MIC Hard Top Wind Noise Reduction - 2023 Edition - Plus Bonus Fix for Bad Adhesive

[ToddGreen]

@ToddGreen this was my inspiration. Far more detail here by @WheresMyBronco

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...ipping-tackling-road-noise.89162/post-2165878

To @Jwells104 and @WheresMyBronco:

Regarding the weatherstripping on the body of the truck around the door frames - did you use one continuous piece for each door, like one big U-shape?

Thanks.

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[Jwells104]

@ToddGreen bingo, one big u shaped piece

 

[WheresMyBronco]

To @Jwells104 and @WheresMyBronco:

Regarding the weatherstripping on the body of the truck around the door frames - did you use one continuous piece for each door, like one big U-shape?

Thanks.

Yep, one continuous piece for each door and I tucked in the weatherstrooping under the rubber flaps at the end of each channel

 

[drexbronco]

Thank you @BroncoWhisperer ! I ordered the weatherstripping from McMaster - arrived in three business days. Installed everything in less than 90 minutes - with my son helping. Took our time, approached it methodically. For those thinking about doing this, the photos are excellent. Once you remove the roof sections, routing the stripping per the photos is much easier to do than I anticipated. Could just be me.

Near total disappearance of wind noise. Measured only by my ears. Now, the tires seem louder

Thanks to all who have contributed to this and similar threads.

 

[Subdude662]

There is so much GOOD info in these threads!
Did this on my ‘23 WT.

TL;DR - individual results may vary

I used @BroncoWhisperer ’s shopping list and pics to do the job last night in about 2 hours my myself. Very straight forward. I also did the doors with the 93085K556 and it took just under 30 feet for all four. I originally messed up by using the thicker OD strip on one one of the doors and I Really had to slam it to shut all the way. Once I figured out my mistake it was smooth sailing after that.
My results didn’t seem SUPER drastic but here are my takeaways:

1. After doing all The weatherstripping and adjusting the two front brackets both inboard, definitely harder to latch the two front sections and you get a much tighter seal.
2. This eliminated pretty much ALL of any squeaks and creaks from the hard top.
3. Driving around town is much more quiet and engine and road noise from tires is a little more pronounced.
4. Highway driving under 70 mph there is noticeably less ambient noise.
5. Between 70 and 80 I’d say it’s marginally better.
6. Over 80 mph - meh

A couple other things that I noticed: When it’s windy you seem to be able to hear more of the buffeting from the gusts vs general driving noise after doing all this. Since taking delivery last summer, when on the highway at speeds of 70 mph +, I would get a high pitched whistle when there is a crosswind of any sort of strength. Last night there was a pretty strong wind blowing and when I was doing my highway driving I was hoping this would eliminate that whistle, but it did not.
What did happen is that the whistle starts at a bit higher speed, and (maybe?) is slightly lower volume, but definitely still there.

All in all I think its worth it for me based on my results, I‘d just really like to get this F-ing high pitched whistle to go away completely.

 

[mciasto]

Thank you @BroncoWhisperer ! I ordered the weatherstripping from McMaster - arrived in three business days. Installed everything in less than 90 minutes - with my son helping.

Glad to hear it was so easy. do you mind confirming if I can do this whole operation WITHOUT removing the rear roof panels? My roof rack will only let me remove the front 2 and middle panel.

 

[drexbronco]

Glad to hear it was so easy. do you mind confirming if I can do this whole operation WITHOUT removing the rear roof panels? My roof rack will only let me remove the front 2 and middle panel.

I removed all roof panels to accomplish all the weatherstripping recommended in this thread.

 

[Sherco]

GREAT THREAD! Lots of useful information. BIG THANK YOU to the OP!

