Quiet PR5 project

[dolanh]

Hi all,

I recently bought a 2002.5 PR5, my first. It's a nice car with one exception, the road noise is a bit much for me. My commute (SF-SJ) is about 100mi/day, three days a week, and I tend to drive it at about 80mph.

Part of it is the tire noise. The car only has 13k miles on it so it still has OEM tires, half worn out by the previous owner. I'm pretty confident I can find quieter tires, which will be half the issue. So far, i've heard that the Yoko dBs are quiet, at least at first...

The other part is wind noise. Damn, this car has a lot of it, esp. compared to my Civic, which was a lighter, 8 year older car. Then again, ithe Civic had narrower, higher profile tires and a smaller cabin. Both cars have had the same Yakima setup with a fairing, which doesn't exactly help with the noise issue. Anyways, I want to do something about it.

I've read about pulling the headliner to take the factory rails off of the roof, but has anyone shoved a bunch of jute carpet up there while they were at it? Has anyone added something like Dynamat or eDead to the inside of the roof? If I'm going to go through the pain of pulling the headliner, I'd kind of like to do as much as I can while i'm at it...

Anyways, suggestions are welcome, and for those of you who just want to see pictures of a stock PR5 with Yakima racks, here ya go:
http://www.reneeanddolan.net/gallery/2004protege5

Thanks for reading.

 

[bazooka joe]

i removed the cross rails and the noise was reduced significantly! the rails that run the length on the car can't cause that much noise and to take them off you need the replacement strips that are hard to get. may not be worth all the hassle. also, the wind deflector helps, if you don't have one already.

 

[Pretzellogic]

Replacing tires will help a lot. Removing the cross-bars will also work wonders. Other than that, it's a fairly noisy car.

 

[bonesmp5]

http://home.comcast.net/~billyjoy/wsb/html/view.cgi-photos.html-.html

I had the whole car done because of the road noise and to build a system -- even if i hadn't built a system -- i still would have done this for the road noise and it did help alot --- i would still like to try and quiet it a little more and i have an idea but haven't done it yet --still need to do some research on it -- but good luck --

 

[dolanh]

Thanks for the link. Looks like they really gutted the interior, but I guess if you're gonna do it, you might as well do it right....

How much was the total cost of for all the dynamat and installation? How long did the shop take to do it all? I'm trying to figure out whether or not it's worth my time to start ripping the interior apart myself and do a little at a time, or have a shop just have at it one weekend.

FWIW, the crossbars are already off, but thanks for the suggestion. The yakima crossbars + fairing are defintely quieter than the stock bars. As for tires, i've been doing more research and the Toyo Proxes 4 sound like a winner.

Perhaps I should cross post this to the stereo section?

 

[Brian MP5T]

Dynamat and other car noise dedening materials are usually from $20-$50 for a piece that would do one door...

 

[Masshole]

i removed the cross rails and the noise was reduced significantly! the rails that run the length on the car can't cause that much noise and to take them off you need the replacement strips that are hard to get. may not be worth all the hassle. also, the wind deflector helps, if you don't have one already.

Really? I found that removing my wind deflector:
1) gave the car cleaner lines
and
2) reduced noise a bit more

 

[L8R]

remove your cat and resignator hehe jp
welcome to the board

 

[Brian MP5T]

Removing the header works too!!

 

[Me007]

G'day Dolanh from Australia,
i have not quietend down my mazda yet but on a previous car (simmilar shape and size) that i had, i did something like what bonesmp5 did. It was for similar reasons as him i.e. competition stereo install, but things like Dynamat and such are quiet expensive in Aus. So, at the 'dash is the only thing left in the car' point, i layed an extra layer of carpet over the entire floor. it makes it a pain when putting everything back in but it worked really well. i also filled every nook and cranny in the body i could find with Standard high density home roof insulation, you know the fibre glass stuff that makes you all itchy. I packed that into every thing that looked like a hole and behind every panel. I even put two full sheets behind the roof lining. And so i didn't constantly get itchy feet, i put Wool insulation into every available space in the dash. I then only needed dynamat in the front doors around the Infinity mids and MB Quartz Tweeters.

