My soundproofed drivers door.

[TimmyB]

Here's what I did today after work. I installed Grace Vycor Ultra air and vapor barrier membrane on the inside of the door covering all the holes. I also installed self adhered EPDM roofing membrane on the inside of the outer door, which the EPDM is super thick material and doesnt run when exposed to high heat. The Grace Ultra is a rubber based membrane which also stands up to high temps. I did all my doors this way, and have only the rear passenger left to do. Then start ripping out the seats and carpet and doing the floor boards. Oh, and I wiped the door frame down with a clean cloth then sprayed on 3M adhesive in a spray can I got from Homedepot and let that set up before I applied the peel n stick. The membrane is fully adhered now, after really pressing it on good with my fingers in all the contours or the frame.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/tdiglar78/DSC01707.jpg

The all black material is the EPDM membrane, I added that on the larger holes in the door after several layers of the Grace material for added rigidness. The end product is very stiff with the built up layers and does not move, making the door an "enclosure" for the mids.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/tdiglar78/DSC01708.jpg

Close up view of my JL XR 6.5 components, installed on a 1/2 MDF bracket that fits over the stock 6x9 location. The stereo imaging is great with this set-up, the vocals do sound like they are right in front above the dash. I removed the stock speaker baffle/soundproofing and installed rope caulk on the door frame then reinstalled the baffle part. I installed the MDF bracket set in rope caulk and also set the mid in rope caulk (available at Homedepot in the door weather stripping section).

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/tdiglar78/DSC01057-1.jpg

View of how I ran wires through to the drivers door. I sniped away some of the plastic in the sleeve that fits in the frame. But since this pic I have swapped out wires, and now have two 12 gauge speaker wires running thru the same location, one for my tweeter and one for my mid. My crossover for the drivers side is mounted under the steering wheel on the door that comes down. My passenger crossover is mounted in the kick panel.

I am going to do a complete write-up of my stereo, I think I learned alot from doing it. :thumbsup:

[Robert Palmer]

I always like seeing your projects on your Jeep. Good work.

[TimmyB]

I always like seeing your projects on your Jeep. Good work.

My WK is seriously my hobby and stress release from work. And i know you guys are pic whores, and I admit I do like showing off what I have done.:D

[ItsAJeepThing]

nice job

[Martyp]

Great work, like the speaker set up too.

Do the WKs not have tweeters in the dash or did you find this was a better location for imaging?

[B.P.O.D]

good work bro!!! how's the weight on that stuff???

---------- Post added at 03:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:32 PM ----------

im a big fan of this stuff http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=268-268

[TimmyB]

Stock is 6x9in the door and i think 3.5 up in the dash. I copied the idea from the WJ JL Audio upgrade I found online, where they made those brackets. And im actually amazed at how it really does sound like the vocals are coming from the stock dash location. I keep seeing the speaker manufacturers all saying keep the tweets and mids with-in 8 inches of eachother, but then I see everyone mounts them seperate so who knows whats better. But I do like this set-up and sticking with it. I was expecting it to sound like crap, like the vocals were at the floor but it somehow carries up. I guess its the same concept as mounting them in kickpanels at your feet, I dont get how it would possibly sound good but it does.

http://www.wjjeeps.com/jlaudio.htm

[Martyp]

Ah cool, thanks for the info!

That'd sure make it easier to wire up too. Will bear this in mind when I actually get round to upgrading the speakers/amp in the Jeep.

[TimmyB]

I think im def adding some weight to the car with my soundproofing. Just by foaming the cargo door frame the thing needs a little push to go up. But the peel n stick membrane doesnt really weight that much, i'd say 2lbs per door. But the result is a sealed enclosure for the mids and so much less road noise.

I had the drivers door panel off earlier and the system cranked looking for air leaks, and the air flow coming from where the door lock knob goes thru the door was alot. I sealed the best I could around that now.

[Scottina06]

great work again Timmy!

[Matt]

Nice work Timmy!! Looks great!

Sealing those tin cans that Jeep calls a door really makes a difference ugh..?

