[riclewis]

My Skill Level: total rookie (never taken off a door panel)

I'd like to line my 2012 Focus HB with dynamat. Roof, floorboards, trunk, hood, etc.

A few questions:

1. What areas have already been soundproofed and don't need my help?
2. Where's a good start for learning how to dissemble and reassemble door panels, carpeting, etc to do a project like this?
3. If I'm a rookie, and I going to trash my new car doing this?
4. What would a professional probably charge (in labor) for a service like this?

 

[Gazookz]

My Skill Level: total rookie (never taken off a door panel)

I'd like to line my 2012 Focus HB with dynamat. Roof, floorboards, trunk, hood, etc.

A few questions:

1. What areas have already been soundproofed and don't need my help?
2. Where's a good start for learning how to dissemble and reassemble door panels, carpeting, etc to do a project like this?
3. If I'm a rookie, and I going to trash my new car doing this?
4. What would a professional probably charge (in labor) for a service like this?

Well i've never really done this, but I know that it will at least run you in the few hundreds range for just the dynamat, a lot more if you get the actual brand. This is assuming you order it online yourself, if you have a shop buy it, they basically order online then up the charge a lot.

As for the labor, I would only assume it would be a few hundred, maybe 300 to have all of that done. It's a lot of money to have shops do anything.

 

[eajohnso]

I added a lot of soundproofing to my '03 SVT. It was quite effective for reducing road noise. There is a lot of information about eliminating noise, especially wind noise, here:

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199613

I used a different material than the fellow in the post above - old fashioned linoleum. It is very lossy and can be formed to fit slightly curved surfaces if you go slowly. I got some free at a carpet and tiling store and attached it using carpet tape. Try bending the lino slowly and make sure you get something that doesn't spring back. It's the loss factor and the added mass of the lino that is effective in reducing panel vibrations.

Try rapping the exterior panels around the rear wheel wells with your knuckles. They will ring before you attach the lino. The first place to put it is inside the hatch area, around the spare wheel and the wheel arches. Also make sure to cover the area just forward of the rear bumper. Then do the areas behind the wheel arches. Stuff any empty space with acoustic foam.

After you're done rap on the exterior panels again. There will be only a gratifying, dull thud. Move on to the floor panels and the firewall. I haven't tried the doors but that should help too. Removing the interior door panels is covered in the archives. Get a tool to remove the plastic studs or you may pull them out of the panels (if you do, they can be epoxied back in place, but note that they may have different shapes and each one needs to go back in the proper place. I speak from experience!)

Don't hesitate to make this mod. It's easy and effective.

Eric

 

[FocusedSlayer]

Posted via FF Mobile On my 07 when I had my door panels off. I just put dynamat over when the speaker was going and let it overlap maybe 2 inches all around and then cut the hole out for the speaker. It helped out a lot and stopped all the annoying rattle that the speaker was causing.

 

[freemind]

Click on my avatar.

Look into Raamat BXT II or, Second Skin Damplifier. They are both equal to(if not better) and cheaper than Dynamat. Feel free to PM me.

 

[i0np0rtal]

might check this out first before buying deadner.
http://www.caraudio.com/forums/audio-technix/516676-huge-deadener-comparison.html

 

[riclewis]

Anybody done this on the 2012 Focus yet? I curious if someone knows better than me where the hotspots are.

 

[i0np0rtal]

Anybody done this on the 2012 Focus yet? I curious if someone knows better than me where the hotspots are.

on most cars, the largest panels will rattle the most. Roof, quarters, hatch door or trunk lid. Also the doors is pretty important to help out the component speakers plus a lot of road noise comes through there.

Ideally its best to just cover the entire enterior. The floor can be substituted with carpet padding but its not a good idea to substitute anything else UNLESS you just want to stop vibrations and are not worried about actually sound deadning...in that case, anything with mass can be used. rubber roofing, truck bed liner...etc.

deadening is expensive, but if you get the good thick stuff, you realize its well worth it compared to any substitutions and is every bit as important as the audio system itself.