Making interior more quieter

[T4Fun]

since i dont have my 4runner yet, is noise an issue on highway? doors sound tinny?

anyone use this stuff. thinking about adding on my to mod list...

Amazon.com: Dynamat 10455 Xtreme Bulk Pack 9 Sheets: Automotive

 

[poolzer]

The doors do sound tiny, a nice hollow reverb which I notice almsot everytime I close the door.

Read through the reviews, average time is roughly 40-50 hours to do a jeep/suv but everyone raves about the sound (or lack of) afterward.

 

[dcon]

That is the first thing I noticed when I drove the new 4Runner home on the highway was the excessive road noise and tinny door. Here is a list of what I did to reduce the road noise and eliminate the tinny door feel:
1. Installed Second Skin Damplifier Pro on the outer door shell and replaced the plastic moisture barrier with another layer of Damplifier Pro.
2. Layered the door panel trim with Damplifier Pro and added some UltraTouch insulation.
3. Lined the rear cargo area with Second Skin Luxury Liner pro.
4. Lined the rear hatch door with Second Skin Luxury Liner pro.
5. Lined the rear hatch door trim with UltraTouch insulation.
6. Filled front driver and passenger kick panels with UltraTouch insulation.
7. Applied some Damplifier Pro to the transmission tunnel and filled center console with UltraTouch insulation.

After spending about 16 hours over several days and roughly $300 for the material I must say the 4Runner is as quiet as our Mercedes now. There is one caveat, you'll add about 45lbs. of weight to the vehicle with Luxury Liner pro installed. Hope this helps.

 

[TTown]

You are going to find this topic very subjective. The amount of noise you hear is relative to what you are comparing it to. Compared to the 4th gen 4-Runner (2003 from my experience) the 5th gen is quieter. Compared to a Lexus or Mercedes, it is louder. Before spending your time and money I recommend driving the vehicle for awhile then deciding if the extra effort is needed.

I drive many miles per day (90% freeway) and think the noise level is good, especially for this size of vehicle. I do agree the door sounds tinny when you close it, however the last month and a half it hasn't bothered me. I think this is probably because I am used to the sound by now.

 

[Ryan_S]

I do agree on the tinny doors. However, as TTown said it is very subjective. I think the Runner is very quiet on the highway, compared to my WRX with ultra low profile tires, loud prodrive exhaust, and elevendy million squeaks and rattles everywhere.

 

[mpaquette]

You are going to find this topic very subjective. The amount of noise you hear is relative to what you are comparing it to. Compared to the 4th gen 4-Runner (2003 from my experience) the 5th gen is quieter. Compared to a Lexus or Mercedes, it is louder. Before spending your time and money I recommend driving the vehicle for awhile then deciding if the extra effort is needed.

I drive many miles per day (90% freeway) and think the noise level is good, especially for this size of vehicle. I do agree the door sounds tinny when you close it, however the last month and a half it hasn't bothered me. I think this is probably because I am used to the sound by now.

I couldn't agree with this more.

I think the doors sounds tiny when closing them, but I feel the interior is very quiet. I don't find the road noise to be a problem at all. My previous vehicle was a 2008 Silverado LTZ. That thing had a very noisy interior, rattles, road noise, windshield noise, the list list goes on. My wife drives a Venza and I think the interior road noise level of the Venza is just about the same as the 4Runner.

 

[desertred]

My 5th gen is the most quiet vehicle I have owned. Loud is driving my convertible top down at highway speeds as I pass a Peterbilt with my ear at wheel hub level. Need to dampen road noise? Turn up the radio.

 

[dcon]

You all are right the noise level in the 5th gen is subjective but owning a Mercedes has spoiled me somewhat. Also, the CLK happens to be one of the noisier Mercedes model so I wouldn't even try to compare the 4Runner to an E, S class or any Lexus when it comes to noise suppression.

 

[Quentin]

I don't have any complaints about the doors sounding tinny when closing the door. Pulling on the handle to open the door, though, creates a hallow, tinny sound... which, I didn't notice when I test drove. It isn't a deal breaker though. You'd just expect a little more for the money, though.

The only place I'd consider dynamating would be the doors, honestly. I have no complaints of sound coming through the engine/transmission/transfer case. I think a little dynamat right behind the door handles would go a long way.

 

[TTown]

Has anyone driven down the highway with the rear window open? I have found it surprisingly quiet. When a car is directly behind you, you can hear them, then as they pass you their sound seems to fade away.

When nobody is behind you, you can almost forget the rear window is open. I don't recall my 4th gen being this quiet with the window down. The exhaust smell is greatly reduced as well. I could always smell exhaust in my 4th gen, but only on small occasions smell it on the 5th gen. I find myself taking advantage of the rear window a lot more with my 5th gen! One of the perks of the 4Runner IMO:bravo:

 

[mpaquette]

I don't have any complaints about the doors sounding tinny when closing the door. Pulling on the handle to open the door, though, creates a hallow, tinny sound... which, I didn't notice when I test drove. It isn't a deal breaker though. You'd just expect a little more for the money, though.

