heck 50psi would be like driving a tank on ice skates
C6 Noise Reduction Test
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,140
Likes: 406
From: Greater Cincinnati Area
Just to clarify, I don't think my C6Z is too loud most of the time...just thought I'd see what I could do with some simple changes. Thought I'd document it for those who search for similar solutions, so they have better information than I did. I've previously owned cars with low-profile tires. I know the noise will get worse as they wear. Maybe the modifications will have more impact then.
As for tire pressure...the tires are rated to 50 p.s.i. cold. The car rides too much like a Cadillac at 34 p.s.i., so I thought I'd try something different.
As for tire pressure...the tires are rated to 50 p.s.i. cold. The car rides too much like a Cadillac at 34 p.s.i., so I thought I'd try something different.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 922
Likes: 2
From: Resume Speed Tennessee
amen brother!!Yes, the fuzzy wheelwell liners do make a significant reduction in wheel noise. But, they are a bear to get clean. **** car cleaners be warned. When I get around to starting
installing insulation the first step will be insulating the wheel wells inside and out, and applying a layer inside the wheel liner. Worn highway surfaces plus Badyear RFs seem to produce the most of the noise. On fresh new asphalt the car is super quiet. Next will be the bulkhead behind the seats. A double layer of foam-aluminum insulation worked wonders in the C5.
Exhaust and engine noise yea, tire noise nay!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 315
From: Bridgewater New Jersey
I don't even downshift much, the car just feels so light, just a few easy taps on the brakes slows it just fine.
GET RID OF THE GY's RF, and all will be well.
I couldn't believe how much improvement it made.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,529
Likes: 496
From: Southern California
Just to clarify, I don't think my C6Z is too loud most of the time...just thought I'd see what I could do with some simple changes. Thought I'd document it for those who search for similar solutions, so they have better information than I did. I've previously owned cars with low-profile tires. I know the noise will get worse as they wear. Maybe the modifications will have more impact then.
As for tire pressure...the tires are rated to 50 p.s.i. cold. The car rides too much like a Cadillac at 34 p.s.i., so I thought I'd try something different.
As for tire pressure...the tires are rated to 50 p.s.i. cold. The car rides too much like a Cadillac at 34 p.s.i., so I thought I'd try something different.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 4,138
Likes: 171
From: Missouri
St. Jude Donor '13-'14
The results of the cargo partition surprise me, or maybe not. Perhaps it's just that I'm getting more usable music from my rear speakers that it seems to cut interior noise down. It seems that a lot of the sound from the rear speakers gets lost in the hatch area, so once the divider is installed, much more of that sound is reflected toward the front.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 6,391
Likes: 1,454
From: South Dakota
My Corvette is the first true sports car that I have ever owned, and I don't think the interior noise is objectionable. I honestly don't think it is any noisier inside than either the Firebird or Datsun 260Z that I have owned previously. Certainly I would expect a vette to have a little more noise than a lot of passenger cars. When I am out on the road, it isn't something that I give a lot of thought to.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,959
Likes: 526
Nope...I'm right there with ya. This sounds like another typical case of someone buying a sports car and hoping it has all the characteristic's of a Caddilac. And a Z-06 to boot. If I had a Z-06 I'd be wanting to hear that motor sing and them tires squeal....LOL.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,566
Likes: 7
St Jude Donor '14
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,566
Likes: 7
St Jude Donor '14
amen brother!!Yes, the fuzzy wheelwell liners do make a significant reduction in wheel noise. But, they are a bear to get clean. **** car cleaners be warned. When I get around to starting
installing insulation the first step will be insulating the wheel wells inside and out, and applying a layer inside the wheel liner. Worn highway surfaces plus Badyear RFs seem to produce the most of the noise. On fresh new asphalt the car is super quiet. Next will be the bulkhead behind the seats. A double layer of foam-aluminum insulation worked wonders in the C5.
Exhaust and engine noise yea, tire noise nay!
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 5
From: Schererville Indiana
It was weight. Dave Hill addressed the issue once and said they were looking to shave ounces here and there so adding "X" pounds of sound deadener was never on the table.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 14,107
Likes: 26
From: 4th on the list of top 100 in USA Ga.
