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Here was my response to road noise on another thread:
"The fun of having a Corvette is not only feeling the road, but hearing the road! What's wrong with you guys? Unbelievable.
Let me see? I'm going to buy a car and noise is one of my prime concerns. I think I'll start by shopping for a Corvette. Give me a break. "
Some people like loud. Good for you. Me, I have Artillery ears. Besides the constant ringing in my ears, some droning noises are painful and absolute agony. Love my vette and the investment in a little time and money, customized it to where I can really enjoy it. But, that's just me.
Some people like loud. Good for you. Me, I have Artillery ears. Besides the constant ringing in my ears, some droning noises are painful and absolute agony. Love my vette and the investment in a little time and money, customized it to where I can really enjoy it. But, that's just me.
IMO from my experience, the title of this thread says it all, Road Noise.
Key word being ROAD, as in Road Conditions.
Quieter Tires in combination with Lloyd's mats/ Block -It etc will lessen Road noise.
But each of those only helps incrementally and only under the best road conditions.
My 2009 C6 Coupe had the OEM Good Year RF tires and believe it or not, those where the Quietest tires.
Yes they rode harder than most tires, but on a smooth newly surfaced highway they were dead quiet.
I switched to Mich A/S ZP tires, the Original versions with the big V tread design and they rode "slightly" better.
But they had a very slight singing noise on a smooth newly surfaced highway.
Now with my C7 Coupe, the OEM Z51 RF tires are fairly noisy depending on road conditions, and Not totally quiet on a smooth newly surfaced highway.
I also still have a set of Mich A/S ZP tires, the Original versions with the big V tread design, on a spare set of wheels and they do not offer any better ride and only Slightly quieter if any.
One thing remains constant though, no matter which tire, they are ALL Noisy on anything less than perfect road surfaces.
I have yet to see anyone say they're quiet tires stop all the noise on Cement roads.
Or any similar road that generates more noise than normal.
I used the Block-it Mats in the C6 and now in the C7.
They do make a difference contrary to reviews that say they don't.
NO, they do Not stop all the noise, or even a Majority of the noise,.. but they do take the edge off under fairly good Road conditions.
The only thing to make the car really quiet is taking out the interior and installing a Complete Insulation kit of your choice.
YMMV along with Opinions, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it
On another note, we're sitting in a car 6 inches off the ground where all the Noise is
My 16 base stingray was way quieter than my current 17 GS, those big Run flat tires are loud and there are currently NO replacements for them in RF as I can find and not even any all season tires for the rear. I think there are some for front sizes. I got some of the thin insulation from LOWES and slid under seats, behind seat, over carpet in cargo area and placed 2 harbor freight black moving blankets over them and then put a custom Lloyds mat over this in cargo area and it cut noise down a lot. Cheap and you can't tell they are there and the lloyd mat covers it all up in the cargo area. I didn't want to rip any carpet up to install anything so I put it over the existing carpet. Good luck
Please elaborate on the "thin insulation from Lowes". What exactly did you buy?
I replaced the OEM run-flats a week ago with Michelin Sport 4S (non-run flats) and the difference is amazing. The car is quieter, rides better, and I don't get the tire hop when the tires are cold. I would highly recommend them, but keep in mind you'll need to carry a can of tire fix just in case.
I also got the Blockit sound insulation for under the rear carpet and behind the seats, and have not noticed any significant difference.
Finally decided to give Blockit a try, even in view of the many negative comments.
True to their claims, Blockit is incredibly simple to install. Unroll it through the hatch, (my car is a coupe), line it up at the edges, and with the cargo hold-down rings, and you're done. Reported wrinkling was minor and, what little there is, will level out in a short time with some warm temperatures. I accomplished the installation of the Lloyd Cargo Mat in the same fashion, through the hatch, although taking care to not scratch my Stage 3 Wickerbill with the somewhat abrasive underside of the mat. One problem, which I have yet to address is that, contrary to what I was informed, the Lloyd Cargo Mat does not have access slots for the cargo tie-down rings, so I'll have to cut them myself. The slots will have to be fairly wide to provide sufficient room to connect snap rings, as the combined thickness of the Blockit mat and Lloyd Cargo Mat exceeds the height of the rings. I will look into the possibility of raising the height of the rings with 1/2" thick spacers to ease the attachment of snap rings/hooks, that is assuming that the plates are not riveted to the floorpan. The last step was to place the Blockit mats behind each seat, an incredibly simple process, as I chose not to place them under the carpeting.