The only place I'd consider dynamating would be the doors, honestly. I have no complaints of sound coming through the engine/transmission/transfer case. I think a little dynamat right behind the door handles would go a long way.

Yeah, the door handles sound is what I'm talking about when I say the door sounds tinny. I didn't notice it when I test drove it either. No big deal to me, I just mention it because it seems odd to me.

 

[fxoffroad]

Well I own a Lexus that's a couple of years old - and by comparison (which I'm not even sure why there's a need) the 4Runner is pretty quiet. And no, the doors aren't a solid feeling as the Lexus... but I have no complaints.

One thing... I can have the sunroof open on the 4Runner and have a phone conversation w/ the bluetooth... in the Lexus I can't and I have to close the sun shade.

I'm not sure why anyone would want/need to compare the 4Runner to a Lexus or any other "luxury" vehicle. It's a truck, isn't it? If you can't deal with the noise factor and aren't going to do any serious off-roading, perhaps a Lexus RX is a better route to go.

 

[dcon]

Why is it people get all bent out of shape when their vehicle is criticized and say stuff like maybe you should just get a blah blah?

 

[ladywolf]

its a cool idea...glad it did what you wanted it to.

 

[adoihcj]

Has anyone driven down the highway with the rear window open? I have found it surprisingly quiet. When a car is directly behind you, you can hear them, then as they pass you their sound seems to fade away.

When nobody is behind you, you can almost forget the rear window is open. I don't recall my 4th gen being this quiet with the window down. The exhaust smell is greatly reduced as well. I could always smell exhaust in my 4th gen, but only on small occasions smell it on the 5th gen. I find myself taking advantage of the rear window a lot more with my 5th gen! One of the perks of the 4Runner IMO:bravo:

I absolutely love driving with the rear window open. Also, less wind comes through the side windows when they are open with the back window open. Love this vehicle and love this feature!

 

[Quentin]

Has anyone driven down the highway with the rear window open? I have found it surprisingly quiet. When a car is directly behind you, you can hear them, then as they pass you their sound seems to fade away.

When nobody is behind you, you can almost forget the rear window is open. I don't recall my 4th gen being this quiet with the window down. The exhaust smell is greatly reduced as well. I could always smell exhaust in my 4th gen, but only on small occasions smell it on the 5th gen. I find myself taking advantage of the rear window a lot more with my 5th gen! One of the perks of the 4Runner IMO:bravo:

The only bad thing about driving w/ the rear window down is that a backdraft happens depending on the combination of other windows you have open. If it is just me driving, no biggy. With my wife in the car, her hair gets blown into her face. :lol:

I really do love driving around w/ the back glass down and the moonroof open. Gives just enough airflow through the cabin and very little noise. I'm going to the beach w/ my parents, brothers, wife, and my brother's fiancee in July. I can't wait to put all the windows down, open the moonroof, and take in the ocean smell while driving down the coast.

Also, I took my 4Runner up onto Dolly Sods today (rough 8+ mi, unpaved access road). I was really impressed with how well the 4Runner isolated me from the rough road. It was absolutely brilliant versus my mom's old 2002 Explorer and the variety of compact and full size trucks I've driven up the road.

 

[jreiter]

For all you guys considering Dynamat, you should also have a look at the B-Quiet line of products. B-Quiet Ultimate is similar to Dynamat Extreme but costs much less. I had Ultimate installed in my 350Z back when I did a competition sound system, and it worked extremely well. At least as good as Dynamat Extreme, I'd say. The audio shop guys and I were all very impressed, especially given how much less it costs than Dynamat.
B-Quiet sound deadening materials - B-Quiet Ultimate - Better than Dynamat!! brownbread
If you search on Ebay, you can find rolls of the Ultimate for amazing prices.

 

[ciaz]

Although I really like the idea of using dynamat or an alternative on the doors, I question what would happen if a door ding were to occur. With that thick mat stuck in place, it would be tough for a paintless dent repair place to fix any dings in the covered areas...

 

[kingpin748]

Although I really like the idea of using dynamat or an alternative on the doors, I question what would happen if a door ding were to occur. With that thick mat stuck in place, it would be tough for a paintless dent repair place to fix any dings in the covered areas...

Why would that matter?

 

[Vrrooom]

Opinions are like... but here's mine-

The 4Runner isn't the loudest car out there, but it's definitely not very quiet either. Granted it is subjective, but comparing it to other similar SUVs ('14 Grand Cherokee, '14 Ford Explorer, 08 Tahoe), I think it's a little loud.

I don't mind the lighter doors, etc., but when you're driving on the highway for an extended time you definitely notice it. Carrying a conversation is tougher, listening to music is very noticeably tougher, etc.