Cabin noise

RiCharlie

Hey mate you're the ones that eat vegamite sandwiches and swim with great whites!!

Bonzo

Taking the chance of reopening up this super long thread and pissing off all the "sports car" people, I do have a question for those have done the sound proofing.

Unlike some of you, I don't mind the tire noise, engine noise, wind noise or road noise. I don't mind any of the mechanical noises. That's where I have to agree with the "sports car" folks. Compared with my wife's Pontiac Solstice this car is quiet in those areas.

BUT, what I do find overly loud, and unlike any other car I've driven, is the sand, dirt & pebble noise in the rear wheel wells. It's like every single grain of sand that you drive over gets spit up by the rear tires right behind your head in the wheel well. Here in South West Ohio we use street cleaners quite a bit, so it's not like the roads are filthy dirty. But when ever you go over those areas less traveled, where the "beads" build up a little, it sounds like you are driving through a freshly paved loose black top deposit.

So I've got my rear end all torn out right now (making way for wires for the back up camera and 4th brake light wiring), and thought this would be a good time to investigate soundproofing back there. And what I've found the last few days is tons of information that contradicts itself.

I'm basically down to 2 thoughts on this. I'm thinking while I have the rear all exposed, it wouldn't hurt to add dynamat or the like to the wheel wells and the trunk. It's just money and more so the time I don't have right now. So for those who have done this, has this application made a difference for the pebble noise?

After that, I'm thinking a good coat (or two or 3) of rubberized undercoating applied to the underside of the wheel wells might make the biggest difference. This way the dirt and pebbles are hitting a softer more forgiving surface rather than the "ping" of the lightly coated metal it is now. I saw a few options on this (like from Fatmat) where a gallon costs about $80. Has anyone tried this? If so, can you offer up your findings here?

Thanks for your help!

Cheers ---- Bonzo

......and sorry to those of your who I've not answered yet via PM. I've been so busy in my personal life that I've little to no time to do anything else. I'll get to it, I promise.

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Delivered Tuesday November 15, 9:57 am!!!
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kenchan

for pebble hitting noise i think i'd try the noise eliminator sprays you mentioned, bonzo.

they're usually sold at most autoparts stores.

Bonzo

Thanks kenchan. I'm thinking it's got to help at least some. Like if there was a separate plastic liner up there like on many cars, this wouldn't be a problem. A good thick rubber coating should act like a "bouncer" I would think. You can also buy it by the gallon and brush it on, which would go on thicker and faster. I'll have to pull the wheel anyway so I'm not sure which would be best.

Now I just need to think of whether I want to spend my weekend doing dynamat or not. I REALLY want to finish these Z projects up this weekend.

Thanks again.

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Finally Able To Order 2012 Model 8/24/2011
Delivered Tuesday November 15, 9:57 am!!!
2012, Auto, White, Sport, Kick Plates

BigT

I've had my car for almost 3 weeks now and the only noise complaint I have is tire noise. They are much louder over concrete vs pavement, loud on any surface in the rain, and despite the cold weather, they shoot up every loose rock, pebble, sand etc. However, its not terrible. For my own personal tastes, swapping to a different tire (when the time comes), will be the most I do to help noise.

370ZilverZ

I'm going the Duramat Extreme route. Just ordered 36 sq.ft. and will do the hatch and the doors. I hope the keeps the debris noise down. I like the engine and exhaust tones, but the road and debris noise is no joy to my ears at all.

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BMW Z4

scottIN

I'm in the same boat. First time I drove my car I thought 'What the hell is happening?' Then I figured out it was pebbles. Might as well just shake a tin can full of rocks by your ear.

And I'm in Injunana so we've got tons of gravel and sand on the highways right now. Just drove to the next town over and they had been putting sealcoat down and then tossing gravel over it. I'm about deaf now...

I am going to do the Dynamat Extreme and if someone figures out if the spray or brush on deadener works, I might do that, too.

RiCharlie

FYI I was just reading an review of the 2012 by Edmunds and it mentioned the loud cabin noise due to tires..

