In this blog post, we talk about, “How to quiet road noise in a car?”, what is road-noise, and types of road noises. We will give you in-depth details about soundproofing and why soundproofing a car is important. Besides this, we will also share with you the 3 best ideas to quiet the road noise in a car.
How to Quiet Road Noise in a Car?
You can quiet road noise in a car in one of the following ways;
- Insulating or Soundproofing Doors
- Using Sound-Reducing Car Mats
- Replacing the Hard Tires
What is Road Noise?
Road noise can be defined as the noise generated by your car’s tires as they move along the road. You can hear and feel the vibrations through the tires when they roll along a bumpy or dirt road.
These bumps vibrate and shake the plastic and metal paneling in the vehicle and these vibrations turn into noise. You can best feel the road noise when you are driving along a gravel or dirt road. Any unpaved road intensifies the road noise and the road noise is minimal in new, smooth, and paved roads.
Types of Noises on the Road
Road noise can be broadly classified into two types; External noises and internal noises.
External Noises
External noises are the ones that your car generates as it moves along the road but these sounds are heard by the people outside. Nearby residents, pedestrians, and drivers are the ones affected by these sounds.
Your car’s engine sound and the sound of rolling tires are the main external sounds. Additionally, a car’s loud music system can also be considered among external sounds as people nearby can hear it and it often disturbs them.
These sounds are usually beyond your control and soundproofing your car is the only way to cancel or dampen these nearby sounds.
Internal Noises
Internal noises are those heard by the driver and passengers. All the sounds being produced by your car engine and interior fall under the internal noise category. This may include engine sound, wind noise, tire vibrations, and rattling of interior items.
These sounds also include noises from your car’s mechanical and electrical parts such as a faulty fuel pump or loosened belt. Even a loose fastener or screw can create a lot of undesirable noise. There’s a lot of things you can do about these internal noises including, soundproofing the engine cabin, soundproofing doors, and noisy mechanical parts and regularly maintaining the vehicle.
Does Soundproofing Your Car Works?
Yes, soundproofing your car works and its efficiency depends on the material used to soundproof the car and the way it’s done. You can feel the overall difference instantly after soundproofing your car.
If you know the right way, you can easily cancel or dampen both the internal noises that are in your control and the external sounds beyond your control. The idea is to make the drive easier and peaceful by eliminating all the sounds that cause undue stress.
However, it is important to know that soundproofing is not an alternative to repair work. The first thing to do is determine the source of noise, get to the root of the problem, and get it fixed. If the noise is coming from a faulty part, you need to get it checked, repaired, or replaced.
Soundproofing is done mainly to eliminate the road noise and make your drive peaceful and stress-free. Some noises in the car aren’t a cause of worry yet, makes the drive stressful and tiresome. These are the sounds that soundproofing can dampen or remove.
Soundproofing a car is simply about absorbing, reflecting, or suppressing the sound waves. The goal is to stop sound from disturbing both the people inside and outside of the car. Most often, the idea behind soundproofing is to stop or dampen the outside or external noises.
Soundproofing is not Sound-Absorbing
It is important to know the difference between soundproofing and sound-absorbing. Soundproofing is about blocking or dampening the sounds while sound-absorbing is about controlling echo.
We do soundproofing if we desire to block the external sounds while we do sound-absorbing if we desire to eliminate or reduce the echo. Soundproofing a car will help you reduce the road noise while sound-absorbing is done to cut down the echo being generated by your music system.
Why is Soundproofing Your Car Important?
Soundproofing or reducing the external noises is not necessarily for peace of mind and luxury. The disturbing, external sounds often distract the driver’s focus and this makes soundproofing a mere necessity or protective measure.
Distracted driving is an accident about to happen that’s why soundproofing your car to reduce the excess noise is a must. On the road, you can’t take any risks and it is better to be cautious than sorry.
Things to Know About Car Soundproofing
There are a few things you must know if you desire to effectively soundproof your car. The most important thing is the source of the noise. Before you go on to buy the soundproofing material, first determine if the noise problem is due to internal noises or external ones.
Secondly, you must know what type of material you need. This choice depends on the purpose. If you desire to block the external sounds you need a sound damping or insulation material. If you want to cut down the echo, you need sound-absorbing material/
Thirdly, you must have a rough idea of the degree of insulation desired. If you want an elite level of sound insulation, you need thick and dense soundproofing materials.
