washbeezy16

I've seen all the tC and xB deadening posts but not much for the xA-

today I attempted to deaden my doors. i'm less than mechanically inclined, and it wasn't that bad. I got my passenger side door done today and i'll do my driver side tomrorow- I can take pics for anyone who wants them.

Here's what I learned and the process-

-take out screw in door handle and in part of door where you put your hand to close it

-pop out screw/rivet thing in upper corner of door nearest to dash (i didn't; it flew off and I almost lost it when i pulled the door panel off)


-pop off a-pillar cover where tweeters are housed above door sill- use a flat head screw driver as there's only 1 screw/clip holding it on

-grab the door panel on bottom of panel near middle, theres a little opening to fit your hand, now pull- pull decently hard

-the panel should come off at the bottom, be careful not to yank the panel far away from door as your accessories are still plugged in

-lift panel up and it will unhook from top of door

-unplug power window and power lock electrical- there's a little push-in part where you push while simultaneously pulling the connector out

- your door panel should be free-

the actual process of deadening has been outlined in several other forums, so i won't bother you with that- however here are a few tips or things i learned about the process:

it helps to quasi-measure the area where you'll be applying the deadener- this will prevent you from using too much or too little for the area that you need covered.

inside the door where you need to maneuver more, it helps to peel a little of the paper back to expose the sticky part of the deadener, then to place that exposed area at your starting location and to smooth that out, then slowly pull the paper off and keep smoothing until the whole piece is done. this ensures that you get a even and smooth coverage and that your deadener doesn't clump and stick to areas other than where you're wanting

there's a reinforcement bar that runs semi-horizontally in the door that you'll have to work around. it is possible to sneak deadener behind the bar though

i got coverage on pretty much all of the outer skin by maneuvering through the openings in the door, mainly the bigger opening. the only hard part was behind the speaker. i couldn't get the exact coverage and amount there that i wanted because i didn't take out the speaker- however, i am getting my speakers replaced on friday and the installer will finish this small part for me.

i chose to deaden the inner skin too and to cover the openings to try to make more of an enclosure to improve mid-bass response. i've read that this helps. when doing this, before you put your door panel back on, you're going to have to trim some of the foam that's in the panel because that part can't fit into the opening anymore since there is no opening. i ended up trimming about 1/2 inch or so off to make things work

initial reaction/results-
i tested my speaker and possibly detected better mid-bass response- it's hard to tell w/the stock speakers- i'll know more when i get my jbl gti's put in on friday- the door seems a little heavier and more solid when closing. sounds different than when closing the non-deadened doors. i didn't take the car out so i'm not sure if it's reduced road noise any. no rattles or vibrations anymore.

i used RAAMmat after reading the sound deadener showdown and other info. this is the only deadener i've used, so i dn't know how it compares. however, it was cheaper than other products. the customer service was awesome, and shipping was cheap and fast. i'd highly recommend.

send me PM's or whatever if you want to know more- i'll update this with more results after i drive and get the upgraded speakers w/amp pushing them

hope this helps-







as always- i assume no liability for these comments and for what might happen if something goes awry w/your experience

koalaty2

I have an xB, but: Nice write up. I am in the process of deadening mine now and using RAAMmat also. I have completed rear hatch and back area. Next is the rear doors. Your instructions should help with that. Hope to make it much quieter. I took initial DB readings so I will be able to tell by a meter, not just judging by my ears. Good luck.

tanakasan

Interested in the actual, metered noise reduction!

I have 60 sq/ft of eDead waiting for time and a hot day. Gotta be better, but exactly how much will be interesting to see. How much (sq/ft) deadening are you doing?

Post up when you have the final results!

washbeezy16

Wish I could have metered mine, but metering would have been almost pointless w/stock speakers.

i did my driver's door today- it took way less time. forgot to take pics though, sorry. the process and layout was exactly the same as the passenger's side. i couldn't figure out how to take the electronics accessory clip out, so i ended up unscrewing the whole kit, which had 3 screws.

all in all, i think there's an improvement. i will be able to tell more when i get the aftermarket speakers in.

koalaty2

My metering is with the sterio off. I also have stock sterio, but I just want a quiet ride inside when the music is off. I have approx. 60 sq. ft of RAAMmat, and 7 yds of ensolite (1/8" thick closed cell foam). Also adding 3/8" Al. backed jute padding under the new carpet (carpet is thicker and heavier so that should help absorb outside noise also. I figure I will be adding about 130 lbs to the weight of the car, less 30 pounds of stuff that I will be taking out. It is about the weight that could be made back up with the lightweight pulley I have on order. I will post numbers when I am completed, but it is a slow process, since I am doing the carpet at the same time.

Initial readings are:
Windows up, in garage, Idle 48 db, 2K rpm-58 db, 3K rpm-62 db, 4K-66 db

Driving test has to be duplicated on the same section of road because road noise can very so much. I got (auto trans) 70db at 60 mph, and in 2nd-76db at 60mph.

So I have some good "base" numbers, just have to finish the job, and check again.