I went to Lowes and bought 5 rolls of peel n seal and went to work putting in in the cargo area behind the seats under the floor,as far as I could pull the carpet up without removing the console ,and in the doors,that coupled with removing the runcraps did a world of difference.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 25,105
Likes: 3,156
C6 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I pulled the interior and insulated the whole interior. Helps not only with noise but also with heat. On long trips my headers would heat up the tunnel area so much my left leg would get pretty hot. This and getting rid of the GY runcraps helps.....nothing else does.
It takes some effort to reduce interior noise but not to hard to do.
It takes some effort to reduce interior noise but not to hard to do.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 169
Likes: 69
I had the same results as the OP when checking sound insulation mods to my 2007 Z51 MZ6 Corvette coupe. After insulating many areas in the car and not seeing any difference on my cell phone noise meter, I was surprised as the car seemed much quieter and the music much better.
So, after some online research, it became apparent the problem was with the cell phone noise meter as it only used the dBA weighting which truncates sound below 1000hz. Once I bought a real noise meter that has both dBA and dBC ranges, I could assess the results below 1000hz to just below 100hz using dBC. But, this was after I had completed most of the sound insulation and can not show the step by step improvements.
My final results are 68 dBA and 88 dBC for my C6 at 70 mph with Michelin A/S, complete ZR1 exhaust system in quiet mode with mild to wild switch. Insulating the doors provided a nice noise level reduction and improvement in the 3LT Bose system sound.
Bill
So, after some online research, it became apparent the problem was with the cell phone noise meter as it only used the dBA weighting which truncates sound below 1000hz. Once I bought a real noise meter that has both dBA and dBC ranges, I could assess the results below 1000hz to just below 100hz using dBC. But, this was after I had completed most of the sound insulation and can not show the step by step improvements.
My final results are 68 dBA and 88 dBC for my C6 at 70 mph with Michelin A/S, complete ZR1 exhaust system in quiet mode with mild to wild switch. Insulating the doors provided a nice noise level reduction and improvement in the 3LT Bose system sound.
Bill
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
My Corvette is the first true sports car that I have ever owned, and I don't think the interior noise is objectionable. I honestly don't think it is any noisier inside than either the Firebird or Datsun 260Z that I have owned previously. Certainly I would expect a vette to have a little more noise than a lot of passenger cars. When I am out on the road, it isn't something that I give a lot of thought to.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,829
Likes: 45
From: Las Vegas Nevada
Just to clarify, I don't think my C6Z is too loud most of the time...just thought I'd see what I could do with some simple changes. Thought I'd document it for those who search for similar solutions, so they have better information than I did. I've previously owned cars with low-profile tires. I know the noise will get worse as they wear. Maybe the modifications will have more impact then.
As for tire pressure...the tires are rated to 50 p.s.i. cold. The car rides too much like a Cadillac at 34 p.s.i., so I thought I'd try something different.
As for tire pressure...the tires are rated to 50 p.s.i. cold. The car rides too much like a Cadillac at 34 p.s.i., so I thought I'd try something different.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,566
Likes: 7
St Jude Donor '14
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,566
Likes: 7
St Jude Donor '14
I went to Lowes and bought 5 rolls of peel n seal and went to work putting in in the cargo area behind the seats under the floor,as far as I could pull the carpet up without removing the console ,and in the doors,that coupled with removing the runcraps did a world of difference.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,586
Likes: 141
From: Palm Beach Florida
I have the GY run flats. What run flats are everyone switching to, i.e. that are quieter? I believe most of the annoying noise is the tires as the noise changes based on road conditions.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 169
Likes: 69
From my post above and a portion repeated below, I switched to Michelin A/S which are all season run flats which are rather quiet. I am interested in the noise level of C7 Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP tires that are used as original equipment when compared to the Michelin A/S ZP that I have.
"My final results are 68 dBA and 88 dBC for my C6 at 70 mph with Michelin A/S, complete ZR1 exhaust system in quiet mode with mild to wild switch. Insulating the doors provided a nice noise level reduction and improvement in the 3LT Bose system sound."
Langhorne_bill