Spray foam deadner? Anyone tried it?

[great white]

Like most of the 6.5 crowd here, I'm cheap (well maybe frugal is a better word) and don't have a lot of money to throw around.

I'm looking for ways to make my 98 quieter and just all around have a better quality "feeling".

The wife hates the diesel noise and an important part of keeping this truck for a long time is keeping the wife happy!

We all know about dynamat, lizard skin, etc.....but I just don't have the cash right now. I'll be saving up for proper stuff for the floors and doors, just can't afford it right now.

But, yesterday I pulled the headliner and pillar trim out to bump out a dent in the roof panel. It seems to me you could use expanding foam to fill the A pillars and fill up most of that double skin roof. This would probably go a long way to taking out some of the "tinny-ness"/wind noise and you wouldn't have to worry about "sticky" mats coming loose in the sun's heat. The cavities I would be filling are just empty air space anyways, no wiring.

I know quite a few newer vehicles have these cavities filled with foam and it sure looks like the expandable stuff.

Any one see a down side to it?

Rust?

Water?

uneven heating of panels and warping?

Excessive heating in the cabin/cold in the winter?

Etc.......



I just can't see much of a down side to doing it besides you would need to be careful the foam didn't pop a panel out of shape while expanding....

 

[JiFaire]

I'd be worried about it squeaking, BJ ... the stuff the auto guys use stays flexible; the stuff we get is more like styrofoam.

And, as you say, getting it to be manageable (not over-expanding) is a concern.

 

[great white]

I'd be worried about it squeaking, BJ ... the stuff the auto guys use stays flexible; the stuff we get is more like styrofoam.

And, as you say, getting it to be manageable (not over-expanding) is a concern.

Interesting consideration.

Every time I've used it, it bonds to the surface with such tenacity that you'd never be able get it apart. Maybe I'll run a test piece with a couple pieces of flat sheet and see what happens. You may have a point when it's exposed to the heat and cool cycles that a vehicle would face, especially on the roof....

For over expanding, I think you'd just have to be careful and go slow while applying it. The space is large and open, so expanding foam should just spread into the open cavity, as long as you don't get crazy with it...

Good points though...:thumbsup:

 

[dentpusha]

I know it makes paintless dent removal hard or impossible.Other than that I see nothing wrong with it.I doubt the foam will offer as much sound protection as the rubber type stuff.The area your talking about being souble skinned is actually a pretty big area and would prolly take alot of foam.Ive seen alot of a pillars filled with it.

 

[ak diesel driver]

they make low expansion foam for use around doors and windows in houses

 

[great white]

Well, today I spray foamed the double skin roof on the passenger side. The annoying metal "ring" noise when you slam the door hard or tap the roof panel is gone.



Time will tell how well it holds up......