FAQ

Yes, view all our vehicle packs here: https://www.carbuilders.com.au/vehicle-packs/ 

Please note that our packs are based on quantity required rather than templated materials.

Yes, we are constantly adding install videos on our YouTube channel.

Noisy single cab Landcruiser (suits any single cab 4x4) https://youtu.be/9M-8Be9NJg8 

Loud 79 series (suits any dual cab 4x4)  https://youtu.be/jV2dt-YHQI8 

Noisy Land Rover https://youtu.be/4dJgb_qAx6Q 

Noisy Troopy https://youtu.be/wLm11KVyq7Q 

Noisy 76 series (suits any wagon 4x4) https://youtu.be/7oxiDu3Bhdo 

Our Under-Body Loom Tape is a great electrical tape for engine bays. Unlike a 3M Scotch Tape or regular black electrical tape, it will not leave glue residue and subdue to engine bay temperatures. It is also chemical resistant so it will cope in harsher environments than our Fleece tape.  

For interior applications, our Fleece Tape which is like Tesa Tape is suited as it will remove any vibrations or rattles from the wiring loom.

Dynamat is a brand of sound deadener. Car Builders is an Australian brand that produces sound deadener and Dynamat is an American brand.  Both Dynamat and Car Builders sound deadener is a butyl-based solution to treat vibration-generated noise in panels (rather than bitumen based). 

No, the adhesive product is butyl based. This has an advantage over the bitumen, which dries out, cracks and lifts allowing water to get underneath it and cause rust. The butyl is a waterproof material ensuring that water cannot get between the Sound Deadener and the panel. Bitumen also has a strong odour, which the Sound Deadener does not.

No, the logo Sound Deadener (Silver or Black) and OEM versions are the same product simply with a different colour/print on the aluminium face. Some customers are after the OEM finish in areas where the Sound Deadener will be exposed and they would prefer not to have logoing.

Yes, for a successful bond between the product and the panel; clean the panel with a white based spirit such as wax and grease remover or methylated spirits. Find our cleaner of choice here: Car Builders SoPro Surface Prep Cleaner

No, it is unnecessary to apply deadener to over-lapped metal sections, top hat, chassis sections etc as these areas do not resonate. Moderate amounts of deadener make a significant difference. Once the middle of a panel has been covered, the additional deadener covering the panel has diminishing results. To engineer a car, it takes some skill and technical analysis to pinpoint key areas that need sound deadening, auto manufacturers do this and save money by only covering key areas. In reality most people will cover everything as they do not mind spending a bit more to ensure they have achieved the desired results. Keep in mind that this is one stage in controlling sound in your vehicle and stage 2 is just as crucial.  

No, it does not need a heat gun to be applied. The adhesive backing is butyl based not bitumen.

If you are doing the whole interior, we recommend doing the roof first and then any vertical panels and wheel arches. Finish laying the floor pan last so that you are not standing all over the butyl you have laid on the floor.

Keep in mind that this is one stage in controlling sound and targets noise that is derived from panel resonance.  Stage 2 products target droning and other external noises.

Aluminium tape can be used to border the butyl sheets. We conservatively do this in any vertical application such as doors and side panels. If you are going to have the floor exposed for a period of time and be sliding around on top of the sheets, it is also handy to tape the edges to prevent exposed butyl sticking to clothes.

Landcruiser, Patrol and Land Rover are notorious for being loud and noisy when touring. As these vehicles have very limited deadening in them from factory, there is a significant improvement in the decibel rating within the cabin. This is particularly evident on dirt or rutted surfaces where there can be an improvement of 10 or more decibels. On sealed surfaces, we have results of around 3 decibels. The Stage 1 Sound Deadener will make the panel solid and stop vibration-generated noise. The Stage 2 (Mass Noise Liner, Water Proof Underlay, Acoustic Liner, Insul-Layer) will act as a noise blanket, reducing external noise and acting as a decoupling layer for heat.  