Strange how things are..that pebble noise doesnt bother me ..its just what happens when you go over sand..and that is not very often..but that constant droning of the wheels on the road, especially with the sports package, is intolerable ...to me anyway..and its louder if the road is wet... depends a lot on the surface of the roads,..,on some there is no noise at all..others its .horrible.. At first i was sick thinking i had made a terrible mistake..

.. i had my car dynamatted..hatch and doors ..( there is no sound dampening material at all in either area) If you can do it yourself you save a lot of money...i spent $1200 when people tell me the materials are about $200..

but its ok now and i really love this car! but i want more..so in two months I am getting new tires...as the ones i have came with the car and I am told that they only go to about 20-25K and i hit 20 last week..

I think i will go with the Continental Extreme contact DWS...from what i read its a good performer and also good on water and snow and are much quieter..

Bonzo

Yeah, people are certainly different with their takes on this. Wow. Tire noise has never bothered me. Actually, to me it's something sports cars "should" have. I had one friend who loved it so much he never ever turned on his radio.

Anyway, not that you probably paid attention (since the incessant pebble banging doesn't bother you), but did the dynamat help at all with the sand/pebble/dirt noise?

Last night I decided to do a small little simple test. Using my hand I just started reaching under the car and knocking on it. What I found is the noise I am talking about is mostly coming from the rear wheel wells. When I rapped on those from the wheel side, the inside arches let out this loud tin like "plink." When pebbles hit it it sounds like a fully automatic BB-gun machine gun firing into the trunk. Not good.

So now I'm still thinking I should dynamat the wheel arches on the inside of the car now (while I have it all open), and then also paint the wheel wells on the outside of the car with rubberized coating to give it a more spongy/springy texture. I'm just still wondering if the dynamat might be a waste of time and money for the pebble noise.

Too bad Nissan couldn't charge us an extra $100 per car and have had plastic designed and produced for the wells. That would have eliminated most of the pebble noise I think, and also helped to isolate the road noise issue other have.

Thanks for anyone who can contribute to the dynamat helping or not with the pebble issue.

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Finally Able To Order 2012 Model 8/24/2011
Delivered Tuesday November 15, 9:57 am!!!
2012, Auto, White, Sport, Kick Plates

BigT

I don't mind that the tires pick up every loose item on the road or the fact of the noise it makes in my wheel well. I'm more worried about the pebble that gets kicked up while turning which then scratches my paint. This will be more of an issue when I install my wheel spacers.

Mt Tam I am

Get the touch up pen from Nissan. Enjoy your car.

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RiCharlie

Well just to be clear..for me...there is no incessant pebble noise...its very rare..but i can certainly understand that if i had to listen to it constantly, that would be another story...because the few times I have encountered it ..it is loud..,.
.
You might just as well do what ever you can now that the car is open..=you might just as well try..and hopefully it will cut down on the racket..let us know..

..maybe you could install a large brush on the front of your car and sweep the pebbles to the side as you drive...

scottIN

My Mercedes had carpeted wheel wells. My wife's mini countryman does as well. Never a peep no matter how much gravel you throw up. In my Ridgeline, I only hear the really big stuff-the tires I'm running right now are real bad about picking up the standard size rocks used on gravel roads and tossing them into the wheel wells when you hit about 60 mph.

r1eater

well I am glad I am not the only one hearing the pebble noises. I just noticed them the other day, then again I just got my Z I hadnt noticed them before because the radio is always on. As for the interior noise, coming from a 2008 STI, the Z is a caddy by comparison... well maybe thats a bit of an exaggeration but it certainly is not as loud as my STI was on the inside.

Bonzo

It's called Zee-Broom.

I'll probably do the dynamat thing (or another cheaper brand) while it's open. I just hope it doesn't take all day to do it like some have said.

__________________
Finally Able To Order 2012 Model 8/24/2011
Delivered Tuesday November 15, 9:57 am!!!
2012, Auto, White, Sport, Kick Plates