By far the most popular vehicle in North America is the pickup truck. They are versatile, look good, are safe and are useful in everyday life. However, not all pickups are created equal with various degrees of automotive sound deadening added to each one.
The main places where noise enters a truck is through the floor, the doors and the roof. The main causes of this noise are wind noise, engine/gear noise and tire noise. All three of these can create a great deal of noise which takes away from the driving experience.
Over the years B-Quiet Sound Deadening has been a part of many automotive and truck sound deadening products and here is what you should do to keep your truck quiet and cool.
Why Pickup Trucks Need Sound Insulation
Trucks have larger metal panels, open bed cavities, and stiffer suspensions, all of which amplify vibration and sound.
The most common culprits include:
- Tire and road vibration through the floor and wheel wells.
- Exhaust and drivetrain hum transmitted via the firewall and tunnel.
- Wind turbulence from mirrors and roof seams.
- Bed resonance acting as a large echo chamber.
How to Sound Deaden your Truck: Floor
Floor Step 1.
To start your project, you will first disassemble the interior. We always recommend disconnecting your battery as many late model trucks come with seat airbags and you will be removing the harness that connects the airbag.
The next step will be to slowly, remove the seats, center console and interior carpet. This will give you full access to the floor of your truck. Although this sounds challenging, it is doable in about 2 hours with a socket set, screwdrivers and soft pull trim removal tools such as the one sold at B-Quiet.com. While all vehicles are different, there are a large number of sites that have well documented instructions on how to disassemble the interior. Just remember, if you feel you´re forcing a plastic piece, stop and consult to make sure you do not break anything.
We also recommend using your cell phone and taking pictures of every stage of removal, that way you can refer to the pictures if you´re stuck on how to put it back together.
Floor Step 2.
Once your interior has been removed you can now prep your truck for sound deadening. Remove all dirt and debris from the floor and ensure it´s clean. If oil has come in contact with the floor a degreaser should be used.
Floor Step 3.
Roll out the B-Quiet Sound Deadening Ultimate or Extreme into the space you would like to cover and cut it with a pair of scissors to the shape you desire. Once you have cut and shaped the sheet, it´s time to peel off the protective backing to expose the adhesive. Apply the sound deadening to the bare metal surface starting from one side and slowly dropping to the other. Here if you make a mistake, don´t worry, you can peel it back up and reposition the sound deadening. Once you have it in the correct position, use a roller and roll the deadener ensuring all air bubbles are removed and the deadener is properly attached to the metal. Ensure all mounting bolt and screw holes have been cut out and are accessible and you are finished.
At this point, the automotive sound deadener is attached to the vehicle, and you are done. If you do not plan on adding VComp to your floor, then you are ready to put your vehicle back together.
If you have opted for the VComp to further reduce in cabin noise it´s time to install it.
VComp is a mass loaded vinyl with an attached foam layer that is laid down, most frequently on the floor of the vehicle in between the ribs/structure of the floor. Cut out the VComp Sound absorbing mat to the desired shape you want it using a pair of scissors or a utility knife, being careful to cut away from yourself.
A spray adhesive, such as that found at Home Depot or an auto parts store, and is applied to the back of the foam, which in turn is placed with the foam towards the noise.
At this stage, you have installed all the deadeners on the floor and can reassemble the vehicle, using the pictures you took to guide you in the process.
How to Sound Deaden your Truck: Doors
Door Step 1.
The second greatest source of noise is your vehicle door. From the factory, most trucks have no or minimal sound deadening inside them. The door is made up of an outer skin, and an inner frame. The outer skin faces the outside and the inner skin is facing the inside of the vehicle. In between the two skins is the window mechanism.
The first step to sound deadening your truck door is to remove the door card. Most door cards are attached with screws, plastic clips and metal clips. The internet is your best friend at this point and many hidden screws can be found by doing a google search. A moderate amount of force is needed to remove the door card and unclip the plastic clips, however if you feel your going to break your part, then stop and do some research to make sure you have not missed a screw. Once the door panel is disconnected and the window switches have been unplugged you are ready to sound deaden your door.
Door Step 2.
Once the door card has been removed, it´s time to apply Ultimate or Extreme. As with the floor, measure and cut out the sizing of the sheet and once you are happy with the sizing, peel off the back paper backing and apply the deadener to the door. At this point you are going to be covering several access points that were used to install the window mechanism and at the end, you will have a completely sealed door.
Door Step 3.
Special care should be taken to ensure you keep screw and clip holes open. At this point you can reinstall your door card, ensuring to go slowly so as to not break any clips. We typically only apply sound deadening to the inner skin of the door as getting to the outer skin is challenging due to the window regulator and mechanism. If however you have removed your regulator and mechanism, you could also add B-Quiet automotive sound deadener to the outer skin as well.
Door Step 4
Once the door is back together, check all the buttons and locks to ensure they function properly before you put back your final screws.
How to Sound Deaden your Truck: Roof
Roof Step 1
Most modern pickup trucks have a headliner and above that the roof skin, most trucks rely on the headliner to deaden the sound of the wind noise buffeting that happens at highway speeds. This however is not enough and wind noise is usually present.
The first step in sound deadening your vehicle roof is to remove your headliner. As most modern vehicles have air bags located in the ceiling, it is good practice to disconnect your battery before starting the headliner removal. Google will be your friend in finding the best way to remove the headliner, but in most cases it involves removing the screws that hold the sun visors, upper consoles and handles for the passengers. Care must be used when removing the headliner as the material is strong, but not that strong and if bent, will create a crease in the fabric when reassembled.
Once all retainers are removed and the headliner has been removed, it´s time to move to step 2.
Roof Step 2
B-Quiet Sound Deadening recommends to only use B-Quiet Ultimate on the ceiling of your vehicle, this is due to it´s tolerance to high heat applications and as the roof faces the sun, it will be able to resist this heat. Cut Ultimate to the desired shape, only placing the sound deadening in between the ribs of the roof, rolling it out with the roller. After this has been done, use Hliner insulation to insulate the top of the roof, leading to a quiet and insulated driving experience. Hliner, like Ultimate is cut to shape, and the backing is removed to expose the adhesive. The cut to size panel is then placed over the Ultimate creating a firm bond that will not move.
Roof Step 3.
At this stage you are ready to reinstall your headliner. Ensure your hands are clean as headliners usually have light colored fabric and stains are hard to remove. Reinstall the same way you removed it and once finished connect your battery. On average with all three of these Steps taken, Floor, doors and roof, you can expect up to an 18–24 dB reduction in cabin noise, depending on the truck model and installation quality.
You are now finished your B-Quiet Sound Deadening install and it´s time to go for a drive and enjoy the driving experience.
