Insulate wheel arches

[Anders55]

Hi all lucky RCZ owners.

It is a well known problem with noise from the wheels on RCZ.

Has anyone thougt of insulating the rear wheel arches to reduce the noise from there?
It should not be to difficult to do that on the inside, I think.

Grateful for thoughts about this topic.

Anders

 

[RCZ1]

Road noise can vary depending on the tyre you have on the car. Continentals give more road noise than others. The rear wheel arches are carpet lined for insulation. To be honest I don’t notice the tyre noise. I had convertibles before the RCZ so the car is very quiet indeed compared to those.

 

[Anders55]

Yes RCZ1. You are right of course.

I have 19" and Continental. Not perfect for noise reduction I guess.

I also drove convertible recently. Changed from Miata to the RCZ. I agree that RCZ is soundless in comparison.

However, I will use the RCZ for longer trips than I used to with the Miata. Therefore I thought about the insulation.

It might also be the comparison with my 508 SW, (extremely quiet) that makes me think of the noise.

 

[2retro]

Just turn up the stereo! :thumbup:

 

[neilgsxr69]

Or better still get a custom exhaust and you definitely won’t hear the road noise!

 

[DKZ5745]

I just tend to drive so fast, the noise can’t catch up to me :eusa-think: :eusa-whistle: :wtf:

 

[stewartwillsher]

I just tend to drive so fast, the noise can’t catch up to me :eusa-think: :eusa-whistle: :wtf:

I have a friend whose present company transport shifts such that the sound is left behind, for others to cope with. :twisted:
Ooops, I'll say no more than F35B. :eusa-shhh:
I kid you not!

 

[Gordonmd]

I looked at all the stick on insulator mats after I bought my THP200 15 months ago because it is noisy. I ended up doing nothing as there is so much conflicting and confusing info about sound deadening vs vibration damping. If someone has a good answer please tell us. I didnt want to buy one product and find out it was wrong

 

[Anders55]

Thank you all for your creative suggestions. :clap:

Removing the interior to do something about the noise seem to be more complicated than I could cope with.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=10771
Thank you for a good guide, that convinced me not to do that.

However, from the hatches in the boot you can put some more insulation on the arches, without removing the panels.
I think I will try that, but I am not sure it will do any difference. Acustic problems are complicated as you say Gordonmd.
The cost is minor, and maybe the placebo effect is good enough for me. If it is not, I will go for the stereo turn up alternative. F35B is a bit above my budget, and custom exhaust is not the best for my diesel.

 

[neilgsxr69]

Seriously it just goes to show how different we owners are most want to make their cars louder and even Peugeot tried to make the 200 louder increasing the intake noise into the cabin via some rubber tubing!

And then there are owners who think they are too loud and want to make the ride quieter, I personally think as standard the RCZ is a very quiet ride, the only thing I can think is that some owners have not owned cars with such large tires and it’s just the road noise from those tires that you can hear, looking around for some lower decibel tires may be an option.

 

[stewartwillsher]

If you have hyperacusis and tinnitus (and yes, I have both) then all noise, including that emanating from within, is undesirable. :thumbdown:
But silence is impossible, 24/7! :twisted:
Hey, ho! :beer:

 

[Anders55]

The asphalt in Sweden is known to be a problem for many manufactors of cars when it comes to noise.
We have a rough kind, that really makes a lot of sound, especially if you have big wheels. I guess we have it to prevent ice and slippery roads.

Turning up the stereo sound works well, when you are alone, but with companie it is not always a solution.

Finally I decided to do something about it.

I bought bitumen
https://www.biltema.se/bil---mc/biltill ... 2000021214
and sound insulation
https://www.biltema.se/bil---mc/biltill ... 2000017199

I opened the front side of the trunk side, and put as much of the material there as possible. From the hatch in the trunk I could do the same on the rear part of the wheel arch.

I also put insulation under the carpet in the trunk. (1 cm)

Did it make any change? I think it lowered the whiz sound a bit. The vibration sound from the the wheels is still the same I think. This is also what I expected.

The cost was low, and at least now I have tried to do my best.

 

[DKZ5745]

Well you gave it a go. I think the sporty nature of the RCZ makes it difficult to get a quiet smooth ride. The bigger the wheels the worse the problem.
I have found my Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres are quieter than the original contis. But I don’t really notice any road noise except on certain stretches of motorway that have a concrete surface, but I think even in a Rolls Royce you would notice something on these stretches.