Date:         Tue, 17 May 94 19:13:59 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      bus noises: quieting 'road noise'

not that this will save your ears :) but it will make the car a bit quieter
on long trips.

you can cut down on the 'road noise' by deadening those big metal panels on
the sides of buses. this is done by taking off the interior panels and putting
some stuff on the inside surfaces of the exterior 'wall's.  the stuff i've
used is

3M Silencer Strips, part no. 08585. 1 roll (3" wide by 50' long). about $40.
   sound-deadens metal panels and sheeting.
   "A comfortable, easy to use sealer in handy tape form. Ideal for sealing
    and sound deadening metal panels and sheeting. Friction-free backing
    allows it to be covered with matting, carpeting, etc."
    caution: may cause eye and skin irritation. contains polybutene.
    precatutions: avoid contact with eyes and skin. keep out of reach of
       children.
    suggested first aid: eye contact: flush eyes with large amounts of water.
                         skin contact: wash with soap and water.
    features:  * High tack; adheres aggressively to metal, plastic, etc.
               * will not stretch or sag.
               * non-hardening
               * water resistant
    directions: surfaces must be clean and dry. cut silencer strips to
                desired length and press in place. before using, determine
                suitability for particular application.
    used for: trunk area, body panels, door panels, floor pan.

3M Rubberized Undercoating, part no. 08883. 1 can, 19.75 oz. about $7.
   "Sprays easily, dries quickly and provides a tough film that is
    exceptionally resistant to abrasion. Remains flexible. Ideal for coating
    small and/or repaired areas."
    <buncha stuff about this stuff being flammable while spraying, dangerous
    if you eat it, etc.>

comments:
  i put an X of the silence strips in the sliding door and the front doors
(as much as i can get to the inside of the front doors, with the windows up).
then in behind the little interior panels around the rear seat and cargo
area. also in the driver's side 'non-door' (in the middle seat area, the left
wall). and then while i've got the panels all off, i spray the undercoating
all around on as much of the flat surfaces of the skin panels as i can get
to. it really makes a difference in the 'drumming' sound as you ride down
the road. it's funny, cause you don't really notice the noise until it's
gone.

a couple of warnings:
the silencer strips are really 'aggressive' ... they'll stick to damn near
anything! so you need to be careful about the length of the strip you are
working with (and don't drop it), and what you bump up against. hard to get
off once it's taken a liking to something. :)

the undercoating is also hard to get off. 3M General Purpose Adhesive Remover
works good. but you need to be careful where you point the nozzle. it, like
a lot of spray can stuff, is very flammable, so don't smoke while you're
messing with this stuff. it's never bothered my skin (and i've gotten it all
over my hands), but others may be more sensitive.

basically, just follow the directions and it works well.

an advertisement for 3M? :) well, no ... it's just that i tried some stuff
from FLAPS and K-Mart and they didn't work too well. these two products work.
and work well. mostly what i have found is that 3M products DO work ... they
cost a little more, but it's worth it to avoid the hassle ... and to not have
to do it over. i used about four cans of undercoating and two rolls of
silencer strips on my 88 bus (but then i also sprayed around the wheel wells
and up above the spare tire). about $100 worth. yeah, i know ... but we did
it to my nephew's honda crx and i got carried away in the spirit of the
moment. :)  anyway, i think it was worth it ... and i'm gonna do it to my
once and future buses. besides, you don't have to do it all at once. you
could do the front doors and front firewall area first and wait on the rest.

there are also some things called 'Q-pads' (i think that's the name) that are
big 2'x2' pads of 1/4" stuff (like the silencer strips), but you have to also
heat them with a hair dryer to get them to stick right. they are specially
made for doors and floor panels and firewalls. 4 pads cost about $30.

joel