I immediately drove out to the highway to determine the noise-insulation properties of the installation. In the short drive of twelve miles or so, the reduction of tire noise was discernible but absolutely does not eliminate it. My guess is that the noise level was reduced by about fifteen percent. I should mention that my car is equipped with Pilot Super Sports and are new. What shocked me was the nearly total elimination, of the tire whine when crossing concrete bridge decks with grooving. Again, my guess would be the reduction in tire whine is about ninety percent. Exhaust drone whilst at cruising speed was, as with the tire noise reduction, discernible but was not eliminated.
In conclusion, it appears to me that the combination of the Blockit Mat and Lloyd Cargo Mat is highly effective at reducing high-frequency noise but ineffective with low frequencies. The bottom line is that this installation, due to its simplicity, makes it a worthwhile expenditure, in my opinion. The next step would be stripping the interior to install adhesive backed sound-deadening materials on the cabin floorpan, trunk area floor and wheelhouses. That, in my opinion, would be a job for the winter months when the car is "mothballed" as, to do the job properly, quite of care and time would be required to do it correctly.
I've done everything mentioned here.
Blockit Mat and behind seat "pads"
Stick on black stuff under seats and behind seats
Lloyds cargo mat
Best thing was getting rid of the Mich run flats at around 3,500 miles, Conti Extreme Contact is 50% better, I don't race at high speeds all day.
But I made my own cargo divider out of pine, carpet and insulation tape. $ 50 bucks at Lowes and 1 -2 hours time.
Pix is my original proto-type, cleaner lines I found with mush more expensive insulation tape. (Add $ 16. per unit.)
Best investment I made since my suicide **** Moves out of the way for your roof panel, a true friction fit. The black things behind seats are soon to be custom cup holders.
Finally decided to give Blockit a try, even in view of the many negative comments.
True to their claims, Blockit is incredibly simple to install. Unroll it through the hatch, (my car is a coupe), line it up at the edges, and with the cargo hold-down rings, and you're done. Reported wrinkling was minor and, what little there is, will level out in a short time with some warm temperatures. I accomplished the installation of the Lloyd Cargo Mat in the same fashion, through the hatch, although taking care to not scratch my Stage 3 Wickerbill with the somewhat abrasive underside of the mat. One problem, which I have yet to address is that, contrary to what I was informed, the Lloyd Cargo Mat does not have access slots for the cargo tie-down rings, so I'll have to cut them myself. The slots will have to be fairly wide to provide sufficient room to connect snap rings, as the combined thickness of the Blockit mat and Lloyd Cargo Mat exceeds the height of the rings. I will look into the possibility of raising the height of the rings with 1/2" thick spacers to ease the attachment of snap rings/hooks, that is assuming that the plates are not riveted to the floorpan. The last step was to place the Blockit mats behind each seat, an incredibly simple process, as I chose not to place them under the carpeting.
I immediately drove out to the highway to determine the noise-insulation properties of the installation. In the short drive of twelve miles or so, the reduction of tire noise was discernible but absolutely does not eliminate it. My guess is that the noise level was reduced by about fifteen percent. I should mention that my car is equipped with Pilot Super Sports and are new. What shocked me was the nearly total elimination, of the tire whine when crossing concrete bridge decks with grooving. Again, my guess would be the reduction in tire whine is about ninety percent. Exhaust drone whilst at cruising speed was, as with the tire noise reduction, discernible but was not eliminated.
In conclusion, it appears to me that the combination of the Blockit Mat and Lloyd Cargo Mat is highly effective at reducing high-frequency noise but ineffective with low frequencies. The bottom line is that this installation, due to its simplicity, makes it a worthwhile expenditure, in my opinion. The next step would be stripping the interior to install adhesive backed sound-deadening materials on the cabin floorpan, trunk area floor and wheelhouses. That, in my opinion, would be a job for the winter months when the car is "mothballed" as, to do the job properly, quite of care and time would be required to do it correctly.
As always, just my opinion.
