NEW! Sound Deadening 101

[2002GreyHD150]

ok I have had lots of questions about installing sound deadener. There are lots of comparable products out there. They are all essentially the same. They are a vibro-acoutsic layer with a foil reflective backing. So B-quiet, Dynamat, Accu-Mat, etc are the same basic thing, they all do the same job. SO if you have a hook-up for Brand X, Y, or Z.. jump on it. If you are a regular joe:

www.b-quiet.com or ebay.

Deadening Basics:

1.) Entire panel coverage is best for complete effect. however astounding results can be had with 6"-8" squares with a 2-4" gab between in a "tile" or "checkerboad" pattern. Limited access areas go for best coverage with manageable pieces

2.) Any time you overlap pieces, use a 1" overlap & then duct tape the edges to prevetn moisture from getting under.

3.) The little wooden rollers are fine. But a reinforced wood or Fiberglass roller from Lowe's /Home Depot is better & usually cheaper. on larger surfaces, I have a 2x4 that is about 24" long.I rounded the egdes off & made it a long pressing board.. works great on the floor & rear cab wall insted of knocking your knuckles around.

4.)The smoother you lay the deadener the easier it is to finish with the roller. be sure if you have deep depressions in the floor or rear cab wall you fold the deadener so it touches the center of the depression & then work it up out of the depression.

5.)On double layers (rear cab wall!): change direction of the pieces run one front to back of the truck the next left to right... to overlap seams & further deaden the area.

Most common questions about deadening the Harley trucks:

how much do I need?
easy calculation: the door panel is roughly 37" x 27" so call it 3' x 3' or 9 sq ft. per door... minimum... expect 5-7% for shrink & waste... I would at least order a 70sq ft package... but that will only cover the interior metal behind the door panel where it attaches..

What do you recommend for max deadening for:

Doors: as above the interior skin as one large or 2 medium overlapping pieces. DO THIS LAST!
you will want to put 6" wide strips on the back(inside) of the outer door skin with 4-6" gaps between each strip for max benefit. DO THIS FIRST. Lastly directly behind each speaker a 6-8" square over the 6" strips. Remeber: the speaker openings & the access slots are all you have to work with to get to the outer door skin.. it sucks... the 8" squares just press right through the speaker openings after you put the 6" strips on the outer skin... then your solid door "skin". Oh, dont do the backs of the plastic panels unless you have scraps you want to use up.. the panels don't vibrate that much unless you have bad mounting hardware.


[I] Rear Cab wall[/B] rear cab wall it is the noisiest(sp) panel in the truck & one of the easiest to deaden... the rear wall is 65" x 32" or call it 6' x 3" or 18 sq ft once you wrap around to the C-pillar & on to the floor pan... I did 2 layers & the difference was astouunding... Be sure to extend past the ends of the rear wall & wrap to the C-pillar so that your C-pillar stripsoverlap by 1". Same with the floor.

[I] Roof[/I} Sucks to do alone. You really need at least 1 more person, 2 makes for faster more accurate work... 2 hold one rolls/presses.. BE CAREFULL too much pressure up on the inside fo the roof can warp, buckle or dent the roof panel... go easy... 1 layer is enough, 2 may sag or fall. Also removing & installing the headliner board is a 2 person job to keep the risk of creasing the panel.

Floor one layer is good. 2 is great but makes for interesting reinstall of many parts due to the extra thickness... A couple of tricks.. (1) from underneath the truck, onse the material is down & stuck, poke a flat screwdriver or hole punch throught the bolt holes for seats, belts etc.. makes finding themmuch easier. (2) run your bolts through before you reinstall the carpet... so the holes are easier to find.

[I]If you are like SOME of our memebers (Krix, Aryton) you ahve the entire interior out.. go for it.. 2 layers is best.

Bottom line: the more you do the quieter your truck is, the better exhaust you can run & keep the Mrs./Ms. happy, the louder your stereo will seem to play.. All wins. Be carefull with your multiple layers & pay attention to rules 1-5 you'll be fine.

If you ahve specific questions, post them in the general area NOT HERE... I will up date this with addtions to keep it clean & tidy.

Rob W