jb1750
Totally Hooked
- Apr 15, 2022
- 342
- 506
Went for a decent drive yesterday and it included a good 100 miles or so on the motorway. Bloomin eck, the road noise was insane on some stretches! Me & the missus were practically shouting at each other to have a normal chat - which was actually pretty comical.
I’d say if your daily commute took in some roads like this you’d be getting on Amazon asap for that silicon hose in desperate hope, or getting on autotrader…
I’d say if your daily commute took in some roads like this you’d be getting on Amazon asap for that silicon hose in desperate hope, or getting on autotrader…
Cubone
Obsessed member
- Jul 20, 2023
- 199
- 410
This is incredibly rudimentary and I wouldn't put much stock in it being a great representation of the changes. I kept my phone in the same place in the car (sat on top of the track mode button), and at the same sort of speeds. I used an app called sound meter, and I'm more interested in relative changes than the actual values it's giving.
This is with the stock braces at around 50mph on an A road.
Ignore the averages etc at the bottom.
This is on the same section of road at the same speeds, with the hose added. There's not a drastic change in noise levels, but I do think it sounds a bit less harsh.
The worst offender for me is the motorway, so I'll add another post when I measure that to see if there's any difference.
This is with the stock braces at around 50mph on an A road.
Ignore the averages etc at the bottom.
This is on the same section of road at the same speeds, with the hose added. There's not a drastic change in noise levels, but I do think it sounds a bit less harsh.
The worst offender for me is the motorway, so I'll add another post when I measure that to see if there's any difference.
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Interesting thank you!
Gibbo78
Obsessed member
How about sound deadening and a larger diameter silicon hose over it, with some RTV silicon at both ends of the pipe for good measure for any heat concerns over the sound deadening?
Alistair31
Totally Hooked
You forgot PPF.
Gibbo78
Obsessed member
I have found the answer and it only costs £5 following a random comment from some one on here that he wears ear plugs I bought a pack of 5 from screwfix and the noise is greatly reduced but you can still listen to the radio and here the engine revs. As I do a lot of motorway miles it works great do have to watch the speed though as reduced noise mean cruising speed is plus 10mph.
I may be able to get some branded with GR logo available to GR zoo members for only £49.99. While stocks last
I may be able to get some branded with GR logo available to GR zoo members for only £49.99. While stocks last
Cubone
Obsessed member
- Jul 20, 2023
- 199
- 410
Another update. This is joining a motorway with a couple of different types of road surface (this is the sudden increase in dB on both charts). Both cruising at 70mph once at speed.
Before:
After:
From these charts, and by ear I don't think it's making that much of a difference unfortunately.
Before:
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Tube arrived yesterday, just been out and fitted it around the bars. I was sceptical, as I am not sure I was even experiencing the same noise as everyone else, I just put down to the car being noisy in general. But you know what, I think there might actually be a slight improvement. One of those, 'something doesn't quite sound the same' feelings, as though there was a frequency of sound I was missing now.
Meh. Could be placebo I guess. But for 10 quid and 15 minutes of time, I'll take it. Installation was easy, just cut the hose to length, sat them in hot water for a few minutes to expand and soften a little, then slide them over the bars with a bit of silicone spray. I stuck the tapered end loosely in a vice so I could lean it and twist at the same time and it went on fairly easily - only really resisted while it went over the flat end.
Worst case, I now have scratch-resistant strut bars
Meh. Could be placebo I guess. But for 10 quid and 15 minutes of time, I'll take it. Installation was easy, just cut the hose to length, sat them in hot water for a few minutes to expand and soften a little, then slide them over the bars with a bit of silicone spray. I stuck the tapered end loosely in a vice so I could lean it and twist at the same time and it went on fairly easily - only really resisted while it went over the flat end.
Worst case, I now have scratch-resistant strut bars
KobayashiMaru86
Totally Hooked
Cusco do solid bars too but I really want to see if I could get those GR Performance ones. I'm pretty sure they won't fit with my strut brace unless I make some modifications. Would then getting the SARD bars too be overkill?
jb1750
Totally Hooked
- Apr 15, 2022
- 342
- 506
Did a bit of a test with a sound meter from work. Not particularly scientific, it is a basic meter that can hold the loudest reading, no graphs. Run at 70mph to a roundabout and return at 60mph along worse roads. All units dB, soundmeter on the dash.
Bigger returns from not having the struts. The actual road noise itself from perception has changed, which isn't captured in the numbers above.
| Outward Max | Return (slightly worse road) Max | |
| Stock struts | 84.8 | 88.5 |
| No struts | 82.9 | 85.8 |
| Silicone Wrapped struts | 84.5 | 86.5 |
Bigger returns from not having the struts. The actual road noise itself from perception has changed, which isn't captured in the numbers above.
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Nick63
New member
Back for an update on the silicone hose fix, I have now done two longer motorway runs and some B-road blasts, this hose on the bracing bars does not transform the car into Lexus levels of refinement, but the fix on my car is the lack of tyre noise resonance from the bulkhead via the bracing bars. The car is still not the quietest but that noise that was driving me mad from the tyres which sounds like the car runs on off-road tyres has gone and my focus will now be on the rear as that is where my tyre/road noise is now coming from.
The braces are there to provide rigidity with the bulkhead and are not something I would want to remove. A strut brace across the towers will ad stiffness across the car, but the bulkhead braces will also add stiffness along the length of the car which as has been commented in the thread as making the car feel different when being driven.
That tyre noise was bad, I thought that it was just going to be the tyres settling in when I picked up the car. Thanks to Cubone for the decibel readings, regarding those readings of 84db average, if I remember correctly, anything over 80db in a workplace required ear protection if the noise was sustained, I think Toyota owes us ear plugs! For those that try the silicone hose, I hope you have as good a result as I have and your car gets a little more refined and kind to your ears.
The braces are there to provide rigidity with the bulkhead and are not something I would want to remove. A strut brace across the towers will ad stiffness across the car, but the bulkhead braces will also add stiffness along the length of the car which as has been commented in the thread as making the car feel different when being driven.
That tyre noise was bad, I thought that it was just going to be the tyres settling in when I picked up the car. Thanks to Cubone for the decibel readings, regarding those readings of 84db average, if I remember correctly, anything over 80db in a workplace required ear protection if the noise was sustained, I think Toyota owes us ear plugs! For those that try the silicone hose, I hope you have as good a result as I have and your car gets a little more refined and kind to your ears.
KobayashiMaru86
Totally Hooked
Yeah over 80db for extended periods in work is ear defenders. We do in work
JonBon
Obsessed member
Has anyone conducted this test with removing the two braces?