Doubling of the volume (loudness) should be sensed as a level difference of +10 dB − acousticians say. Doubling of sound intensity (acoustic energy) belongs to a calculated level change of +3 dB. +10 dB is the level of twice the perceived volume or twice as loud (loudness) in psychoacoustics − mostly sensed (www.sengpielaudio.com › calculator-levelchange) 

Stage 1 Sound Deadener is designed to add mass to panels and dampen vibrations and rattles. This will stop vehicles from sounding ‘tinny’ and helps prevent panel resonance when driving.  
 
A Stage 2 product (Mass Noise Liner, Acoustic Liner, any other foam/vinyl product) is applied over the stage 1 and is designed to act as a sound and thermal barrier. Most people think this is Stage 1’s main purpose, however it is mainly stage 2’s job to block the noise. Whether it be road, exhaust or engine noise stage 2 will help block it through foam and/or vinyl. Stage 2 products also serve as a modern-day carpet underlay – which prevents wearing through carpet and will not hold water like factory cotton style underlays.    

Yes, once you have used Stage 1 Sound Deadener, you can use a Stage 2 product to further dampen external noise. Acoustic Liner works well as a peel and stick option in that vertical position (it can also improve audio quality if it is placed on the door skin directly behind door speakers). Mass Noise Liner can use used, however it is not a peel and stick and needs to be mechanically fastened. 

R-values used in Australia conform to the International System of Units (SI) while those in the US (based on measurements in Fahrenheit as opposed to Celsius) are approximately 5.71 times those measured using SI.

Both our Insul Layer and Van Liner do have K and R values. The Insul-layer should be considered as a vapour barrier, it does have a K value, however you need to consider the product is 6mm (1/4 inch) thick so when comparing to traditional building insulation materials they are designed to do different things 

R-value of single material 

R-value = d/ k 

d is the thickness of material (Unit: Meter) 

k-value is coefficient of thermal conductivity of material (Unit: W/m*k) 

The K value of our Insul-layer is 0.034 W/m.k 

Therefore = d / K 

0.006 / 0.0340 = 0.176 

(0.006 being the thickness at 6mm) 

When we compare a typical  insulation batt with a R2 at 90mm 
2/90mm = 0.0222 
6mm x 0.0222 =0.133 
Therefore on a size for size comparison at the same thickness : 
Insul-layer R = 0.176 
Insulation batt = 0.133 

As you can see when we traditionally measure R value the thickness of the material is important, however not always practical to install in a vehicle. Where the Insul-layer works well is as the primary vapour layer before installing traditional building insulation batts. It offers benefits of peel and stick however is impractical as a material to install as a 90mm thick self-adhesive piece of foam. Much like reflective bubble wrap or sarking, it works great in a building roof however is totally impractical in a vehicle. 

To compare our van liner at 10mm opposed to the 6mm Insul-Layer the figures are 

0.010 / 0.0340 = 0.294 

Therefore, per mm of material each material has a R value of 

Van Liner R = 0.294 

Insul-layer R = 0.176 
Insulation batt R = 0.133 

The Under-Bonnet trick is to use a high-quality pair of scissors which leads you into the upholstery "shear" market. Yes, when you cut the material the adhesive tends to drag onto the blades due to the density of the product. We find it necessary to clean the blades with a solvent cleaner as you go to minimise the glue, this way the scissor always feel sharp. If you use an average pair of scissors the under bonnet will be difficult to cut. With the edges the easiest way to clean them up is get a heat gun and lightly wave it over the cut edge, it will slightly singe the edge and make it look neat. 

Yes, our under-bonnet products will fit a 4wd bonnet. They are 1.5m x 1m and can be cut and formed to fit any large bonnet. As a replacement under bonnet, these products can be made to look like factory. 

We have several Stage 2 products that act as a vapour or condensation barrier. The Van Liner is often used for this purpose. Customers also use the Water Proof Underlay and Insul-Layer. All these products are made up of a closed cell foam. Condensation occurs when warm, moist air hits a cold surface, which then leads the moisture-laden air to reach its dew point. Insulating with a closed cell foam stops the moisture-laden air from reaching the surface, keeping it from reaching the dew point and then the water vapor in the air does not turn into a liquid. Also, unlike an open cell foam, the closed cell will not hold water and does not get wet and mouldy. 

