# Best method to stop plastic door panel vibration



## Deton Nation (Jul 3, 2009)

At 100 - 125Hz right in front of both speakers. Definitely coloring the sound. I know you use dynamat on the metal side, what about the plastic?
Thanks.
Mike


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## falkenbd (Aug 16, 2008)

Is it the factory grill that's in the way? 

Is the speaker actually hitting it? Or just firing into it?

Depending on the situation, you could try any of these:

1. mass load the panel to lower the resonant frequency

2. remove factory grill and fabricate something that isn't in the way as much

3. stiffen the panel

4. decouple the panel from the door sheet metal with foam.


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Mike-

Try using a closed cell foam between the plastic door panel and the metal door to decouple it as best as possible. Try using some tape/glue to affix the foam to the back of the plastic door panel and then re mount it. That should help quite a bit.
While your in there, wrap any wiring or moving parts in the foam as well.


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## Deton Nation (Jul 3, 2009)

I have to take a look to see if it's hitting the door. I don't think so but it's possible.
Mike


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## Deton Nation (Jul 3, 2009)

captainobvious said:


> Mike-
> 
> Try using a closed cell foam between the plastic door panel and the metal door to decouple it as best as possible. Try using some tape/glue to affix the foam to the back of the plastic door panel and then re mount it. That should help quite a bit.
> While your in there, wrap any wiring or moving parts in the foam as well.





> 4. decouple the panel from the door sheet metal with foam.


I think this will do the trick... If the speaker is hitting the door panel because of excursion it is just tapping it. Where can I pick up cel foam? Home Depot?


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## falkenbd (Aug 16, 2008)

Probably not home depot. You need closed cell foam.

Something like rattle pad from Secondskin, or the closed cell foam from sounddeadenershown.

You might have better luck at other local places, maybe an upholstery store or something similar.


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## Deton Nation (Jul 3, 2009)

Thanks!!! You guys ROCK! I really appreciate the help.
M


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

The speaker could also simply be exciting the door panel with omni directional energy (ie making noise on its own without touching anything).


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

I'd deaden the piss out of the panel and use closed cell foam.


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## James Bang (Jul 25, 2007)

CLD, massload, and decouple... like crazy.


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## Deton Nation (Jul 3, 2009)

Should I get the 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch closed cell, and they give different densities like 1.7, 2.2, 4. Any suggestions?


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

neoprene will work as well.. 

Camping mats for sleeping on... (cheap)

As long as it doesn't hold water, just about anything will work..


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## tspence73 (Oct 14, 2008)

A last resort I had to use to clear my speaker from touching my door panel was to cut a 6x9 shape and put a generic 6x9 speaker grill over it. This fixed the issue for me after months of trying to make it work 'as is'. I ultimately went and got a custom modification to the door for 8's and found that RAMMAT's ensolite foam knocked out all the rest of any vibration I had.


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## falkenbd (Aug 16, 2008)

tspence73 said:


> A last resort I had to use to clear my speaker from touching my door panel was to cut a 6x9 shape and put a generic 6x9 speaker grill over it. This fixed the issue for me after months of trying to make it work 'as is'. I ultimately went and got a custom modification to the door for 8's and found that RAMMAT's ensolite foam knocked out all the rest of any vibration I had.


ensolite didn't knock out the vibration. it simply stopped the 2 peices from touching each other.


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## FoxPro5 (Feb 14, 2006)

You need to determine the cause, first...then take the steps necessary to fix it.

If it's the door card, take all the pieces of it apart and either glue them together with butyl, neoprene caulking, or silicone and put it back together. Vibration will find the weakest link which is why you hear all the time of guys "chasing rattles". 

Thin foam is great as long as it's not too compressed. If you decouple, you need an actual, physical space between two parts (ie vibration isolation).

Randomly throwing CLD mat at vibration problems is like pissing up a rope.


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## Deton Nation (Jul 3, 2009)

So square blocks of foam spacers might be the way to go. ?


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## 89grand (Nov 23, 2006)

Deton Nation said:


> So square blocks of foam spacers might be the way to go. ?


Well you need to figure out what your problem is first. 

If separate pieces of the door panel are vibrating then no. If it's the whole panel vibrating on the actual door skin than yeah, maybe that's what you need.


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## falkenbd (Aug 16, 2008)

could be, but like he said, figure out the problem first if you can.


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## tspence73 (Oct 14, 2008)

Deton Nation said:


> So square blocks of foam spacers might be the way to go. ?


Actually, the sad truth is that you may have to experiment with different ideas. It's one of those things where, whatever it is that you try either works or it doesn't. More often than not, closed cell foam inbetween panels can remove most of the vibration. Most panels still need some kind of physical contact and will run the risk of rattling no matter what you try. Sometimes stiffening/tightening the panel is best. It's hard to know until you test it. The part of most agony is when you go through hours of testing and get nowhere.


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## 89grand (Nov 23, 2006)

^^^That's precisely why you don't just randomly start doing **** hoping something good happens. If you isolate the actual cause, the cure is fairly easy.


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## falkenbd (Aug 16, 2008)

tspence73 said:


> AMore often than not, closed cell foam inbetween panels can remove most of the vibration.


Again, closed cell foam isn't going to stop/remove/kill any vibrations. 

All it _might_ do is stop the noise because the peices aren't touching anymore.


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## tspence73 (Oct 14, 2008)

falkenbd said:


> Again, closed cell foam isn't going to stop/remove/kill any vibrations.
> 
> All it _might_ do is stop the noise because the peices aren't touching anymore.


"remove the noise" / "stop the noise". semantics. We are saying the same thing only different ways. Chill out.


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## James Bang (Jul 25, 2007)

tspence73 said:


> "remove the noise" / "stop the noise". semantics. We are saying the same thing only different ways. Chill out.


YOU need to chill out. He's just clearing up your fog. He seems chill to me.

Anyhow, I'll add that not enough people treat their door cards enough when they have their mids mounted in the doors. I've demo'd many cars where the door panels seems to be acting like a speaker, emitting sound waves from all the vibrations.


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## falkenbd (Aug 16, 2008)

tspence73 said:


> "remove the noise" / "stop the noise". semantics. We are saying the same thing only different ways. Chill out.


I'm pretty chill...

Its more than just semantics when you give a faulty definition. You got the right idea, you are just giving a little misguiding definition of what foam can do.

You keep saying "kill *vibrations*", when foam doesn't kill *vibrations*. 

It does stop the audible noise created when 2 vibrating objects hit each other by "decoupling" them (holding them apart). The vibrations will still be there...


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