20 replies to this topic

[Richie83]

Its a start, but no way near enough if you want a real silent Mini.
 
 
Fitting a set of aluminium inner wings will make a huge difference. 
 
 
http://www.lokari.de/fender
  
 
Not only will they make it hard for the dredded tinworm, to eat your front, but they also remove tyre / road noise BIG TIME. 

these look like a good idea. Has anyone fitted them?

[1984mini25]

 

Its a start, but no way near enough if you want a real silent Mini.
 
 
Fitting a set of aluminium inner wings will make a huge difference. 
 
 
http://www.lokari.de/fender
  
 
Not only will they make it hard for the dredded tinworm, to eat your front, but they also remove tyre / road noise BIG TIME. 

these look like a good idea. Has anyone fitted them?

 

 

I made up and fitted some plastic ones made from a pair of trailer arches that can be found in my project thread. I wouldn't say that they reduce road noise, although they do keep the under side of the wings nice and road grime/mud free.

[JC T ONE]

 

 

I made up and fitted some plastic ones made from a pair of trailer arches that can be found in my project thread. I wouldn't say that they reduce road noise, although they do keep the under side of the wings nice and road grime/mud free.

 

 

 

The alloy absorbe more noise than the plastic ones do, but the best thing about them is the rubber lip, that seal them against flitch panel & wing/ A panel. 

This keeps the tyre noise on the outside of them, and if you want to add more, then put some of those tar sound insulation mats on the back of them. 

Edited by JC T ONE, 24 August 2016 - 10:41 PM.

[JC T ONE]

these look like a good idea. Has anyone fitted them?

 

 

 

[pusb]

Do the inner wing arches not block airflow of the radiator?

[fenghuang]

The alloy absorbe more noise than the plastic ones do, but the best thing about them is the rubber lip, that seal them against flitch panel & wing/ A panel. 

This keeps the tyre noise on the outside of them, and if you want to add more, then put some of those tar sound insulation mats on the back of them. 

 

Unfortunately it's not quite as simple as that.
(My professional opinion as a sound engineer, though not an automotive accoutic engineer.)

The alloy will probably absorb more sound energy than the plastic, but it will also act as a resonator, which has the potential to make the noise levels worse.

One of the main reasons for percieved noise in cars is resonant body panels, and by adding an alloy wheel arch liner you are adding another resonant panel.

Putting sound insulation mats on the back of the liner probably will help reduce noise, but you might as well put the mat directly onto the floor inside the car. Even if you fit the wheel arch liner to keep crud out of the wings, you'd still be better off putting sound absorption in the car.

 

The primary way to reduce the resonance is to add mass/stiffness to panels. This is what products from Dynamat, Silen Coat, Second Skin etc do.

 

 

If you want to reduce in car noise noise, the best way is to add around 50% coverage of all cabin panels with sound deadening mat (aka Constrained Layer Dampening eg Dynamat Extreme, Silent Coat, Second Skin Damplifier etc) then full coverage of Closed Cell Foam, and then a layer of Mass Loaded Vinyl.

 

If you want to cut costs, just go for dampening mat, and then good quality unerlay.
(Don't bother with bituminous flashing from Wickes etc instead of proprietory sound deadening treatments. Yes, it's cheaper, but a lot of people report it going soft and smelling in hot weather. When you consider how much people spend making their Minis look pretty, buying the right materials is not a huge expense.)