You really want to target the heat from inside the engine bay and stop it getting through to the firewall. Our most effective products are our Exhaust Heat Shield, which is a dimpled non-stick sheet you can bend in any shape to block the heat: Aluminium Embossed Heat Shield 

We also have adhesive heat shield mats or Peel and Stick Heat Shield, which you can stick on the firewall or transmission tunnel facing the heat source, which will reflect the heat and stop the transmission tunnel, firewall or floor pan from getting hot.

Internally you would use one of our Stage 2 Carpet Underlay products to dissipate the heat before reaching the carpet.

You really want to apply a heat shield panel to the underside of the floor, with our peel and stick heat shield's. The aluminium layer will face the gearbox to reflect the heat and the polyester and fibreglass layer will then insulate from heat transfer. Heat shield applied inside the car will work but will not be as effective. If you want something inside the car you can get Mass Noise Liner and put that under the vinyl, which will act as a decoupling layer and insulate any heat that comes through. You can also use Acoustic Liner and Waterproof underlay, however the vinyl layer on the Mass Noise Liner is an extra barrier.

A hot van is a common issue in a van/camper conversion. A Stage 2 material, such as Van Liner and Insul-Layer, which are closed cell foams, help slow down heat movement or heat transfer in from the hot external surfaces acting as a thermal barrier.  To stop heat from the engine or components we advise customers to externally treat heat at the source by using heat shields. This stops heat from being conducted into the sheet metal and then radiating into the cavity of the vehicle. However, stopping ambient heat is a challenge in vehicles as there are so many factors such as windows and seals/gaps; materials can be used to significantly slow this transfer but not stop it. Give us a call to discuss the best way to stop your van from getting hot. 

First, you can wrap your exhaust in Exhaust Header Wrap which will control a lot of the engine bay heat. You can also bend and shape our Aluminium Embossed Heat Shield as a header heat shield. This will lower a lot of heat right at the source. If your car has a turbo, you may also curve the Embossed Heat Shield around the rear housing on the turbo to further manage heat.  

For the firewall and the transmission tunnel, you can use our Peel and Stick Heatshield which will reflect and insulate the heat. Please ensure to apply the heatshield facing the heat, not from inside the car. For inside the car, we recommend using a stage 2 product such as Acoustic Liner or Mass Noise Liner to insulate the heat.   

You can use our Peel and Stick Heatshield which will reflect and insulate the heat. Please ensure to apply the heatshield facing the heat from under the engine covers, not from inside the car. For inside the car, we recommend using a stage 2 product such as Acoustic Liner or Mass Noise Liner to insulate the heat.

Abrade surface with P80-P180 grit sandpaper and apply 1-2 coats of ACID#8 Acid Etch Primer (ACID/AL). Allow to dry for 15-20 minutes before applying RAPTOR. If ACID#8 is not available, any 2K DTM or Epoxy Primer can be used to prime bare metal (follow top coat directions for primer). 

To apply Bully Liner or Raptor Liner to a bare metal car/underside: 

1. Apply a zinc rich epoxy direct to metal - the reason you do this is to seal the steel opposed to applying a water-based product which could initiate rust. 

2. Allow the solvent to release from the epoxy - we suggest 4-12hrs dry time then apply the Bully directly over top without sanding. Note if you left the paint cure 100% lightly sand however not sanding through the epoxy. The technique we are advising is typically called "wet on wet" however the difference is you have a solvent base epoxy and are then applying a water based product over the solvent, it is important to allow the solvents to evaporate before over coating them with the water based product. 

4 x bottle kit contains 3.78L = Typical coverage 15sq/m single coat 

NOTE: recommended 2 x coats minimum 

You sure can, acrylic, enamel or 2 pack clear coat is fine to spray on Bully Liner. Sanding is also not necessary; you can spray right over the top ensuring the Bully Liner is clean. 

The factory glue used on the 76 is nice stuff, however painful to remove. We typically get as much of the fluff off by hand, if you slowly pull the cotton away you sometimes manage to get more glue of with the cotton opposed to quickly tearing it off and leaving it all stuck to the roof skin. We usually use a mix of prep wash and acetone to try and break down the glue and dissolve it. Then its rubbing it around with a rag to dissolve it down and clean off. You wont get it all off without a lot of persistence however if you get the bulk of the fluff off and a little glue is remaining you are good to go.