[cshaughton]

Hello all,

Just installed the Cobb cat-back in my 14 ST yesterday and it is a little too loud in the cabin for me (even with sound symposer unplugged). I am thinking about installing some sound deadening material throughout the interior. Anybody done this before? If so, recommendations on brand or any tips and tricks?

 

[Sk8ter713]

This might help.
http://www.focusst.org/forum/focus-st-performance/73210-cobb-catback-installed-really-boomy.html

 

[LockeLamora33]

Do it Do it Do it!!! I didn't do the whole 3 stage in the focus as I didn't really want to spend the time on it. I did however line the whole floor/hatch space with stinger roadkill extreme and then added a layer of MLV (https://acousticalsolutions.com/product/audioseal-sound-barrier/Mass Loaded Vynl) there is also some of this stuff out there, which I had but didn't do because I was lazy and worried about fitting the carpet back nicely.

I have done a few cars at this point and so am sort of used to it, but the biggest tips I have are these:
1-Take your time removing trim pieces, and make sure you have removed all screws/wires etc... before you start tugging too hard- Get a kit like this
2- that said, Ford makes pieces REALLY tough to pull sometimes when it's done for the first time, so if you double checked and it looks good, give it a tug!
3- Take out all seats, carpet etc.. that you feel okay taking out, the more stuff you can put down the better. Any open gaps means the noise will flow to those as they offer the least resistance
4- Wheel wells, the hatch/spare tire area, and doors are the most important areas. If you want to start little by little, do the doors first I think. Doing the whole floor is worth it though and the hatch area is super easy as there isn't really anything tricky to move out.

This website is touted as the end all for info on almost ANY car/truck forum online, it's worth reading:https://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/

Again, this is worth doing and doing right. It will take you a day, maybe two depending on your skill level and the amount of the car you decide to attack. Lots of guides on youtube on how to remove certain trim, but know that you might have to watch an unrelated video to see it done (ex: center console, might watch a shifter install video). Also, some of the products I listed aren't the cheapest. There are plenty of options, but some of the CLD tiles use a smelly cheap sticky butane product so read reviews before you purchase.

Good luck and post up the process, I didn't really do a thread when I did mine.

 

[cshaughton]

Thanks for the info guys! I have been looking at sounddeadenershowdown.com. I will do more research but I think I will probably start with the rear tire tub area and lay down some stinger sound deadening and then the MLV. Or maybe just start with the pre-built MLV cargo floor liner they have on their site and see if that is enough. I will post my progress when I make a decision.

PS. Love the user name "LockeLamore33",good books.

 

[LockeLamora33]

Thanks for the info guys! I have been looking at sounddeadenershowdown.com. I will do more research but I think I will probably start with the rear tire tub area and lay down some stinger sound deadening and then the MLV. Or maybe just start with the pre-built MLV cargo floor liner they have on their site and see if that is enough. I will post my progress when I make a decision.

PS. Love the user name "LockeLamore33",good books.

It's going to make your stereo sound much better too and just gives the car a more quiet, sturdy feel to it, it's sort of hard to describe. Also, Amazon and other places have MLV for much cheaper than the link I posted, it was just the first site I found.

 

[airborne]

Sub!

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

 

[cshaughton]

UPDATE: Since I installed the exhaust I have been driving around with my rear seats down and the cargo cover off, because I had all the tools in the back. Putting the seats up and re-installing the cargo cover helped a surprising amount with the exhaust drone. I am still going to do the sound deadening but I thought I would mention this.

 

[CaliJoe]

Eastwood makes some pretty good stuff, it's peal and stick and a little cheaper than some of the name brands.

 

[cshaughton]

Hey Guys,

UPDATE: I ended up going with the 36 sq\ft pack of Stinger vibration dampener. I did the inside of all four doors, the entire rear hatchback area (spare tire tub, wheel wells, floor) and under the rear seats. Big improvement so far! I also bought a 60x54" sound dampening cargo mat from https://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/ and cut it to match the rear cargo area. The issue was definitely not sound volume as much as it was the vibration resonating in the cabin, the matting has helped out a bunch. Much more civilized during highway driving in the infamous 2500-3500rpm range. I might still end up doing below the front seats too depending on how ambitious I'm feeling. I am making a 16+ hour drive down south in about a month so that should be a true test.
Speaker quality is definitely improved as well, and the doors make a much more satisfying thud when closing.

Tips: If anyone is trying this here are some tips from experience.
1. Buy a set of plastic panel trim remover tools (Cheap on Amazon). Super helpful.
2. Be careful with the rear seat release latches on the sides. I broke one trying to get it to release.
3. Wear gloves. The aluminum top of the matting is super sharp when cut.
4. Cut the matting to smaller pieces instead of trying to do big sections at a time.
5. Take your time. Don't get too frustrated with the trim. Go inside, have a beer, try again, repeat.
"The quickest way to do something is to do it right the first time"

Sorry I don't have many pictures, kinda forgot about that part of the documenting process.

 

[LockeLamora33]

Looks good! This is such a worthwhile endeavor I think. As you get used to how it is now you might notice more noise coming from the front now that it's the weak point. What I did was just remove the door sill stuff and just ripped up the carpet until the shifter area and filled it in with the stinger stuff and some mlv type material. I don't know if it's worth it to pull out the center console just to get the tiny bit extra, at least it wasn't for me.

 

[Fidget08]

This is definitely something that I want to try! Good little tutorial on where to stick the stuff.

 

[SteelGatorB8]

I did the rear hatch area with Noico and MLV that I got from Amazon and would definitely recommend the project for everyone on here. The spare tire tub is a big generator of resonance within the car. All you have to do is knock on it with your hands once you've stripped it out to see how much vibration and noise you get from it without any sound deadening applied. If you just did that area alone I think you'd hear a noticeable difference.

I think my next project will be the doors when/if I decide to swap the door speakers. I'll just do it all at the same time and avoid having to take the door panels off twice.

 

[cshaughton]

Looks good! This is such a worthwhile endeavor I think. As you get used to how it is now you might notice more noise coming from the front now that it's the weak point. What I did was just remove the door sill stuff and just ripped up the carpet until the shifter area and filled it in with the stinger stuff and some mlv type material. I don't know if it's worth it to pull out the center console just to get the tiny bit extra, at least it wasn't for me.

I have noticed that there is now a vibration coming from the center console that wasn't there before. If I push my elbow down on it while accelerating it stops it. So I might try to pull that out at some point and cover that area as well.

 

[LockeLamora33]

I have noticed that there is now a vibration coming from the center console that wasn't there before. If I push my elbow down on it while accelerating it stops it. So I might try to pull that out at some point and cover that area as well.

Yeah in that case it makes perfect sense!