cab noise and enclosures

[innermusic]

I have some questions on cab enclosure configurations regarding noise level changes. I have had my 700-4 for more than a year and I use it for farm work, backroading and trail riding. I have already treated the unit with an exhaust silencer, underseat insulation, and front dump body wall insulation. I am considering adding a cab enclosure but that has me wondering about whether it will increase or reduce the noise volume inside.

I have a full hardtop and two piece windshield and spent some time studying the noise levels and how adding the top trapped in more noise. Does it get better or worse with doors and mid and rear panels? What about fabric vs hard panels, or mixing fabric doors with a hard mid vs a fabric mid panel?

Does it get louder, softer... and how much?

I know a lot of noise comes up from the engine behind the seat so even tho i insulated that area, I thought maybe the hard mid panel would work even better. But it may actually add to the resonance effect and a fabric mid panel may work better.

I get a lot of noise reverberation when running in mid to higher rpms and it gets trapped in the cab area. I also tried upholsterying the underside of the roof panel too. My questions are about the noise differences of adding the fabric vs hard vs no doors and the fabric vs hard vs no mid panel, and leaving the rear section open vs closing the whole thing off...

I run my pioneer all winter long so an enclosed cab would be really welcome, but i don't want to be closed in an even louder space.

 

[Admin]

 

[ohanacreek]

It's not too bad with the hard panels/roof and fabric front doors. I wrapped the exhaust and that HELPED. Most of the noise is from the bed area.

 

[innermusic]

It's not too bad with the hard panels/roof and fabric front doors. I wrapped the exhaust and that HELPED. Most of the noise is from the bed area.

Do you have the hard mid panel installed?

 

[ohanacreek]

Yes, it's at the shop right now having the skid plate put on. When I get it back tomorrow or Friday I'll take better pics than Honda puts up.

 

[innermusic]

Yes, it's at the shop right now having the skid plate put on. When I get it back tomorrow or Friday I'll take better pics than Honda puts up.

haha....mine is in the shop for the skid plate today too. They just called that they finished the install. I went there a few times looking to see some cab combinations and do a sound test, but have srtuck out every time. Seems no one around here has outfitted the cab yet.

I wondered about the hard mid panel maybe knocking the noise down more since its a more substantial block to the bed area and the space in front of the bed where i find most of the engine noise is coming from. Then, i wondered if the hard mid panel would accentuate the noise even louder by vibrating the engine noise through itself like a speaker does.

I sure would appreciate the pics when you get it home and maybe you can you put an ear to the front and back sides of the mid panel while its running to see if there is a significant drop on the noise on the rear side compared to the font seating area? when i get up above 12 mph...thats when the rumble gets annoying.

 

[ohanacreek]

The mid panel is solidly mounted so there is not a lot of movement and no audible vibration transferred to it.

I'll use a decibel meter and see what the difference is front to back.

It does block a lot of the engine/drivetrain noise much like leaving the rear seats down does. I haven't had it to 25-35 mph yet but the noise is less.

Not too bad to see out of either, I have the Honda ROPS bag and even with both of them it doesn't block your ability to see back. The people in the back can't see as well forward but we don't all get to see out of the cockpit.

I am going to buy some truck inner tube, thin abs, rivets and try to shrink the size of some of the holes in the panel, it lets A LOT of air flow through, which means dust as well as cold air.

The heater will have to work overtime when it actually gets cold.

 

[innermusic]

The mid panel is solidly mounted so there is not a lot of movement and no audible vibration transferred to it.

I'll use a deci bel meter and see what the difference is front to back.

It does block a lot of the engine/drivetrain noise much like leaving the rear seats down does. I haven't had it to 25-35 mph yet but the noise is less.

Not too bad to see out of either, I have the Honda ROPS bag and even with both of them it doesn't block your ability to see back. The people in the back can't see as well forward but we don't all get to see out of the cockpit.

I am going to buy some truck inner tube, thin abs, rivets and try to shrink the size of some of the holes in the panel, it lets A LOT of air flow through, which means dust as well as cold air.

The heater will have to work overtime when it actually gets cold.

I would really appreciate the decibel readings and at higher rpms too. I have a Db meter too, so that would be super helpful. You mentioned the hard mid panel has some vent holes. I have not seen those in any pics so far and I have also wondered how much the mid panel window opens. Honda does not show that either.

I used rubber pipe isulation to seal the steel tube framing behind the driver seat which helped to close several of the gaps in front of the bed. I am wondering if the mid panel could be further improved with something like this added before or after its installed. It made a difference doing it with no mid panel.