So I did the Hotheads/Sound Assassin And the Hardtop Weatherstrip Mods this weekend. I did it in two steps and used a decibel meter (with climate control turned off) to try to get some quantitative data on whether this works or not....Note: I know about as much about decibels as I do about brain surgery....so feel free to critique the technique/methodology and my half-assed conclusions


No modifications

60mph: 68 decibels

72mph: 71 decibels

Control sample Yukon Denali Ultimate

70mph: 64 decibels

75mph: 64.6 decibels

Driving in hard rain, 75mph: 72 decibels

Hotheads (with Sound assassin)

60mph: 67 Decibels

65 mph: 69 Decibels

70mph: 70 decibels

75mph: 72 decibels

Hotheads plus weather-stripping

60mph: 66 decibels

65mph: 68 decibels

70mph: 69.5 decibels

75mph: 71 decibels

Realistically: There is nominal if any change if the scientific sound range. That said, there is a massive "Subjective" decrease in the perceivable sound reduction. It was not as prominent with the HotHeads/Sound assassin as it was with the Weather stripping application.

So if you take into account that there are probably 4 important variables to this complaint

1) Wind Noise
2) Vibration Noise
3) Creaking and Rattles
4) Road Noise...which really is not addressed with these mods

What we have noticed....

1) There is an almost eerie sealing of the vehicle now when you close the doors (I attribute this to the "pool noodles")
2) Wind noise is massively reduced
3) Creaks and rattles are almost non-existent
4) The biggest change....At 70-75mph, we can talk in a normal tone to each other without having to raise our voices.

I videotaped the entire process and will be drop a YouTube video soon....(There is a ton of editing before that happens).

Andrew

 

[jrollo7]

GREAT THREAD! Lots of useful information. BIG THANK YOU to the OP!

So I did the Hotheads/Sound Assassin And the Hardtop Weatherstrip Mods this weekend. I did it in two steps and used a decibel meter (with climate control turned off) to try to get some quantitative data on whether this works or not....Note: I know about as much about decibels as I do about brain surgery....so feel free to critique the technique/methodology and my half-assed conclusions


No modifications

60mph: 68 decibels

72mph: 71 decibels

Control sample Yukon Denali Ultimate

70mph: 64 decibels

75mph: 64.6 decibels

Driving in hard rain, 75mph: 72 decibels

Hotheads (with Sound assassin)

60mph: 67 Decibels

65 mph: 69 Decibels

70mph: 70 decibels

75mph: 72 decibels

Hotheads plus weather-stripping

60mph: 66 decibels

65mph: 68 decibels

70mph: 69.5 decibels

75mph: 71 decibels

Realistically: There is nominal if any change if the scientific sound range. That said, there is a massive "Subjective" decrease in the perceivable sound reduction. It was not as prominent with the HotHeads/Sound assassin as it was with the Weather stripping application.

So if you take into account that there are probably 4 important variables to this complaint

1) Wind Noise
2) Vibration Noise
3) Creaking and Rattles
4) Road Noise...which really is not addressed with these mods

What we have noticed....

1) There is an almost eerie sealing of the vehicle now when you close the doors (I attribute this to the "pool noodles")
2) Wind noise is massively reduced
3) Creaks and rattles are almost non-existent
4) The biggest change....At 70-75mph, we can talk in a normal tone to each other without having to raise our voices.

I videotaped the entire process and will be drop a YouTube video soon....(There is a ton of editing before that happens).

Andrew

Thanks for sharing. Look forward to your video.

 

[Sherco]

Just posted the first part of the video project: Hotheads Headliner and Sound Assassin.

Will post Part two which covers the Weather Strip mod in a few days

 

[LCW]

I only had minor wind noise on my 2dr BL but I finally diagnosed an air leak that was bugging me by placing some gorilla tape over this area and confirming the source was the way this seal sat. This was on the passenger side.

So as a permanent fix I super glued it down so there was no gap to the door header piece. Totally solved the air leak noise. The driver side was already quiet but I did the same just because I’m ocd. Lol

 

[Sherco]

Part two of the video project: Weatherstrip Installation

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