When you go active (and I know you will, hehe) drop some big/bulky 6.5's in there and you'll swear you'll never need a sub, lol.

[Denny boy]

have you ever tried using a closed cell foam or the sound dish things behind the speakers. i have the foam in mine, def gives it more punch. the deadening looks really good great job. i used dyno mat in mine i also had to do the ceiling.

[TimmyB]

have you ever tried using a closed cell foam or the sound dish things behind the speakers. i have the foam in mine, def gives it more punch. the deadening looks really good great job. i used dyno mat in mine i also had to do the ceiling.

"sound dish", do you mean speaker baffles? From my research I hear those are horrible to get and muffle the sound output because car mids are made to be mounted with a larger area of space, a sealed enclosure which is why I sealed the holes in the door. Those baffles act like a tiny enclosure and degrade the sound, from my understanding anyways. I was going to actually get them till I started reading online people saying they are bad, so I just re-used the stock baffle that only covers the top of the speaker in the back mainly to keep water off it.

But I did see alot of people mounted egg crate foam on the inside of the door right in back of the mids for sound deflection, which scott just happened to send me as packing material with the struts he shipped. So I will be mounting that in my doors now.


I used Dow window and door expandable spray foam along the bottom of the doors, where the sections of metal meet. I did have to do alot of work after to shave down the foam it grew so much in order to allow any water that got in the door (and alot does) to flow to the sides and out the two holes at the bottom. I used a long screw driver to make passage ways down to the openings in the bottom.

And the reason I know water gets in the doors is i washed my car one night and in the morning opened the back door where I already had the door panel off and water came pouring out one of the holes where the panel fasteners goes in. It must get past the window gaskets and go right in. If I didnt catch on to this because of that I bet my whole door would be filled up with water after a really good rain storm because I sealed them so good with the foam and peel n stick membrane.

And what I do now is drive down the highway and listen for road noise, and since I did the doors im hearing it mostly from below the rear seat and at the front kick panels. So i will be doing those areas next. I dont notice anything from the roof just yet, but who knows once i do the areas listed above.

[w87will]

I believe most of that roofing material has an asphalt base. Is that what the EPDM is? Because usually you will smell that when the heat gets to it. But hey if not then thats great, nice cheap sound deadening material :)

I would love to sound deaden my entire jeep. Its SO noisy on the road. I only have the front doors and the liftgate done in Dynomat. I may try some Second Skin some time...Ive heard its GREAT stuff.

I do like the way you have the tweeter mounted in there with the 6.5 thats a great idea. Great job. Alot of people do everything else but sound deadening, the stuff helps out in so many ways.

[TimmyB]

I believe most of that roofing material has an asphalt base. Is that what the EPDM is? Because usually you will smell that when the heat gets to it. But hey if not then thats great, nice cheap sound deadening material :)

I would love to sound deaden my entire jeep. Its SO noisy on the road. I only have the front doors and the liftgate done in Dynomat. I may try some Second Skin some time...Ive heard its GREAT stuff.

I do like the way you have the tweeter mounted in there with the 6.5 thats a great idea. Great job. Alot of people do everything else but sound deadening, the stuff helps out in so many ways.


It all depends on what specific kind of waterproofing or weather proofing membrane you get. Manufacturers make all different kinds for different applications in construction. Mostly the stuff at home depot is an asphalt based, like the Gace Ice and water Shield. I picked up Grace Vycor Ultr which is a rubber adhesive based, then they have Grace Butyl which is obviously a butyl based. The self adhered EPDM I used is used to seam in EPDM membrane roofs and for flashing. The EPDM is made to be exposed in direct sunlight and does not "melt" at all. I used Carlisle cavity wall membrane which is asphalt based on my cargo floor since if it does get soft it wont matter because it will just settle down, and its covered with the stock matting too.

