Vibration Damping (1st Step in Soundproofing)

theOMsound

Member
Hey all! I just tested out this idea after reading a ton on soundproofing for my T1N cargo van conversion. Before soundproofing, a step that is often forgotten is VIBRATION CONTROL. And I found a great, relatively cheap way to do it! Hope this will help you out!

Basically a lot of people talk about MLV (Mass Loaded Vinyl) for this first step in vibration reduction, and there are a lot of companies that sell various products specifically designed for vehicles. The downside is that they tend to be pricey. After looking into asphalt (in the roofing section) and rubber (in the flooring section) I finally stumbled upon self-adhesive vinyl tiles.

I added a bit of construction adhesive to reinforce the adhesive that was already on the tiles so I don't get any surprises next summer with them melting off, and stuck them on the wall. I've heard that you only need about 25% coverage to get great results, and so far it seems to be true. I only just started and it is SIGNIFICANTLY quieter when driving now. I can't wait to finish it up!

Here's a video of me giving an example after installing on a few panels.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theomsound/videos/1402452349882992/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BbaXBGhFxFy/?taken-by=theomsound

Hope this helps!
Orion
The OM Sound
www.theomsound.com
 

theOMsound

Member
Update! Finished the tiles for vibration control on the whole van; it sounds amazing so far. I used 43 tiles and one tube of Fuze It for the full installation. Less than $100CAD total including tax. :clapping:

Can't wait to get the soundproofing/insulation on. I'll be using Roxul Safe n Sound to get maximum moisture resistance, warmth, and soundproofing all in one go. Saved the front doors for later as they already sound pretty decent (and are harder to get at). I'll see if they really need it once I replace the stereo and have music to check if I can hear the saucy details.

Onwards! :cheers:
 

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Jodean

Member
I used blue jean insulation, pulled the grey liner panels off, stuff the insulation in all areas including filling the frame holes

might even be cheaper than your 43 tiles, and also insulates the van, i have zero echo on any panel, totally solid thump

I think the blue jean insulation bag was about $40, and i have enough for the ceiling also, havent done that yet. i believe i used the 4" thick insulation. It comes in batts just like fiberglass
 

theOMsound

Member
I used blue jean insulation, pulled the grey liner panels off, stuff the insulation in all areas including filling the frame holes

might even be cheaper than your 43 tiles, and also insulates the van, i have zero echo on any panel, totally solid thump

I think the blue jean insulation bag was about $40, and i have enough for the ceiling also, havent done that yet. i believe i used the 4" thick insulation. It comes in batts just like fiberglass
Nice! I'm doing Rock Wool insulation as my next step, so should be similar. I would love to compare our vans side-by-side to see if the added step of the vinyl made any difference. Thanks for the input!
 

jjjppplll

Member
Partial coverage is effective? Placing the tiles in the center of the panels is best? Looks great, I'm gonna copy it.
 

theOMsound

Member
Yeah, 25% is enough. I probably covered closer to 50, but you can definitely do less. And yes, centre of the panel works the best.
Awesome! Let me know how it goes.

Side note: I just met someone with the same van who had insulated with Roxul soundproofing, but not done vibration damping. When we compared our panel resonance side by side, the difference was crazy! His sounded good, but it was significantly boomier than my panels with the tiles and Roxul combined. Stoked!
 
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patineto

New member
Yeah, 25% is enough. I probably covered closer to 50, but you can definitely do less. And yes, centre of the panel works the best.
Awesome! Let me know how it goes.

Side note: I just met someone with the same van who had insulated with Roxul soundproofing, but not done vibration damping. When we compared our panel resonance side by side, the difference was crazy! His sounded good, but it was significantly boomier than my panels with the tiles and Roxul combined. Stoked!
Out of curiosity how do you know the 25% number or the 50% ..??

Have you ever done a experiment with a 100% coverage, like a "El Cheapo" Dynamat treatment..??

To heavy..??

To prone to retain moisture..??
 

theOMsound

Member
Out of curiosity how do you know the 25% number or the 50% ..??
Have you ever done a experiment with a 100% coverage, like a "El Cheapo" Dynamat treatment..??
To heavy..??
To prone to retain moisture..??
Just research I did on it, and physics I guess! Theoretically, once the vibrations are damped, the extra coverage would just be overkill. Any extra mass might dampen the sound by another 5% or something minimal, but in practical use it's not worth it, at least for me. Once I had applied the 25% coverage I tested by holding up another half tile and pressing hard (as if it was attached), and when I tapped it was essentially the same sound as when it was not there.

I'm sure the percentage needed would change with the type of panel you are damping, but 25% was effective for all of the areas that I did on my T1N. Moisture is not an issue, as it's just plastic. And yes, the more you cover, the more weight and $$$.
 

patineto

New member
Just research I did on it, and physics I guess! Theoretically, once the vibrations are damped, the extra coverage would just be overkill. Any extra mass might dampen the sound by another 5% or something minimal, but in practical use it's not worth it, at least for me. Once I had applied the 25% coverage I tested by holding up another half tile and pressing hard (as if it was attached), and when I tapped it was essentially the same sound as when it was not there.

I'm sure the percentage needed would change with the type of panel you are damping, but 25% was effective for all of the areas that I did on my T1N. Moisture is not an issue, as it's just plastic. And yes, the more you cover, the more weight and $$$.
Great thank you..

I still don't have a sprinter but I have been in a few and they can be really loud (and COLD) specially the cargo ones..

I just did a full Dynamat treatment on my land cruiser and I love the results, but Oh boy that will be a lot of money to cover a sprinter..
 

theOMsound

Member
Great thank you..

I still don't have a sprinter but I have been in a few and they can be really loud (and COLD) specially the cargo ones..

I just did a full Dynamat treatment on my land cruiser and I love the results, but Oh boy that will be a lot of money to cover a sprinter..
Yup totally! Hope this will help you save some money and time when you eventually get your Sprinter! Join the club! ;):thumbup:
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
The coverage needs to be enough to change the impedance, which reflects the vibrations as they propagate across the panel, confusing the vibrations. This avoids resonance of large panel areas, and minimizes the amplitude. Once you achieve this effect, further coverage makes little difference, and the panel uniformity can even allow more resonating modes, though at a lower frequency than the bare panel.

You can play with wave propagation in water using a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Arranging coins messes up the vibrations enough to make a major difference in the standing waves that appear in response to loud sounds.
(makes a great classroom demonstration too ;-)

-dave
 

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