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

[Ksjrb03]

I bought 100ml Kilmat on Amazon. Measured out the cargo area. cut for the grommets and tie downs. Whole thing took less than 2 hours. Went for a test drive. Definitely an improvemnt with respect to tire noise. Those 35's scream over 65mph. Thanks to everyone for pushing me to Killmat...cost...$65...not $300!
Question...should I put rubber into the "cooler"...which I will never use as a cooler. I can cut for the drain.

It is not a cooler. And yes put some in there. I bought the Mabett “tray” for back there which covers the Kilmat.

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[SuperDave150]

I finally got around to trying this!
I live just a few blocks from I-40 so I’d do a step, go take a drive, do another step, lather rinse repeat. Calm wind conditions, tested driving both directions, used a DB meter app for checking.

Pre test was 69-70 DB at 80 MPH. Post test was 67-68. Not a big difference but some.
Overall sound pitch, tone & quality was about the same. This is a big thin-walled brick we’re shoving at 80 MPH. Didn’t have whistles before - didn’t afterwards either, which is good.

With my leftover #1 I tried something new … I had noticed our other vehicles have multiple strips of EPDM weatherstripping around the doors. So I imitated that on the Bronco, right over the row of spot welds. Another test drive and I think it lowers road noise for another 1-2 DB overall.

 

[GroovyGeek]

I bought 100ml Kilmat on Amazon. Measured out the cargo area. cut for the grommets and tie downs. Whole thing took less than 2 hours. Went for a test drive. Definitely an improvemnt with respect to tire noise. Those 35's scream over 65mph. Thanks to everyone for pushing me to Killmat...cost...$65...not $300!
Question...should I put rubber into the "cooler"...which I will never use as a cooler. I can cut for the drain.

Will probably do this - cheap and pretty simple to do. Do you have any before/after dB measurements to give us an idea how much of an impact it makes. How do you remove the OEM floor liner? The only things I see holding it down are the 4 screws on each D-ring achor.

 

[ILoveToDrive]

Will probably do this - cheap and pretty simple to do. Do you have any before/after dB measurements to give us an idea how much of an impact it makes. How do you remove the OEM floor liner? The only things I see holding it down are the 4 screws on each D-ring achor.

Wrench off the 2 bolts on each of the 4 tie downs. The cargo floor lifts out easily.

 

[Simbyote]

After reading this entire thread I'm starting to realize that the issue may not be wind noise as much as reverberation on all of the hard surfaces in the cab. There really isn't anything to absorb the noise, no carpet (at least in mine), No cloth seats, No headliner, etc.
I think with a nice set of carpet floor mats for front, rear seats, and rear cargo with the factory felt headliners would go a long way for most of us.

 

[Roofus]

My friends dad, who built hot rods for 30yrs, told me when I was a teenager that the secret to fixing a noise in a car was to turn up the radio. 25yrs later…still works every time.

 

[ILoveToDrive]

My friends dad, who built hot rods for 30yrs, told me when I was a teenager that the secret to fixing a noise in a car was to turn up the radio. 25yrs later…still works every time.

Certainly the cheapest fix…until you start chasing the “perfect sound” fairy.

 

[WaitingForMyBroncoHTX]

I may have missed it in this thread, but how many db decrease are people seeing with these mods?

I saw about a 2-3 db difference doing the mods on the first page

 

[mpeugeot]

After reading this entire thread I'm starting to realize that the issue may not be wind noise as much as reverberation on all of the hard surfaces in the cab. There really isn't anything to absorb the noise, no carpet (at least in mine), No cloth seats, No headliner, etc.
I think with a nice set of carpet floor mats for front, rear seats, and rear cargo with the factory felt headliners would go a long way for most of us.

No, I have 2 OBXs, both with cloth interior, carpet, carpeted floor mats, and sound deadening on the roof panels. The loud one is a lux package, and the quiet one is a high package.

So nice hypothesis, but it is not supported by my evidence.

 

[Avon]

No, I have 2 OBXs, both with cloth interior, carpet, carpeted floor mats, and sound deadening on the roof panels. The loud one is a lux package, and the quiet one is a high package.

So nice hypothesis, but it is not supported by my evidence.

It sounds like one of yours is louder than the other. Do you have an explanation or maybe quality control issues?

 

[mmmain]

Finally got around to doing most of these wind proofing measures. Got some small improvements. Used the extra Z-shaped weather stripping on the bottom edge of the front panels to cover up where all the janky original weather stripping comes together (see pics). That made the biggest difference by far, especially at speeds over 55 mph. We’ll see how that holds up. But so far so good.

 

[mpeugeot]

It sounds like one of yours is louder than the other. Do you have an explanation or maybe quality control issues?

Still working on what is exactly the issue with my 2021...

 

[Simbyote]

No, I have 2 OBXs, both with cloth interior, carpet, carpeted floor mats, and sound deadening on the roof panels. The loud one is a lux package, and the quiet one is a high package.

So nice hypothesis, but it is not supported by my evidence.

Fair enough. I have no point of comparison but it is not annoying me enough to tackle it seriously. At least not yet. Thank you for the heads up.