Well talk about a difference. the car was really quiet and the aircon (its hot over here) worked really well. Stero sounded good too.
Just my thoughts, i might be able to help you if you want to try something a little cheeper that you could do yourself.
Have fun
Scott.

 

[dolanh]

welcome to the board

Thanks for the welcome.

I had a 240z once with straight headers for a few days (was waiting for an exhaust to be fabricated). You could hear it for several miles in any given direction

These days, I just want the performance of my 240z without a migraine. That's the whole point of this thread.

I found that removing my wind deflector:
1) gave the car cleaner lines
and
2) reduced noise a bit more

Do you mean the wind deflector over the rear hatch window, or the fairing I have on my yakima racks? The car would definitley look more euro-spec w/o the rear one.

Dynamat and other car noise dedening materials are usually from $20-$50 for a piece that would do one door...

So, are we talking $500-700 for enough to do the whole car (doors, floor, firewall, hatch, ceiling)? I guess my hesitancy to drop that kind of money is that apparently dynamat is great for sound deadening , but much less effective at sound dampening. That's why I was asking about the jute carpet, which is apparently much cheaper. The car could defintely use some deadening (esp. for the tire noise), but I think it's dampening that will kill that wind noise.

 

[bonesmp5]

yes it is spendy -- but i was trying to kill 2 birds with one stone -- it really did help alot but it probably could still be better -- i have more sound coming in than i do going out
i can turn my stereo up about half way before itll be heard out side unless i open the doors --
i spent about 700 buck in materials -- i got 4 Extreme liner bulk packs and 3 of the Extreme mats for the floor --
your biggest expence will be if you put it in or if you have someone do it -- i paid about 800 bucks to have someone put it in and that might have been more if i hadn't been doing the whole stereo at once -- good luck

Thanks for the link. Looks like they really gutted the interior, but I guess if you're gonna do it, you might as well do it right....

How much was the total cost of for all the dynamat and installation? How long did the shop take to do it all? I'm trying to figure out whether or not it's worth my time to start ripping the interior apart myself and do a little at a time, or have a shop just have at it one weekend.

FWIW, the crossbars are already off, but thanks for the suggestion. The yakima crossbars + fairing are defintely quieter than the stock bars. As for tires, i've been doing more research and the Toyo Proxes 4 sound like a winner.

Perhaps I should cross post this to the stereo section?

 

[eting_pro5]

Removing the factory roof rack mounts won't help much. Removing the cross bars, as you have done, does help a lot. But since you have a Yakima rack, I wouldn't be driving with that on daily. Any roof rack makes lots of noise. I have the same setup and only throw it on when I'm carrying something. Since it goes on in seconds, it's not really an issue.

 

[dolanh]

Removing the factory roof rack mounts won't help much. Removing the cross bars, as you have done, does help a lot. But since you have a Yakima rack, I wouldn't be driving with that on daily. Any roof rack makes lots of noise. I have the same setup and only throw it on when I'm carrying something. Since it goes on in seconds, it's not really an issue.

Yeah, I'd do that (or use a hitch mount rack, since I have a hitch installed by the previous owner), if I had anywhere to store the damn thing. But, as I live in SF.... well, let's just say that garages here are a luxury, not a right

 

[Brian MP5T]

Yeah, s***...Welcome to the board...

 

[jb1knobe]

Some Dampening Options

A few more dampening options, some low cost.

I picked up a used P5 this weekend and the moonroof wind noise was unbearable. Removing the front roof rack cross bar eliminated 80% of the problem. I'm thinking of removing the deflector next.

http://www.partsexpress.com/webpag...ID=37&sm=1&so=2&search_type=38067564&desc=ASC

 

[melicha8]

Next time you buy tires try getting tire with a larger sidewall. It will save on gas as well since our cars are a little short geared. Try on a 205/50R16, The larger sidewall will affect cornering but not that much if it's a daily driver and I guess it really doesn't matter if you're choosing on quiet tires anyway. That should help a bit. You might also want to think about removing the windshield wipers as well. You should check out the Falken ST tires as well.