Montana Bob
Your experience with Blockit is mostly the same as mine. The Blockit does reduce some of the intensity of road/tire noise especially at the annoying higher frequencies while driving on concrete. I can hear the stereo better now and I do not have to turn the volume up as much as before. Interestingly, I can now hear some occasional interior panel creaks that I could not hear before Blockit due to all the road noise. I am happy with Blockit and the Lloyds cargo mat.
Double check your Lloyds cargo mat for precut access slots for the tie-down rings. I didn’t think mine had the precut slots either but bending the underside of the mat showed the slots are there but not cut all the way through the mat. I had to push my finger through the slots to open them up. Even with the combined thickness of the Blockit and Lloyds cargo mat I could attach the hooks to the rings...just have to push down the mats to get to them.
I'm surprised and disappointed that our 2017 Z51 coupe seems even noisier than our previous 2009 Z51 coupe, both with Michelin tires. Even though the sound system on our C7 (playing from the same Ipod) sounds better at low speeds than the C6, on most surfaces above about 50 mph the interior noise is so bad I don't even try to listen to music.
We have both the PSS and AS3+ runflats on different sets of wheels, the AS3+ seem, if anything, a bit noisier than the PSS.
Just got a 2016 Z06 with 3000 miles, completely stock with OEM run flat tires. The road noise is unbearable, so much so my 10 speaker Bose is drowned out unless I'm driving 30 MPH on a smooth concrete road surface. I've tried the 'Blockit" product, it was totally ineffective, no help at all. As much as I love this car, I''ll need to sell it If I can't solve this problem. Anyone have a fix for 'tire roar' on a C7 Z06?
When I got my Z51 it was terrible. Still is with the radio off.The sound resonated in the back it just seemed to bounce around. I just turn up the radio.
I don't mean this to be argumentative, but I simply do not understand it. To my ears, smooth asphalt is much, much quieter than concrete. Not only that, asphalt is faster. Concrete also tends to be done in sections with dividers, causing a "thump, thump" effect.When I hit a stretch of asphalt after a stretch of concrete, the car ups its speed by up to 5mph without any change in my driving. I have to let up on the accelerator to maintain the same speed. I did about 12,000 miles of freeway driving this last six months and noticed it repeatedly. There's a section of Interstate 5 between Seattle and Tacoma where the 'contract' for paving had to have ended at the county line. You thump, thump along bumpy concrete until you get South of Federal Way and when you hit the King County/Pierce County line the pavement turns to asphalt. I always give a sigh of relief when I hit the asphalt because the noise goes down and the ride is so much more pleasant.
I agree. We have a semi new asphalt section from east to west in NC and it is wonderfully quieter and smooth and FAST. I have run flats but not the summer tires that came with it. I bought Michelin 3 + ers. after 3300 miles
One problem, which I have yet to address is that, contrary to what I was informed, the Lloyd Cargo Mat does not have access slots for the cargo tie-down rings, so I'll have to cut them myself.
Interesting. My Ultimats purchased in 2015 have the slits for the rings.
I had the Double Extreme insulation kit installed, with the entire interior, rear, and seats were removed. I recorded the sound decibels at cruising speed on I-95 here in Florida, before and after, using an Android app. Not strict lab conditions, but enough for a benchmark before and after. Before insulation kit installation, I was recording sound in the 70-72 dB range (with 70dB comparable to busy traffic, vacuum cleaner). Stock '19 GS 3LT with the Michelin tires and a GS carpeted cargo mat. After insulation I also had the cargo partition installed by the same vendor/installer. I was recording levels of between 68 dB to 70 dB. So not a huge difference, but a difference nonetheless. Seat of the pants difference? Yes, it does sound quieter with the insulation in. Enough to compare it to a Lexus? Ha-ha, not even close. This is not a library, it's a Corvette! At the same time, I will be looking forward to the time when I swap out my tires and go with something other than the stock Michelins, and see how much quieter they will make the car. As others have noted here, the tires do make a big difference. When I'm on my normal drive to and from work, I don't have to blast the stereo to hear it, and with my son in the car, we can have conversations without having to talk loudly, or when I take phone calls on the Bluetooth hands-free. So all in all, the sound deadening kits are worth it, along with quieter tires. You just need to adjust your expectations because it's never going to be luxury car quiet. Quiet-er, but not the sounds of silence.
