Tire Noise Reduction -- Any Experiences with Fender Liner and/or Fenderwell Treatments?

Y'all,

First off, this is not a generic "How can I make a vehicle quieter?" type of query asking for a complete education on the subject from zero knowledge. I'm fairly knowledgeable about the various products out there, how to use them, and I've successfully treated multiple other vehicles, but have done no work in this area on my '13 Tahoe LTZ. Before anyone asks: 1) the tires are Michelin Defender LTX M/S which are evenly worn, with about 1/3 tread depth left (and the noise doesn't change between tire rotations), and 2) all of the fender liners are intact and properly attached, the body panels and doors fit properly, and all of the seals (door and window) are in excellent condition. Wind noise is minimal.

So, does anyone have any experiences with using constraining layers (e.g. Dynamat) and/or absorption layers (e.g. ResoNix Fiber Mat) on the interior side of the fender liners and/or the metal portions of the structure? Did it make a noticeable difference? Any "not worth the time" feedback?

I'm aware of this thread, which doesn't cover my query. If there are threads that address this particular subject (fender liner and/or fenderwell treatments), I have not run across them.

Thanks in advance,
Scrappy

Not sure if I'd want to use Dynamat or similar style insulation on areas outside the cabin. I think that stuff is designed for use inside the cabin where moisture and elements are less of a concern. If just the plastic fender liners, might be okay to try. But on metal, I'd be reluctant. You could risk getting moisture trapped over time and degrading the metal. If you do do it on metal I'd be REALLY sure it's sealed well before applying anything to the surface of the body panel.

Maybe rhinoliner or similar on the bottom/front of the cab, definately put something in the rear wheel wells. You can really hear the road noise with the interior panels off in the back. The factory put some caulk deadener on the inside of the rear wheel wells already.

Maybe more jute padding tucked in behind the plastic panels as well. You do have that matting in the front fender/door gap right? I took mine out because I didn't like the idea of fabric trapping junk in there and getting soggy. No regrets, but it did seem to help a tiny bit with noise.

Matthew Jeschke said:

Not sure if I'd want to use Dynamat or similar style insulation on areas outside the cabin. I think that stuff is designed for use inside the cabin where moisture and elements are less of a concern. If just the plastic fender liners, might be okay to try. But on metal, I'd be reluctant. You could risk getting moisture trapped over time and degrading the metal. If you do do it on metal I'd be REALLY sure it's sealed well before applying anything to the surface of the body panel.

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There won't be any issue with using Dynamat outside the cabin. The black gooey layer is butyl rubber, which is frequently used on the exterior of vehicles as a sealing compound itself, and that's what adheres the mat to the surface. So long as you roll it down properly, which includes the edges, it seals itself to the surface. Yes, you'd need to pay attention to any cracks/seams where any water could get behind, but this is not something I'd be doing ham-fistedly and I'd account for that (either sealing any crack/seam or not laying the material over it).

mikez71 said:

Maybe rhinoliner or similar on the bottom/front of the cab, definately put something in the rear wheel wells. You can really hear the road noise with the interior panels off in the back. The factory put some caulk deadener on the inside of the rear wheel wells already.

Maybe more jute padding tucked in behind the plastic panels as well. You do have that matting in the front fender/door gap right? I took mine out because I didn't like the idea of fabric trapping junk in there and getting soggy. No regrets, but it did seem to help a tiny bit with noise.

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Thanks for the suggestions! Yes, the matting in the front fender/door gap is present and properly situated.

Closed cell foam / CCF is incredible for stuffing in voids and cavities to isolate areas on the exterior you can follow up with a permanent solution like rhino liner or lizard skin.

I can tell you that by doing hushmat on the roof and CCF on the interior of the rear wheel wells of my two door coupe, it took the noise down by 50%.

I had increased the hp/tq, tire width, exhaust diameter, boost and added a free flow exhaust. The roof & rear 1/4 panel insulation made it quieter than when it was stock

@petethepug , I sure do know the value of these treatments!

I have a relatively loud exhaust on my BMW E28 535i (dual 1.75" pipes changed to single 2.5" with a Magnaflow 12646) and putting Dynamat just on the rear valance, on the fuel tank heat shield, in between the taillights, and on the floor under the rear seat (probably under 10 sq ft for all) cut the noise by about half.

I've tried to work on this on other cars, but the yukon with fresh tires seems pretty quiet. so I haven't messed with it.

higher end cars have a felt like material on the tire side of the finder liner that is said to go a long way with tire noise. I've not found an aftermarket source for something like this that could be applied in a way i wouldn't worry about it falling off.


I have lined the inner liner with a very thin (1/8in) foam type of stuff glued on with spay on glue but i couldn't tell any difference by ear or by sound cheap hand held sound meter.


I'd love to see if you find something that works well.

j91z28d1 said:

I've tried to work on this on other cars, but the yukon with fresh tires seems pretty quiet. so I haven't messed with it.

higher end cars have a felt like material on the tire side of the finder liner that is said to go a long way with tire noise. I've not found an aftermarket source for something like this that could be applied in a way i wouldn't worry about it falling off... I'd love to see if you find something that works well.

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Fresh tires are great, but most of their life will be non-fresh, thus I want a long-term solution.

Yeah, a tire-side absorption layer sounds ideal, but would have problems that you mention. The ResoNix Fiber Mat has adhesive, but I wouldn't trust just the adhesive, and at 1/2"/1", it's a bit thick for that.

My exhaust is pretty loud and I have a sub and amp.

I installed Killmat in my truck and it made as big difference.

I have not tried CCF as @petethepug mentioned.

I have not tried using killmat on the outside of the truck but @Scrappycrow is 100% correct that is till be fine. I installed a HID kit and use square pieces of killmat to keep the headlight bezels try inside the engine bay. No issues with it staying throughout the season cycles.

I did stick the extra sub material in the cavities of my interior trim and that made another noticeable difference. You don't need to buy the brand name stuff. Its a lot cheaper to get pillow stuffing from a fabric store and stick in voids of your rear interior trim pieces.

They sell undercoating and rubberized coatings in a spray can or in paintable form. (Spray-On Boom Mat or FlexSeal) You can do the wheel wells with that instead of the killmat if you want to give it a more "factory" look. Or have someone spray Rhinoliner in the wheel wells.

Engine bay & mat may be an issue. Will it get gooey from heat or find an ignition temp that makes it burn like a tire?