Also welcome to the board n00b...There are quite a few of us here in Nor Cal so why don't you stop on by the HWY9 thread some time and get comfortable.
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20148

 

[dolanh]

Next time you buy tires try getting tire with a larger sidewall. It will save on gas as well since our cars are a little short geared. Try on a 205/50R16, The larger sidewall will affect cornering but not that much if it's a daily driver and I guess it really doesn't matter if you're choosing on quiet tires anyway. That should help a bit. You might also want to think about removing the windshield wipers as well. You should check out the Falken ST tires as well.

The higher sidewall tires are a good idea. Besides, 205/50R16 is much easier to find than 195/50R16. Right now the car has plenty of handling so i'm not worried about giving up a little of it; I drive 280 and 101, not 17. The Falken ST are only in 205/55R16, as far as I can tell. Right now, tire choices are looking like Toyo Proxes 4 or Kumho Ecsta ASX.

Here are the measurements I got:

---size--- | -diameter | -width- | sidewall----------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
195/50-16 | 23.677 in | 7.677 in | 3.839 in
205/50-16 | 24.071 in | 8.071 in | 4.035 in

So it looks like I gain 1/4 inch of sidewall -- that should damp things down.

Ummm... windshield wipers? I kinda need those

Today I did my normal commute w/o the Yakima roof racks. The wind noise was still there a bit, but it has been pretty windy out lately, so i'm gonna reserve judgement until things quiet down. I think in a 40mph gust pretty much anything short of an S-Class Merc is gonna be noisy. Overall I think the noise level is down about 10%.

Finally, thanks for the welcome.

 

[redwagon02]

Nice car!

 

[dolanh]

Nice car!

Thanks!

BTW, I started looking around at soundproofing materials around when I started this thread and came across B-Quiet's site. This is an email exchange I had with Wade of B-Quiet, if anyone is interested:

Subject: Re: need a product recommendation for a Mazda Protege5

Dolan Halbrook wrote:
Hi there,
I'm looking to quiet down my car -- a 2002 Mazda Protege5.
The main sources of noise seem to be wind noise from the roof area (I have a Yakima rack setup with a fairing), and tire noise. Engine noise is less of a concern and (as of yet) squeaks and rattles are pretty much nonexistent.
The car seems to have a rigid headliner so I was thinking that I could use a layer of V or LComp between it and the roof, attached to the roof itself. Killing the wind noise is my primary objective.
For the tires, I would guess brown bread on the floor, doors, and hatch area, with possibly a layer of V or LComp (i'm not sure of the exact difference between the two) over that. That said, i believe a lot of the tire noise is caused by the current tires, and could be cleared up when I replace them with a better set.
I don't need the car to be a tomb, and I definitely don't want the car to weigh as much as one ... just canceling out the wind noise and some of the tire noise would make me happy.
Do my guesses sound in the ballpark? How much material would I need approximately?
Much thanks,
Dolan Halbrook

Dolan,

Adding Vcomp or Lcomp to the ceiling will certainly cut down on noise passing through the roof. Between a rigid headliner and some adhesive, you should be able to keep the composite in place (both of them weigh 1 lb / sq. ft.) Vcomp is a bit thinner than Lcomp and might be a better choice for that reason.

The combination of Brown Bread and Vcomp/Lcomp would also be the best option for the floor. You're correct, different tires can reduce the noise levels - although you'll usually see a trade off between price, performance and noise levels with tires.

I would encourage you to measure the car to confirm, but as a rough estimate, something like a 70 sq. ft. roll of Brown Bread and 30 to 50 sq. ft. of Vcomp/Lcomp would be a good start.

The primary differences between Lcomp/Vcomp is price and performace - Lcomp is 3 to 4dB more effective, but costs almost twice as much in terms of price per sq. ft. Generally most people opt for Vcomp, unless price isn't too big of a concern, or there's not too many sq. ft. of material needed.

Thank you for your interest in B-Quiet. If you have any further questions, please let us know.

Wade
--
B-Quiet Sound Deadening Materials
http://www.b-quiet.com/
877-7-B-QUIET (877-727-8438)

This would be pursuing the more costly route, but would probably more effective overall. The real question is how much I could effectively do at one time, given that I don't have any garage...