Lead for Soundproofing..

[TimmyB]

I have a big roll of lead in my basement right now, I was thinking of covering my cargo floor pan with it and soldering the edges making it a single sheet when done. I noticed more road noise from the back now that I dropped my spare tire for my srt exhaust install. Anyone else ever use lead for soundproofing before? I have enough to cover the entire sub floor back there. And i hear lead is a gread sound deadener to use because its so dense.

[Joe in PA]

That would add a good bit of weight to the Jeep, no? I'd go with the sound proofing material specifically made for auto stereo work. Then you you send all that nice lead to me and I'll use it to pour a bunch of fishing jig heads. :D

[TimmyB]

That would add a good bit of weight to the Jeep, no? I'd go with the sound proofing material specifically made for auto stereo work. Then you you send all that nice lead to me and I'll use it to pour a bunch of fishing jig heads. :D


Lol, im sure shipping cost would be alot sending it to you. The only reason im asking is im moving and I dont have space to take alot of the things I accumulated over the years here. So figured id use it on something instead of throwing it away. The roll of lead is heavey, prob 40-50lbs. I removed the spare tire, so evens out.

[Joe in PA]

Take it to a scrap metal place and you'll probably get a good chunk of change for 50lbs of soft lead. Then use that money towards the lightweight sound proofing stuff. ;)

[TimmyB]

Take it to a scrap metal place and you'll probably get a good chunk of change for 50lbs of soft lead. Then use that money towards the lightweight sound proofing stuff. ;)


Really? I got it from Homedepot, its a 50' roll of lead flashing for roofs. I didnt even think to go to a metal scrape yard. Cool. I have a bunch of copper wireing and pipes in my basemement also they might buy. Thanks for the idea.

[robpp]

they will give a lot more for copper wire that has the plastic peeled off.

[TimmyB]

they will give a lot more for copper wire that has the plastic peeled off.


Its actually the old knob and tube wireing with the rubber/cloth type covering on it. Seems easy to take off so i'll spend some time removing it first then before I bring it. Sweet, I have alot of that and copper pipes stacked in a corner down there.

[Matt]

Probably not worth the weight to effectiveness ratio. Some guys have used BB's mixed with clay to use around the baffle (for a door).

[TimmyB]

From my google research I hear lead is the best for soundproofing because its so dam dense. Thats the only reason i was thinking of using what i had in the cargo area.

[Matt]

From my google research I hear lead is the best for soundproofing because its so dam dense. Thats the only reason i was thinking of using what i had in the cargo area.

But is it worth the weight added? That's the question I would have. For sure the best thing would be the most dense material you could find, but there are consequences to this.

[TimmyB]

Well its only doing the cargo area where I do hear alot of road noise and exhaust from now, so adding the lead at about 40lbs doesnt really bother me. Thats like driving around with a midget in the rear seats to me, not much of a difference if you look a it like that. lol.

[Matt]

Well its only doing the cargo area where I do hear alot of road noise and exhaust from now, so adding the lead at about 40lbs doesnt really bother me. Thats like driving around with a midget in the rear seats to me, not much of a difference if you look a it like that. lol.

Yeah, if your exhaust is loud enough then I say do it.

Stereo > exhaust :D

[B.P.O.D]

i can recommend a really good material but it is $$$

[Matt]

i can recommend a really good material but it is $$$

Cascade...?

[TimmyB]

i can recommend a really good material but it is $$$


Like I said I have a big roll of lead flashing laying around in my basement so I wanted to use it. I also have rolls and rolls of peel n stick waterproofing membrane still to use like i already did in my cargo floor and all my doors. I wouldnt spend money for "soundproofing" materials since I have access to similar materials for free but i'd just have to use more of and double them up. I was actually going to buy mass loaded vinyl for my hood but the Roxul mineral wool insulation I stuffed in the framing seems to work great and cut down on alot of road noise, all for free off construction sites.

And im going to use the lead flashing in the cargo area, maybe tomorrow if I get off work early enough and its still light out. When I drive on the highway I turn the radio down and listen for where I hear road noise the most, and right now its coming from the back at the cargo floor or even under the rear seats which I havent touched yet. Anyone remove the rear seats and peel up the carpet back there, I want to lay some peel n stick down under there before winter comes. The seat come up easy?

[robpp]

i took my back seat bottom out. it was just 2 bolts. in the front of the seat near the outer corner. it lifted right out after that.

[Oldsmokey]

Try some window tape from the hardware store. Its the same as dynamat and others just way cheaper. I used in on my pickup and it worked great

[B.P.O.D]

^^^ please elaborate on this! pics? brand name?

[Oldsmokey]

I dont have any pictures of my install but it comes in 4 inch wide roles. Its an asphault based tape with a type of aluminum foil on one side and an adhesive on the other.

Here is a link http://www.tarcoroofing.com/pdf/LB_Door_&_Window.pdf

You should be able to go to a lowes homedepot etc and get it. I think I used 4 roles to do all for doors the back seat and back wall of my full size dodge pickup. I think I paid around $13 per role but that was a few years back.

[Matt]

Stay away from the asphalt-based, aluminum-backed adhesives. Asphalt can heat up and not only smell up your car, but also melt off of it's mounting plane.

I'm not saying it isn't effective. It is (although not as good of a product compared a true sound deadner - Second Skin, RAAMat), but you'll need more of it, and of course run the risk of what I said above.

