Vibrofiltr Damping Sheet

 

𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬:

-The Damping part will arrest the vibrations of panels, plus help in preventing dings which Maruti cars are infamous for since they provide mechanical rigidity to the panels from behind. This is why it was in first priority.

-Arresting vibrations at high volumes even with stock speakers.

-The irritating Tabla on roof during rains.

 

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: Now this wasn’t just going to be a mindless application of damping sheets and feeling smug about it. Also had to ensure proper waterproofing and making sure the damping sheets or insulation stuff doesn’t come in contact/hold water at any location. Also, the use of different materials at different places ensured optimum absorption of frequencies/noise/rattles.

 

𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

1. Alubutyl Sheets(S1): 1.8mm, Vibrofiltr Brand. A pack was ordered which came with 15 sheets.

2. Closed Cell foam loaded Alubutyl Sheets(S2): This provides weight of Alubutyl, plus has a closed cell dense foam layering on top, for excellent noise absorption. iCopper was a brand available on Amazon, ordered a pack of 5 sheets.

3. Dr. Artex Lace(S3): This is a sound absorbing open cell foam, which can be easily compressed and being flexible, can be used on any type of contoured surface. Ordered 10 Sheets.

4. Dr. Artex Baffle Plus(S4): While this is a good sound insulator, it excels in heat insulation too. Ordered 4 Sheets.

5. 3M stiffener(S5): This is an excellent option if one needs only panel stiffness with minimal weight addition.

𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬:

 

𝟏. 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧:

-We first cleaned the door’s inner section with IPA to remove any dust and wax/oil.

-Pasted the 3M stiffeners(S5) at regular intervals.

-Pasted strips of Alubutyl Sheet S1, ensuring zero overlap or pocket formation where water can sit. Do note that water flows from inside, so there shouldn’t be any hindrance to that movement. This was rolled down aggressively with a roller to ensure maximum adhesion.

-Sprayed Hinge Wax all around the lip of these sheets. This makes the surroundings water proof, once the wax solidifies.

 

𝟐. 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐧:

-Once the harness, nuts and bolts were removed, the panel received a wipe down with IPA to remove any oil/dirt/wax.

-Foam Loaded iCopper Alubutyl Sheets were then used to seal off the cavity. This served 3 uses, first made a enclosure for speakers, increased rigidity of this skin and the closed cell foam ensured proper blocking of noise frequencies too. Also closed cell foam is used here because this area may come in contact with water/moisture, the closed cell structure ensures water isn’t absorbed into this material. This sheet is quite thick at 2mm, but still was diligently pressed with the roller. For difficult contours, rear part of screwdriver is used to press the adhesive in.

Care was taken to ensure that this sheet work is done within the adhesive limit of OE vapour barrier. The plastic sheet is needed to ensure water/humidity doesn’t reach the door pad which houses electronics.

-Vapour barrier was put back, and adhesive was rolled.

 

𝟑. 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐝:

-The door pad was wiped down with IPA.

-Alubutyl sheet (S1) was selectively pasted over all the flat areas which were susceptible to flexing.

-Dr. Artex Lace (S3) was then pasted over the Alubutyl and this provides excellent sound insulation. We tried to cover edge to edge to eliminate all noises. This also eliminates any kind of rattles which may come up in later years, quite common in Marutis.

Note:- No old Clip is reused, and also switched to foam laden clips used in Kizashi which eliminates clip related noise. Part number: 09409-10318. New Clips fit tight and give factory finish. Difference between Clips of normal marutis and Premium imports like Kizashi can be seen in image.

 

Credits: Leoshashi@TeamBHP