Lastly, you need to know the adhesiveness of the soundproofing material. Materials that aren’t weather-resistant or the ones that loosen and slip on an oily surface are utterly useless.
3 Best Ideas to Quiet the Road Noise in a Car
Soundproofing a car can be made easy if you know the right way to do so. Once you know about the types of sound you desire to eliminate you can move forward to the technique you need to adopt.
Here are the three best ideas to quiet the road noise in a car;
- Insulating or Soundproofing Doors
- Using Sound-Reducing Car Mats
- Replacing the Hard Tires
Insulating or Soundproofing Doors
Normally, car doors aren’t designed to provide sound insulation and these are common pathways for road noises. Car doors are mainly hollow with empty cavities inside.
Instead of blocking sounds, these doors amplify sounds. That’s why insulating car doors is perhaps the first thing you need to do to soundproof your car.
Luckily, insulating car doors aren’t expensive or complicated and you can easily do so on your own. The first thing you need to do is remove the panels, unscrew the screws, and determine the amount of soundproofing material needed.
It is best to use peelable insulation material as it enables you to insulate the doors without removing them completely from the car. You can also hire an expert to insulate the door for you.
Sound Reducing Car Mats
Sound-reducing car mats are multi-purpose as they not only reduce sounds but also regulate the car temperature. Above all else, they are cost-friendly and easy-to-install.
There isn’t any other way simpler than this and all you need to do is position these mats below the front and back seats of your vehicle. Placed on the car’s floor, they absorb and dampen the vibrations and sounds coming from the engine and exhaust.
For better results, you can completely remove the normal floor mats and place these mats directly on the car’s floor. Additionally, you can also place these mats in the trunk to dampen the sounds from the back. Not to forget, this is a sound-absorbing material and it also improves the music system’s sound quality.
Replace the Hard Tires
It is impossible to achieve any sort of sound insulation with hard, worn-out tires. No matter what soundproofing measures you take, if your tires are old, hard, and grooveless, everything will probably go in vain.
Replacing the hard tires is the first and foremost thing you need to do to improve the overall drive and experience. Not to forget, it is also unsafe to drive with such worn-out tires.
Most of the time, tires wear out abruptly and this is even more problematic as the drive gets bumpier. A normal tire on one side and a worn-out tire on the other makes the drive noisy, bumpy, and unsafe.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we talked about, “How to quiet road noise in a car?”, what is road-noise, and types of road noises. We gave you in-depth details about soundproofing and why soundproofing a car is important. Besides this, we also shared with you the three best ideas to quiet the road noise in a car.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): How to Quiet Road Noise in a Car?
What causes loud road noise in cars?
There are many reasons because of which you may hear loud road noises in the car. This may be due to word out tires, badly-insulated doors, or mechanical faults.
However, roughed-up or hard tires are the main reason why you hear loud road noise in the car. Such tires create loud noises when their hard tread contacts the road surface. Other than this, imbalance in air pressure is also sometimes the issue.
How can I make my car drive quieter?
To make your car drive quieter you need to install sound deadening pads in your vehicle. Strategic placement of these pads around the door, under the seat, and in the trunk can help you absorb a lot of unwanted road noise.
Most importantly, car maintenance is the most important if you desire to relish a quiet and peaceful drive. Maintaining the car and fixing mechanical issues can help you cut down engine noise to a great extent.
How do you dampen road noise?
You can dampen road noise easily by using the right materials at the right places in your car. Sound absorbing mats are designed to help you regulate sounds in your car with ease.
Do you get used to freeway noise?
Yes, you do get used to the freeway noise with time. However, you don’t have to if you use the right soundproofing materials. Insulating your car doors with insulation material and using sound-absorbing mats can help you minimize the freeway noise to a great extent.
How do I stop my car windows from making noise?
The most effective way to stop your car windows from making noise is by sealing the window gaps. Rubber sealings can also help you curtail external road noise. Besides this, you can also reduce external noise by adding high-quality glass.
References
https://www.secondskinaudio.com/sound-deadening/eliminate-road-noise/
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a9085/can-i-quiet-my-cars-cabin-noise-15558533/
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/carlisle-house/21015370/yard-noise-reduction
https://www.databody.com/11380/what-is-this-noise-coming-from-my-car
