MIC Noise Reduction Guide - wind sound- aka more (or less) cowbell please

[wiingnut]

Nicely detailed write-up. Currently, I don't have a Bronco to compare to other vehicles, sound wise. I'm anxiously awaiting its arrival . I presently have a 10/17 build date and VIN.

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[Mountain Mike]

The OP did a great write up and I hope it helps some people. Ive seen these threads before and dont really relate. I drove a 2 dr Jeep rubicon for the last 15 years. It rode like a tractor. The D rings rattled on every bump and you had to yell at each other at highway speeds. I loved it. Now I have the 2 dr Bronco with the squatch package. I feel like im in a luxury car when Im driving it. It rides so nice and is super quiet. I took it on a 5 hr road trip at interstate speeds and was super happy with the noise and ride. But then again I wasnt listening for the subtle notes of classical music. Im an outdoor person and by all accounts a bit neanderthal. So I guess it just comes down to perspective and expectations.

 

[okbob]

Living in NW Oklahoma where the wind blows constantly, our 2D Badlands is the loudest vehicle we own.... 2012 f350 diesel, 07 jk 2D, two 66 broncos, one 71 bronco and an 04 Ford Ranger 4x4. So when our 71 bronco is way quieter, which also fills the cab with dust when driving down dirt roads, I don't think it's just perception of what I think quiet is. Head winds are the worst when on the highway. I'll definitely give these a try.

 

[FellowM3]

Thanks @orion1224. Bookmarked and will be doing this as soon as I get my Raptor (hopefully this month).

For those saying Ford is selling a fully capable rig and we shouldnt be expecting refinement...as an engineer I fully disagree.

The two don't have to correlate. I believe you can always try and improve refinement while you have the insane capability underneath.

For $75 hours and some hands on time with the rig, I think this is a no-brainer. The z-shaped strip between the clamshell and the door seem like a big improvement in itself. Theres like a 1/4" gap between there!

Thanks again!

 

[mpeugeot]

I live in the midwest and have the high speed interstate and high winds. My Bronco is quiet, I can't understand the people complaining about noise. Mine is way better than what I expected. I also bought it thinking it was going to be louder than my Explorer I was replacing, but surprised there ain't much difference.

Either you haven't driven it at 80 MPH or you got an exceptionally quiet top. There are some that are better than others when it comes to keeping the wind noise down. Mine was middle of the road, better than some and worse than others.

 

[Derbystud]

Either you haven't driven it at 80 MPH or you got an exceptionally quiet top. There are some that are better than others when it comes to keeping the wind noise down. Mine was middle of the road, better than some and worse than others.

Yep I've drove it 80 quite a bit and it is good.

 

[Jdyount]

I took it through a car wash today with no issues. Maybe I’m missing something about where/how it drains?

DO NOT DO THIS!

So here's the issue, water needs to get out of places it gets in (weep) and outer seals aren't 100% effective. In the image below, you're blocking the channel where water would move to get out. So now if water does get past that outer seal, it's just going to sit in there. In winter this becomes a very big problem because water expands when it freezes.

So now you've just created an issue where you're likely going to break your hard top.

What's funnier is you even call it a channel in your pic... A channel for what? What is the channel for? It's obvious it was intentional, why would Ford do that?

Why would they leave a gap here? What possible explanation would there be OTHER than for water to get out?

 

[Jdyount]

Please for the love of God don't do this!!!

You're damming up the water, 1000%. This is terrible advice, terrible.

 

[orion1224]

This is a GREAT post. Thank you so much. But I gotta say that my cabin is surprisingly quiet. DEF not BMW or Mercedes Benz quiet, but good enough for me to enjoy my music on freeway rides. I'll for sure be using this post for future reference!

Agreed- and I didn't really expect or intend for it to be as insulated as the luxury brands... I think there are differing opinions (which I accept and embrace!)... the highway wind gusts were what got me- and then I'd look over and see a gentle sway on a branch realizing it's not really that windy!

 

[Jdyount]

It's clear the OP had good intentions but clearly doesn't understand how seal/gasket systems work. Some of what he did is ok, other things are downright wrong and will, WILL cause damage to your Bronco.

I'm an engineer for a window company, we do thousands of hours of water testing every year, I assure you Ford does the same thing. These channels need to be there and need to be unobstructed.

 

[orion1224]

The OP did a great write up and I hope it helps some people. Ive seen these threads before and dont really relate. I drove a 2 dr Jeep rubicon for the last 15 years. It rode like a tractor. The D rings rattled on every bump and you had to yell at each other at highway speeds. I loved it. Now I have the 2 dr Bronco with the squatch package. I feel like im in a luxury car when Im driving it. It rides so nice and is super quiet. I took it on a 5 hr road trip at interstate speeds and was super happy with the noise and ride. But then again I wasnt listening for the subtle notes of classical music. Im an outdoor person and by all accounts a bit neanderthal. So I guess it just comes down to perspective and expectations.

You live in a beautiful part of the country... and agreed I want to hear and feel what the car is meant to be. For the record, I do enjoy classical music-- but mostly of the classic 80's hairband station in SiriusXM style. I want to hear the Van Halen guitar solos.

 

[orion1224]

It's clear the OP had good intentions but clearly doesn't understand how seal/gasket systems work. Some of what he did is ok, other things are downright wrong and will, WILL cause damage to your Bronco.

I'm an engineer for a window company, we do hundreds if not thousands of hours of water testing every year, I assure you Ford does the same thing. These channels need to be there and need to be unobstructed.

I appreciate your professional opinion. I do understand the front channel, and have considered removing it. The gap on the front sides do not obstruct the drain hole- I was intentional about leaving them open and simply making the space slightly more insulated.

The roof side/channel where I put the 6' rubber pipe insulation... I don't understand that one. The holes along the length go directly into the interior... so, rain/water would drain into the interior of car. That can't be the intention, correct?

 

[Jdyount]

I appreciate your professional opinion. I do understand the front channel, and have considered removing it. The gap on the front sides do not obstruct the drain hole- I was intentional about leaving them open and simply making the space slightly more insulated.

The roof side/channel where I put the 6' rubber pipe insulation... I don't understand that one. The holes along the length go directly into the interior... so, rain/water would drain into the interior of car. That can't be the intention, correct?

So the side is where everything collects and flows around the door openings. So any water that gets past the outer seals between the front panels and the middle panel needs to be able flow between the outer and inner seal (highlighted area), through the side channels, then down. Having that big piece of foam in that side channel completely dams that up so now water can't move.

 

[Jdyount]

The outer seal (red) is your primary and the inner seal (gasket is on the roof panel) (orange) is your secondary. Water has to flow between the primary and secondary seal.

 

[International_George]

@Jdyount I’m not sure there are two gaskets as you’ve indicated. I can touch the pipe foam when it’s in the channel with no obstruction.

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