[Oldsmokey]

I had no problem with the smell. When I installed it i used a heat gun to form around all the curves. It was quite hot at times and still no problem

Im sure its doesnt work as well as the actual sound deadener but, my experience with window tape in 4 different vehicles has been good

[Matt]

I had no problem with the smell. When I installed it i used a heat gun to form around all the curves. It was quite hot at times and still no problem

hmm, that's good! Where are you located? I think it was a lot of folks in the hotter states that were having problems.

[Oldsmokey]

That could be. Im in South Dakota, although we get some very hot days. 105+ is not as consistant as it is where most live. Its 9 degrees now. We get a little of everything

[Matt]

That could be. Im in South Dakota, although we get some very hot days. 105+ is not as consistant as it is where most live. Its 9 degrees now. We get a little of everything

Yeah, that could be why. Either way, that's a good thing for you! For as cheap as it is, just add until you don't need anymore.

[TimmyB]

I dont have any pictures of my install but it comes in 4 inch wide roles. Its an asphault based tape with a type of aluminum foil on one side and an adhesive on the other.

Here is a link http://www.tarcoroofing.com/pdf/LB_Door_&_Window.pdf

You should be able to go to a lowes homedepot etc and get it. I think I used 4 roles to do all for doors the back seat and back wall of my full size dodge pickup. I think I paid around $13 per role but that was a few years back.

I covered this in another thread before but i'll sum it up here. The asphalt based peel n stick membranes are ok to use on horizontal applications as it does get soft in high temps and may even produce running of the black asphalt, I used a Carlisle CCW asphalt based membrane all over my cargo floor which is great because it just sticks down better in heat, but would run in the doors prob. For the doors I used a Grace Butyl based peel n stick membrane that is made for roof applications and with stands higher temps and wont break down and run. I also used EPDM membrane flashing on the doors that is really thick and does not break down in high temps as its made to be exposed on roof decks, but I think its more expensive than a Dynamat membrane. I got a few rolls of the EPDM for free off construction sites I have been to.

I ended up installing the lead I had in the cargo area and I think it made a decent improvement on road noise coming up from back there. Maybe its in my head, but when I removed my spare tire to get the srt exhaust installed I heard more road noise it seemed. I still have a few cans of rubberized undercoating I want to spray under the car and some mineral wool insulation I want to stuff behind the plastic covers at the fenders. And im going to remove the back seat this weekend and lay down a few layers of peel n stick membrane back there.

Right now with all the soundproofing ive done I think most of the road noise is coming from the door seals which I dont know how to make better or tighter, any ideas?

[Scottina06]

your Jeep now weighs 6500 pounds Timmy......LOL

[TimmyB]

your Jeep now weighs 6500 pounds Timmy......LOL


Haha. I know, but I couldnt help just layering everything on, to me more is better. But really the most weight I added was that lead in the back which was im guessing 25-30lbs, that roll of lead was dam heavey. All the peel n stick membrane I used was prob another 30lbs if that, and im just guessing and might be less. Other than that I installed canned spray foam everywhere else which is hardly any weight at all. In my mind I did remove the spare tire so made some weight up there, but then the two srt resinators and pipes added some back.

[Karpe]

you'd get the same effect with Mass Load Vinyl and Closed Cell foam with less weight. You may want to add these on top of the Pb if you don't mind the weight.

If road noise persists, I'd use something like Spectrum Sludge from Second Skin on the inside and outside of the cargo area.

[TimmyB]

you'd get the same effect with Mass Load Vinyl and Closed Cell foam with less weight. You may want to add these on top of the Pb if you don't mind the weight.

If road noise persists, I'd use something like Spectrum Sludge from Second Skin on the inside and outside of the cargo area.


Mass loaded vinyl would be the best material probably, I wanted to install it under my hood before but its expensive. All the materials I have installed I got for free off construction sites so it cost me zero. Basically I have all this peel n stick membrane, sheets of lead, and mineral wool insulation so I figured out where I could install them to give me the same effect as car audio marketed soundproofing materials, im cheap. Lol.

And its snowing out here in MA so no work outside on my car for me today, suxxxx.

[Karpe]

I don't know if Matt has already directed you here or not, but http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com has a lot of good reading about deadening, as well as some great products for a great price. If nothing else, you can learn how to effectively use the products you have already.

[Matt]

I don't know if Matt has already directed you here or not, but http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com has a lot of good reading about deadening, as well as some great products for a great price. If nothing else, you can learn how to effectively use the products you have already.

I haven't, but that is a GREAT site. I have it bookmarked somewhere.

[TimmyB]

I don't know if Matt has already directed you here or not, but http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com has a lot of good reading about deadening, as well as some great products for a great price. If nothing else, you can learn how to effectively use the products you have already.


Informative site, thats where I actually got the idea to use the roll of lead I have in the cargo area. That site says Mass Loaded Vinyl is a cheap alternative to lead, well I already had the lead. Lol. I actually just found 5 more small rolls in my basement cleaning it out, must of been from some previous roof flashing work because it looks used and has some nail holes thru it.

[Scottina06]

I'm gonna change Timmy's username from "TimmyB" to "LamontB" LOLOLOLOL

[TimmyB]

Whats Lamont mean? Cheap or something, cuz I really am cheap. Hehe...

[Scottina06]

LOL....Lamont Sanford....Sanford and Son??????? LOL