1111art

How to make your rear end quieter. Stop eating so much Mexican food.

I had the back end torn apart to find the tow hitch plug, and I noticed a lot of unused space under and around the back bins. This is a 10 minute fix, and will make your car quieter.

JJudd has a great step by step instruction on how to go about it. You only need to know how to remove the carpet liner/board. Pull the 2 small edge flaps up (they're velcro'd in). Then lift (using both hands) up around the 5 plastic clips that attach it to the frame. be careful, I broke one by not using 2 hands.

Then remove 2 12mm bolts that hold the hinges down. Now you can remove the large mat and the plastic bin. Now take some of your wife's fiberfill (you can get it at a fabric store) and fill/stuff it everywhere, even under where the bins go. It's quite malliable and will squish down when the bin is put back in. Reassemble.

Another thing I did (and saved a few hundred dollars) was go to Lowe's and bought a big roll of thick rubber. It's the perfect size to make a cargo mat in the back and two floor mats in the front. It's only available in black however. It'll stink for a week or so, so you might want to air it out in the garage first.

Lay your old mats on top of it as a pattern, draw around it with chalk, then use some tinsnips to cut out the new one. Wear gloves, I got a huge blister. It takes a lot of work cutting that thick a rubber. This extra layer will also help dampen rear end noise.

Now get to work!

mandyfig

It looks like it will dampen some noise. Did you actually hear a difference? Nice DIY for a weekend!

KeysRx300

You didnt want to try some Dynamat material?

1111art

Wasn't aware of Dynamat. I'll look into it. I think my cheap rubber roll only cost $40. Yes I did notice a significant difference in the sound level. I also like the idea of being able to remove, scrub, and wash the rubber when necessary.

mandyfig

I have the all weather cargo mat from Lexus. Not as heavy though.

Might be a nice DIY. Will need to get filler....I will stick with my cargo mat, though.

salimshah

Dynamat is heavy. You will see an impact on mpg and braking.

It used to be available in Circuit City.

Salim

KeysRx300

Yes, Dynamat material is heavier. But its sound reduction would be greater than using foam and a plastic mat.

With Dynmat Extreme. It weighs 1/3 of a pound per square foot. So for the trunk of an RX. I’m guessing it would be around 20 square feet. So the total weight would be around 6 pounds.

Scottydog

The vette drivers like "Frost King" which is like Dynomat only much cheaper. Available at Home Depot in the HVAC section. It makes a huge difference in the vettes (they have almost no sound proofing), but may not be much difference in the Lexus.

tommewin

There's been a lot of debate about the cheaper asphalt-based products in that they could melt at higher temps (ie car sitting out in the sun all day).

draco

Just looking back at this thread as it is something I want to do. I found you do not actually need to go through the full unbolt etc to get to the area that you need. The tool box can be lifted straight out as it is just held in place by some christmas tree plugs. So a little firm (not hard) pull will release it and it then pops out. No need to unscrew anything. Will be doing this tomorrow night when I get home. Wonder how much of a difference it will make.

Rainbird

Post back and let us know how it turns out. Picts would be nice

Eph94

I can't imagine the car being any quieter! That was the first thing we noticed when we test drove it. Never thought I'd like to drive a couch, but here I am.

draco

First up Kudos to 1111art for introducing this to us all. I haven't filled up with any near the amount that 1111art has done, but what I have done is fill in the gaps that lead from what looks to be close to the rear gearbox tunnel.

First up removing the toolkit doesn't need any tools. Pretty much you can see the christmas tree plugs here and all you need to do is gently but firmly pull up on the toolkit and it will unclip itself. Now there are some more clips at the front of the bin and you just have to lift up and be gentle not to force anything. The rear of the bin (where the lid is) will slip out as you lift the front of the bin up. Easiest way to do it.



In this next picture you can see where the gaps are. They are quite obvious and what I have done is gone ahead and cut up some rubber and placed them in there nice and tight. This should in theory absorb some noise.

Before



After



I took my car for a drive and did notice that the rear wheel distant hum that I had has been pretty well muted and the car from the inside sounds very different, definately quieter than it was. Still not dead silent, but silenter. Best way to do it is try it out.

And because we all live in a society where you have to have a disclaimer on every single thing you do, please undertake any changes / modifications to your car and do it at your own risk. This was done by me for my own car and I am simply sharing what I did. If you do anything to your car and damage it, break it, lose value on it, cause any other unforseen event to it, then you do so at your own risk and hence you are solely responsible for your actions.

veleno

iTrader: (3)

Looks like a great place to house my subs! Stereo here I come, I think

As for the mods in this thread, they're interesting. I wonder what else others might come up with.

draco

You would have to remove the toolkit that holds your jack, wheel brace etc in order to fit any subs/amps in there. The space is extremely tight when trying to put the bin in.