In the pages of Sport Truck, we're always talking about installing the most efficient parts to produce better performance. For example, a free-flowing exhaust will increase the efficiency of the motor and in turn make power. But how do we apply this to the audio side of it? Well, no matter how good your components are at producing music, they still have to overcome the ambient noise in the cab. Road noise or big, lumpy cams will be having you turn the dial a few more clicks just so you can hear the tunes. Ever noticed that your stereo sounds louder when you stop at a light? That's because the road noise cancels out some of the frequencies in the music. The best way to overcome this is to cover the metal surfaces with a product to increase its density. Sound is a group of vibrations that your ear converts, so if you can cut out the unwanted vibrations, your ears can just process the music.
Mr. Gasket, a name we all know for making power parts, now offers sound-dampening materials in its G-Sport catalog. The line of products features four different types of coatings to fit every sound-dampening need. The line includes Titan-Lite, Econo-Skin, and Neo-Foam, products that are peel-and-stick applications, and G-Spray, which goes on like spray-on undercoating. They are specifically designed to reduce road noise and dampen vibrations that plague trucks fitted will massive bass. Installing the products is pretty straightforward -- peel and stick or spray and shoot -- so most of your time will be spent disassembling your interior. Follow along as we show you where to stick and where to spray if you want a solid truck that doesn't buzz or rattle when you crank up that freedom-rock CD.
·Titan-Lite
Titan-Lite is the flagship in this line of dampening materials and is made to use on most surfaces in your truck. Its adhesive withstands temperatures in excess of 250 degrees, so you don't have to worry about it un-sticking in areas, such as under the headliner.
·Econo-Skin
Econo-Skin is a mineral-filled viscoelastic polymer suited for the budget-minded install. It's made to go over irregular door and floor pans and works great in sharp 90-degree bends. It won't provide the dampening level of the Titan-Lite, but it doesn't cost as much.
·Neo-Foam
Neo-Foam is an effective antirattle cushioning gasket material made of 1/8-inch-thick nitrile neoprene composite foam. It can be used between interior panels to eliminate annoying squeaks and buzzes.
·G-Spray
G-Spray is a viscoelastic spray that contains a significant mineral load. It's made to use on those hard-to-reach areas or where difficult contours exist. This spray also has a corrosion inhibitor built in, so as an added bonus, it can prevent rust.
Here is the truck once we...
Here is the truck once we got the interior out. As you can see, the factory placed some material on the floor panel to keep road noise down. This is not nearly enough to keep all of the noise out, so we will cover the transmission hump with the Econo-Skin.
What looks to be carpet pad...
What looks to be carpet pad was hiding under the headliner. This didn't do much to keep our truck from sounding like a tin can
We employed a razor knife...
We employed a razor knife to cut though all the products.
A few pieces of the Titan-Lite...
A few pieces of the Titan-Lite were cut for the roof panel. Since the area is pretty much flat, it went on without a hitch.
Behind the rear speaker, we...
Behind the rear speaker, we found a piece of factory-installed material, so we sprayed it with the G-Spray.
We used the Econo-Skin across...
We used the Econo-Skin across the back of the cab. Because of its bumpy nature, it was the easiest to install.
The doors had nada in the...
The doors had nada in the way of sound suppression, so we stuck a layer of Titan-Lite in there.
And sealed it up with the...
And sealed it up with the G-Spray. With that, the interior went back in. Our truck was noticeably more solid as soon as we shut the door, and driving down the road the truck had that luxury car kind of quiet -- until the volume knob got cranked up, that is.