 

[ScLeCo]

So, we know these are Built Wild... but my wife didn't appreciate it sounding like a hurricane everyday. Who wouldn't want to hear the subtle guitar, bass, drums and notes of your favorite music on the sound system for which you paid? After reading 4+ threads and looking at various modifications people made, I decided to create a single guide here of everything I did to reduce the interior noise. The ideas are not all my own, and credit is due to those individuals whose brilliance came first. Shoutouts to some of those brilliant individuals- jlatigo, mountainbronco, Geo2 and more that I can't put my finger on.

My family says it's significantly quieter now, and I tend to do whatever they say. Hope this helps enhance your ride!

Total cost is about $75. Total install time is ~1 hour if your hard top is already off. If it's not off, what are you waiting for?

Specs

• 4 Door- most of the below applies to both 2 and 4 door models
• Wildtrak, Sasquatch
• MIC Hard Top

Grocery List
(These are not affiliate links. I don't receive anything from you clicking on them!)

1. KX Automotive Universal New Weather Stripping EPDM Rubber Seal Strip D-Shape (20')
2. Duck Brand Self Adhesive Foam Weatherstrip Seal for Extra Large Gaps, 3/4-In x 1/2-In (1 roll)
3. KX Automotive Universal D-Shape Door Seal 0.47" Height X 0.55" Width Weather Stripping (10')
4. Automotive Weather Stripping Door Window Rubber Seal Strip Z Shape (Buy the "Z" Shape- you only need about 3' of this, so you'll have a lot left over)
5. Armacell 3/4 in. x 6 ft. Rubber Self-Seal Pipe Wrap Insulation (You need 2 of these)

General Install Notes

• Clean all surfaces before attempting to stick the adhesive
• Let the adhesive bond- i.e. flex your muscles and secure firmly!
• Use a regular scissors to cut things to length- most are approximate, and size doesn't matter as much (right?). The Z Shape strip is more visible, and you probably want to measure (hint, 15.5").
• Some seals are hidden, and some are visible... take your time. If you screw up, cut a new strip.

From the front of the vehicle working to the back...

Windshield

• In the front channel, adhere #1 in the Grocery List inside the full length of the channel.
• Cut 4 short strips of #2 and stick them 2 each, side by side, vertically in the ends of the channel.
• All of this is hidden with the top on. With the top off, it will either look factory installed or like a small kid used the scissors if you don't cut straight. I have both results.

Front Panels

• Use the #1 stripping for all of these.
• Primary guidance is to adhere the middle strip that goes on the Driver’s Front Panel to the slightly raised portion of the roof. Don’t adhere it to the top/roof section as it won’t allow the panel to close enough. It also makes for a cleaner look if you install on the raised portion.
• The two strips that face the windshield are not visible. The strip that runs between the two panels is minimally visible.

Mid Panel

• Secure #3 along the length of the mid panel. This is the curved side of the panel that faces towards the back.
• Snuggle the stripping right along the edge and you'll look like a pro. This is visible from the inside once installed.
• Super easy, right?

Rear Panel

• This is the fun one and makes a big sound impact!
• The picture is probably the best explanation of what goes where.
• I'm not sure if the top most #3 install is needed- and I forgot to take another picture of it properly adhered. It basically curves along a small section on top. I had some extra stripping, so I used it.
• The small square of #2 goes on top of a similar, but thinner material that Ford already has in that same place.
• The Z Shape #4 is great stuff, and I think makes the exterior even look a little sleek (no one ever described a Bronco as sleek, right?). I'd measure this one and cut accordingly- I did 15.5". Adhere it right along the edge of the panel. This helps with wind noise by sealing the gap between the frame of the Bronco and the rear panel.
• This is not visible except for #4 (Z Shape stripping).

Interior View:

Exterior View:

To Pool Noodle or to Wrap Your Pipe

• I saw various opinions on which material worked best, which ones disintegrated in the elements, how to secure, etc.
• I decided to use the rubber Armacell pipe wrap - #5 on the Grocery List. It comes in a 6’ length, and I left it as-is.
• I peeled off the self-adhering tape and stuck it to itself.
• Rather than figure out how to secure it with the top off and/or how to not make it look bad… I decided I’d simply lay it in the roof gutter when I put the hard top on. Otherwise, it will sit in storage in my garage if the top is off.
• We’ll see if it lasts- easy and inexpensive to replace.

So that's about it. I suggest ordering everything and installing all at once when you have the roof off vs string betting the process.

Happy Sound Dampening!

Well I'm a believer. A distinctly noticeable reduction in wind noise.
The main reduction coming from the pipe wrap along the sides and the foam in the main channels of the windshield and the second row panel. If you just did those you'd get about 80% of the reduction.

 

[JTBros]

I would just get a box of Kilmat for 50-60 dollars and make the cuts yourself instead of spending almost 5x the money.

I’m in the process of adding it to my 2 door. I just did the doors today. Going to do the cargo area and wheel wells in the next few weeks.

I bought 100ml Kilmat on Amazon. Measured out the cargo area. cut for the grommets and tie downs. Whole thing took less than 2 hours. Went for a test drive. Definitely an improvemnt with respect to tire noise. Those 35's scream over 65mph. Thanks to everyone for pushing me to Killmat...cost...$65...not $300!
Question...should I put rubber into the "cooler"...which I will never use as a cooler. I can cut for the drain.

My main concern with all of these is does it affect the washout interior? It’s a very nice perk with my Badlands and I don’t want any water to be retained.

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