Hard top vs soft top - highway noise

[Ninjak]

I have a BL soft top. Even with the light bar on, I have been able to have normal conversations on the phone and I always use the sync 4 to talk. I have only driven a Hardtop in test drives, so never gotten to highway speeds.

The one thing I am trying to find an adjustment for is the lightbar. it does do the fap fap noise at speed, but it's not ear-shattering. I have seen a few products on the market to help, dirtydogs make a headliner for soft tops. Have not decided if I want to grab it, but as I said, the soft noise is not to the point I need to run out and buy things to quiet it down.

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[kje22kje]

I hate how exhausting the Wrangler is to take on a long road trip, and it sounds like the Bronco would be even more so. Perhaps I am back for the damn redesigned 4Runner to come out.

Can't speak to the jeep but we have done St. Louis to Destin in our soft top and other than an occasional noise from the rear while passing a semi the Bronco was a much nicer ride than our 2017 4Runner TRD and just about as quiet.

 

[GroovyGeek]

2 door Black Diamond Sasquatch 2.7 hardtop with headliner on blacktop freeway measured directly above the shift lever halfway from the console to the roof

65 DB @ 65 MPH
77 DB @ 80 MPH

2017 Lincoln MKX FWD 3.7 N/A on blacktop freeway measured halfway from the console to the roof

59 DB @ 65 MPH
70 DB @ 80 MPH

Log scales can be difficult to fully appreciate so here are some examples

60db = conversation
70db = busy traffic
80db = mid range vacuum cleaner

My JK2 door hard top is
58db idle
62db at 30-40 mph on a street
70-72 db at 70-80 mph on the interstate

Unfortunately I did not think to measure the BLsas soft top I rented but it would have definitely pushed 80db.

The JK is notably quieter than the 77db reported for the BDsas above. Such a pitty that in their attempt to out Jeep the Wranglers Ford ended up with this (IMO poor) design choice. If they ever offer a one piece hard top with extra heavy sound deadening I will be excited about the big Bronco as an option.

Not ready to pay 7k+ for the third party one piece hard top, at least not until someone buys it and reports on sound levels.

PS Advanced Fiberglass claims that their multi piece hard top is running at 70-72db, which is NOTABLY quieter than the factory. Hopefully prices come down by the time I get a chance to order and receive a Bronco. Plans is now to order it when a hard top, sell the OEM hard top and get a one piece Advanced Fiberglass. We shall see.

 

[StyleGuy]

I have both tops. We bought our Badlands as a hard top with sound deadening headliner and we bought a factory soft top from a member here. We had the soft top on all summer and recenfly switched it back to our hard top last month. The hard top with sound deadening is noticeably quieter at highway speeds as well as 60 mph country roads. I would compare the hard top noise as similar to most full size trucks I’ve owned. The soft top was louder but it was by no means annoying, just louder. I will gladly be putting the soft top back on next spring and run the soft top all summer until next fall. The hard top is nice if you don’t plan on removing the top much, but after having the soft top on all summer the hard top is annoying to remove the panels when it’s nice. After using both this year I would say The noise is far less of a factor to me as is the convenience of removing the top.

I also purchased a soft top from a member and I love it. The hard top is all wind noise and the soft top is mainly all the noises around you such as the truck engine next to you or other radios at the stop light. Even if the db reading is the same, the soft top sounds noticeably louder to me. Neither are quiet at all.

 

[DevEng]

BTW, the yard bags are soft cloth and weather proof. With top closed the act as curtains to hide noise mitigation work. They also isolate some noise. With top open, the " curtains" protect the adhered edges of the carpet mitigation.

 

[WheelMe]

My BL SAS soft top is at 73 dB at round 70 mph, stock; I've grown used to it/doesn't bother me. I've done hundreds of miles in one day on the freeway, and it's always a comfortable ride.

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