Dynamat Question - Should I do the rear doors too?

Sound deadening (SD) material works by reducing the vibration of the metallic parts of the car which cause the "steel drum" effect when the car rumbles down the road.

SD doesn't block airborne noises.

To get the most out of SD for the least amount of work, it's better to dampen the outer skin of the doors (on the inside, of course), because that's the part that vibrates the most. To dampen the outer skin, it's a good idea to cut the SD material into smaller strips. It's tedious work, but it'll be worth the effort. You don't need to put it over the support bars, because they don't vibrate that much anyway.

I'd recommend dampening the floor too. That cuts down a lot of vibration.

You might also want to try Secondskin Damplifier instead of Dynamat. IMO, it's a much better value for your money and works just as well, if not better.

Here's a link to some photos of my Damplification project:

Picasa Web Albums - zenMachine

 

I agree w Zen I did it to mine & it made HUGE difference in the stereo sound as well as made it much quieter driving down the road.

> I'd recommend dampening the floor too<<

After I was done with the doors & rear qtr panels I started for the floor- mine has 1/4"deadening as well as 3/4" thick insulation mat under the carpet on most all of the floor on mine - 05.

Steve

 

how much material is required to do a prius (in sq. ft)? which [SIZE=-1]sound deadening product is the best value? And finally, does it really work?
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1. 40sf is probably enough for most folks. I used 80sf. (for roof & floor etc.) but that adds about 30lbs to the car's weight, so beware.
2. IMO, 2ndSkin is a better product/value than Dynamat. In any case, better to apply the material when warm (at least 70F).
3. Definitely.

 

just my opinion...

i would sound deaden the entire car.. well.. the doors at least. inner door on the metal and inner door on clip on plastics.. they rattle a lot.

unfortunetly most of the rattles i hear come from switches.. the platic rattles.

then i would do the floors.. because i have time like that.

 

I did all 4 doors and the floor in the spare tire well. I would like to do the floorboard under the carpet but have not got the time to pull the seats and carpet out to do it.

 

so, pretending like I a going to do this:
Do I just buy 80ft of Damplifier Pro? do I want to do two layers in any areas or apply any other insulation? how long does it take to do the whole car?

 

80sf should be enough to smother the car.

Two layers would be good right behind the woofers, and certain areas in the trunk. Use the age old "tap test" to listen for places that produce a thin, tinny sound.

I took several weekends to do mine. Simply because I hadn't done this stuff before so I wanted to go slow, and to document everything with photos as I went along. I also bought a sound meter so I could take measurements after finishing each section. For instance, after doing the doors, I'd drive for a week around town on different roads to listen for the various noises. Then the next weekend I'd do the floor and repeat the tests. And so on.

Applying the SD is meticulous but kinda fun. Like painting, it's the preparation that can take more time, especially taking out seats and carpet to do the floor. I wouldn't recommend doing it in the heat of summer (like I did).

 

put it everywhere..... EVERYWHERE. headliner, floorboards, under the hood, around the firewall, in the trunk, all the doors, in the dash EVERYWHERE

Disclaimer:

I have no affiliation with the Dynomat Company or it products. Nor do I endorse the ingestion of Dynomat at any time.

 

I haved found that just taking out the bench part of the back seat makes a noticable difference in noise. This suggests to me that the back doors are worth doing.