Bad Vibrations

[Patto-]

What are the best ways to get rid of vibrations from your subs?

I have two 12inch JBL subs which make just about everything vibrate. Including the boot lid, bumper, plastic thing between the lights etc. (It is an R31.)

I have been told to put Pollyfilla expanding foam behind the plastic thing between the lights however this will mean I will never be able to get it off again. It also solves only part of the problem.

Would like to know what other people have done to fix this problem in their cars regardless of what they drive.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Edited October 12, 2005 by pat31

[RANDY]

My Commodore reacted well with self-adhesive foam strips. I undid my boot garnish (the plastic between the two tail-lights) and ran that foam all along it, then screwed it back together.

The foam is thin, and compresses well when you tighten the screws back up. I did the same for the licence plate... just take the plate off, flip it over to see the back of it, then run the foam strips along all four sides.

The boot.. my Berlina had reinforcing on the inside (same as the Skyline), and the welds holding the reinforcing onto the actual boot had cracked and come off with all the vibration. I stuffed a bit of foam here and there so that the two metals couldn't touch each other... dodge job here, and i'm sure a welder could have just done a few spot-welds that would have solved the problem.

The bumper, I dunno... maybe take it off, and check that the bumper supports (metal bracket things) aren't misaligned, then wrap the supports in foam, and hang the bumper back on them? Trial and error there, but maybe someone else has a better solution?

[Patto-]

I tried some self adhesive foam strips on the number plate.

These said they were for outdoor use but when I wash the car or it rains, they tend to come apart leaviing little black specks everywhere.

Have you had this problem? Was there a particular brand you used?

[RANDY]

COme to think of it.. I used rubber self-adhesive strips around there. Prolly could use rubber everywhere anyway.

I bought mine in a roll about 3m long from a hardware store. Nothing special.

[Patto-]

Yeah I went to Bunnings once looking for that kinda stuff. Couldn't find it and asked a guy for help. He asked me what it was for and when I told him he just looked at me like I was a f*ckwit and directed me to rubber grommets which I had already tried b4.

That was when I ended up buying the self adhesive foam. They r usually much friendlier and helpful. Although he was about 60 so he probably didn't fully understand about subs.

Anyway, thanks for that, i'll go back and try and find some of that stuff and give it a go.

If anyone else has any ideas don't hesitate to post them.

[r33freely]

ive experianced this problem guys and what i now do is put a couple of beads of sikaflex behind the number plate before fitting it, sorts it out no worries, just remember that it will be dam hard to remove if ever needed

maybee use silicone?

mind you, if your cranking enough bass it,s alwase going to be hard to prevent vibrations....... a bit like tryn to stop a dash vibrating in a four wheel drive when on coragated roads

Dave

[Patto-]

mind you, if your cranking enough bass it,s alwase going to be hard to prevent vibrations....... a bit like tryn to stop a dash vibrating in a four wheel drive when on coragated roads

Dave

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah I know its a constant pain in the arse. I've only got 250watts going to each sub, will soon be putting this up to 500watts.

Thats why I started this thread, I just wanna hear what other people have tried.

[Chris Rogers]

one word: dynamat:

that will kill 90% of the rattles you have. 3 sheets would do it.

I sell it.

Edited October 15, 2005 by Chris Rogers

[Patto-]

Dynamat? Is that sound deadener like Brown Bread?

Was trying to buy brown bread which I think is the same as dynamat and was told it was used to stop the bass bouncing off the sides of the boot, not to stop rattles.

[djhatton]

sound deadener lowers the resonance frequency of whatever panel you apply it to. dynamat and brown bread, along with stinger and wurth and g-spot and dls and plain chant and ..bla bla bla..... they're all "basically" variations on the same theme.

when i deadened my old 33 i used g-spot serenity max (dynamat etc would work just as well), a heavy duty bitumen paint, bits of foam, cotton batts (like mini fibreglass batts), felt, double sided tape, rubber grommits etc etc - whatever worked the best for whichever area i was concentrating on.

when i finished, my car was -4db quieter inside (less than half as noisy) at 100 in 5th and completely rattle free at all times.

be prepared to start to go prematurely gray if you are to go as keen as this tho! was a right royal pain in the ass!

[Freddy Kruger]

i second using the adhesive foam strips. On my VS the boot garnish and numberplate ratlled like a bugger... i took the garnish off and put it round the edges, put it back on and the rattle there disappeared and you cant see the foam.

For numbeplate rattles, loosen the numberplate and stick a mouse pad under there and tighten it back up it works a treat.