Thanks to all who have responded. "30MPH on smooth concrete roadway" was misinterpreted. I meant that concrete is way less noise than asphalt, and slow speed is less noisy than high speed. So under ideal conditions, the noise is acceptable with concrete/30MPH. But 98% of my driving is on non ideal normal asphalt road bed at typical around town speeds (30-50). On typical Chip and Seal road surface, Anything over 20 MPH is too loud. After 10 minutes driving the corridor between Longmont CO and Boulder CO, my ears were ringing.
Seems there are two types of solutions- thin butyl rubber (50-80 mm) like Dynamat, and thick foam like Blockit. Blockit was totally ineffective, perhaps I'll try the butyl.
Also, I wonder how much difference there would be between, say, a stock non-Z51Stingray and a Z06 in terms of noise. I would be willing to step down to a base Stingray, even with the stock skinny tires, if this would satisfy my noise requirement. As it is, all the wonderful performance/looks of a Z06 is wasted on me cause the noise is so irritating.
Anyone tried a stock stingray vs a Z06?
I had a 16 base stingray and it was pretty quiet compared to my 17 GS that is same set up as Z06. Tires not as wide and not as low a profile as Z or GS tires. I liked the ride and quietness a lot better. Suggest changing your tires to the continental non run flats.
I don't mean this to be argumentative, but I simply do not understand it. To my ears, smooth asphalt is much, much quieter than concrete. Not only that, asphalt is faster. Concrete also tends to be done in sections with dividers, causing a "thump, thump" effect.When I hit a stretch of asphalt after a stretch of concrete, the car ups its speed by up to 5mph without any change in my driving. I have to let up on the accelerator to maintain the same speed. I did about 12,000 miles of freeway driving this last six months and noticed it repeatedly. There's a section of Interstate 5 between Seattle and Tacoma where the 'contract' for paving had to have ended at the county line. You thump, thump along bumpy concrete until you get South of Federal Way and when you hit the King County/Pierce County line the pavement turns to asphalt. I always give a sigh of relief when I hit the asphalt because the noise goes down and the ride is so much more pleasant.
Agree completely. Riding on asphalt is much quieter than concrete.
There is an Interstate (Freeway) about 1/4 mile of wooded area behind my house. On most days the traffic would be quite loud. Last year they covered the concrete roadway with asphalt. Now you don't hear a sound from the road.
A point to ponder is that when you install new tires they are going to be quieter than the worn tires. Even if they are the same tire. I am on my third set and ready for the fourth set shortly. The last two sets were Mich 3 plus all season run flats and when the new ones were installed last time they were a lot quieter even though they were the same make and model of tires. The only point I am trying to make here is that when someone switches tire types they don't take into consideration that new tires will be quieter than the previous worn tires.
Last edited by joemessman; May 19, 2018 at 11:52 AM.
I had the Double Extreme insulation kit installed, with the entire interior, rear, and seats were removed. I recorded the sound decibels at cruising speed on I-95 here in Florida, before and after, using an Android app. Not strict lab conditions, but enough for a benchmark before and after. Before insulation kit installation, I was recording sound in the 70-72 dB range (with 70dB comparable to busy traffic, vacuum cleaner). Stock '19 GS 3LT with the Michelin tires and a GS carpeted cargo mat. After insulation I also had the cargo partition installed by the same vendor/installer. I was recording levels of between 68 dB to 70 dB. So not a huge difference, but a difference nonetheless. Seat of the pants difference? Yes, it does sound quieter with the insulation in. Enough to compare it to a Lexus? Ha-ha, not even close. This is not a library, it's a Corvette! At the same time, I will be looking forward to the time when I swap out my tires and go with something other than the stock Michelins, and see how much quieter they will make the car. As others have noted here, the tires do make a big difference. When I'm on my normal drive to and from work, I don't have to blast the stereo to hear it, and with my son in the car, we can have conversations without having to talk loudly, or when I take phone calls on the Bluetooth hands-free. So all in all, the sound deadening kits are worth it, along with quieter tires. You just need to adjust your expectations because it's never going to be luxury car quiet. Quiet-er, but not the sounds of silence.
So if I am reading this right, you got about a 2 dB difference between before the Double Extreme package plus cargo partition was installed, and after?
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
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