Go on a site like secondskin.com and read what there materials are made out of, then go on Grace's site or Carlisle's site and see all the different types of membranes they carry. Oh, and then compair prices, which is a considerable difference. They mainly all have the poly facing but the adhesive backing is either asphalt, rubber, or butyl. Rubber and butyl are safe for in door applications, asphalt id stay away from unless its applied horizontal like of floor pans or cargo floors and will be covered anyways by carpet or additional matting.:thumbsup:

---------- Post added at 01:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:40 PM ----------

And the reason I push using construction weatherproofing membranes as opposed to Dynamat and other "car audio" soundproofing is simply cost. The amount of material you can purchase is greater with a construction marketed membrane because of the volume of it they sell making it cheaper. Plus im an engineer for a weather proofing consulting firm in Boston so I get access to whatever I want off construction sites. I just got another roll of 12"x50' self adhered EPDM membrane off a site for "testing" purposes I told them, yea to test in my car as soundproofing. Lol

[Matt]

And the reason I push using construction weatherproofing membranes as opposed to Dynamat and other "car audio" soundproofing is simply cost. The amount of material you can purchase is greater with a construction marketed membrane because of the volume of it they sell making it cheaper. Plus im an engineer for a weather proofing consulting firm in Boston so I get access to whatever I want off construction sites. I just got another roll of 12"x50' self adhered EPDM membrane off a site for "testing" purposes I told them, yea to test in my car as soundproofing. Lol

True that!

[w87will]

Oh its a hell of alot cheaper. Hey if it works it works. May not be as thick but you can layer it up :) I may have to get something similar to what your using because I want to do the entire floor of my jeep. The second skin will make me go broke doing that much.

[TimmyB]

For the floor you can always use Henry Blueskin air and vapor barrier membrane, which is 40 mil thickness. You can buy a 36"x 75' roll of it for $80. Thats enough to do the floor 4 or 5 times maybe, layering on thickness. Before putting the carpet back you can always cover the cut edges of the membrane with duct tape to keep the adhesive material from contacting the underside of the carpet for removal later if needed. But with any membrane including dynamat once you put it down you will not be pulling it back up. Its made to permanantly bond to the substrate with the proper prep work.

Dynamat Xtreme is 1.7 mils, but costs about $100 for 36"x 4'. Thats about enough for one door inside and outer.

Here's the Henry site I go on alot for info at work, you might see some of there products in the roofing section at home depot. Its a construction materials manufacturer that makes membranes, roofing materials and sealants. Alot of construction materials suppliers in the phone book will carry these specialty products, usually an account with them is needed to buy, but im sure if you walk in there with cash they will sell you anything.

http://www.henry.com/Air___Vapor_Barriers.22.0.html

---------- Post added at 09:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:19 AM ----------

Oh its a hell of alot cheaper. Hey if it works it works. May not be as thick but you can layer it up :) I may have to get something similar to what your using because I want to do the entire floor of my jeep. The second skin will make me go broke doing that much.


Are you near MA at all? I can get you whatever you need as far as construction marketed membranes go. Floors i'd go asphalt based which is the cheapest and doors i'd go rubber or butyl based which is a little more money.

Also for the floor you can research around home depot or even craft stores for a high density rubber or foam mat material to lay down.

The WK already has a nice thick stock soundproofing on the inner doors as it is. After sealed the holes with membrane I re-installed that over it. When I was removing it I made sure to scrape all the black adhesive/sealant stuff off with it so it stays on the mat for when I put it back on, just press it into place firmly and it seals itself.

[w87will]

Im over in Florida. I guess I wouldn't have a problem using a butyl or rubber based product, but me personally dont like the sound of having anything asphalt based inside my vehicle.

oh and that roll of Henry Blueskin being 40 mil thick....wow you'd only need one layer of that haha.

Ive read plenty of threads about using the roofing materials as sound deadening compared to the actuall dynamat, second skin, raamat etc. and everyone seems to be against it...... Hell the only problem I would have is if it smells like a hot roof or road :) . If not im all for it, i like things cheap.

At the homedepot I work at We don't carry the Henry products. Its all pretty much GAF. and the stuff we stock for GAF would not work at all. Lowes does carry a product called Peal and Seal (probably a 1 square roll) which Ive heard plenty of people using that in their vehicles...but its an asphalt base.