shears. Clean metal surface with alcohol or paint thinner. apply and let cure. This way worked pretty well. I had better results when I added closed cell foam to the vacant areas behind the plastic.

Another method I have used. It's a little cheaper, but much messier and you have to deal with chemical smell for about 2 months.

Go to Lowes and buy the fiber reinforced roof cement. it is asphalt based. it's sort of a silver color.
Clean your panel with thinner. use a putty knife and 2" paint brush to apply. You can put it on as thin or thick as you like, but you will have to wait for the first coat to solidify some (about 2 days) before you apply a second layer. Before your last layer skins up, cover every inch with aluminum foil. allow to dry a day to two before putting your carpet back in. You can go ahead and replace the carpet immediately, but the smell takes longer to go away.

Another method does not have a good as results as the other two, but still helps, and is easy and cheap.
Lowes again, in the insulation isle, there is a 3' long roll of closed cell foam sandwiched between Mylar. buy two rolls, and some 3M spray adhesive. Clean your panel, trim your pieces, spray your panel and insulation piece with adhesive and apply the pieces of insulation. replace your plastic and carpet and your done. About two days of adhesive smell and it's done.

you can of course combine any or all of these to achieve better results.

 

thanks this helped out a lot

 

Dynamat works really well, but it adds lots of weight. Dynamat is an example of the "adding mass" type insulation. It works alot like the roof cement he mentioned.

 

Summit Racing sells an in-house dynamat look-alike that is much cheaper than the real thing. Whether there's a difference in the quality, I can't say.

 

Not according to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aehY7...eature=related

 

thanks guys but i think im goin to go with the cell foam method since im fairly broke this holiday lol anyway happy holidays everyone and thanks again

 

Don't listen to anyone if they recommend Peel & Seal as a cheap alternative to Dynamat. I was poor and bored, so I stripped out the entire interior in my Cadavalier and put multiple layers and even did the back of the plastic panels and it made almost no difference. When you tap on a flat sheet like the roof it doesn't have the hollow ring anymore, but it made virtually no difference to overall noise levels.

 

The "biggest" bang for your buck with respect to sound deadening will come from an undercoating for that is where the noise starts. It is that simple. You could pay $60 and attack this area like a bat out of hell or..................? Good luck with whatever your choice is.

 

I recommend it. I peel-n-sealed my vert doors. I used one roll for both doors, on the inner skin under the door panels. Put a couple of 10" patches behind the door speakers. I am very happy with the results. The interior is quieter-less road noise, and I have less panel vibration with the door speakers. Low Frequencies are cleaner since there is less sympathetic panel vibration.

'Nother virtue is that the doors sound much more solid. They close with a thud not a bang.

I intend to cover the area under behind the seats under the spare tire cover next. Maybe it isn't quite as good as the Damplifier, but I am a bang for the buck guy. It fits my needs just fine.