Project Ford Ranger 4x4: 4 Sound Deadening and Great Stuff Foam

Here is the process I used to insulate my 98 ford ranger. I cannot wait to install the new A/C and see how much cooler the cab is during hot summer days! I used 5 Cans of Great stuff foam. Let the foam cure 8 hrs before attempting to cut and tear the foam away for best result. Thanks for watching! Any questions just ask!
-Sevredline

[@2H2521]

Super hot body, dude! Great tutorial too.

[@perjian1697]

great install. I'm sure the cabin sounds great compared to before. For those out there on a budget, you do not have to cover every inch of a panel with sound deadening material. Just putting a square patch of it in the middle of your door does a great effect of dampening. Covering the entire door panel, by comparison, will only add about another 15-25% of dampening. So if you can't afford enough to cover every inch of your cabin or trunk, just do what you can. it all makes a difference. And be careful using the expanding foam, it creates a lot of pressure. when used in a home it can deform a window or door frame when not used properly. Again with this product, you don't need to cover every inch.

[@brynsmith3384]

If climate control & AC performance are your end goals, i have a few recommendations. - first, closed cell foam makes for an equally affordable and efficient sound and heat insulator, and a vibration "decoupler" when applied over a mostly or fully butyl lined cab or unibody. The 2 layers work together, and the improvement is markedly obvious when used in a vehicle with a vinyl floor - work trucks, classics, etc; or best yet, with a 3rd layer of heavy "mass-loaded" vinyl placed atop the CCF and under carper, with minimal bonding, "draped" where possible. Fyi - Mass loaded vinyl is a far larger chore to install, as small openings have a large effect on sound reduction. - cut down on air leakage and convection, thoroughly seal all firewall and foreward facing ports and passages, brake booster, clutch cable, hvac "box", door harness boot, and of course weatherstripping and window strip. Seal off 75-90% of cab pressure vents, at lower rear of ford truck doors, both inner and outer. a box fan or any type of air mover sealed to the back slider window is a great way to easily locate drafts. for the rear pillars on these OBS trucks, Mineral wool is an excellent filler for the large cavity around the seatbelt winder. Paper towel or tp cardboard roll makes a good access core for cab mount bolts, fill cavity with spray foam after taping over entire cab bolt washer, after cured, push roll down into foam to create a "core" hole, remove core, tape up end of roll, reinsert, fill with foam. Easy and very thoughtful serviceability aid to serious customers. When installing dash supports and dashboard layers, butyl and CCF lining of brackets and open expanses of plastic reduces that plastic dash "hum" these old trucks have. Butyl on both parts at joining faces (screw pads) with ccf between creates a rock solid, rattle and squeak dash assembly out of a previously annoying and clanky one. Internally line hvac box walls and passages with adhesive backed CCF, aluminum lined if youre inclined. Thick, soft weatherstripping as gasketing for hvac box to firewall area. Greatest result per hour is firewall area, exhaust side(s) of floor pan, esp. Cat area. on these OBS fords, top half of firewall is cowl/exterior air volume, lower is engine bay directly across single layer, insulate accordingly. Install larger/higher leverage vac. Dashpot on "recirc" door rod, under passenger Hood hinge, to provide positive sealing, a longer throw dashpot allows lengthening of recirc door actuator rod - a leverage advantage to correct poor blend door function with low manifold vacuum (big cams). Check/replace recirc door seal and test closure/gasket compression prior to installing hvac box. Seal or fill cavity above kick panels (behind fender below cowl) and clean your cowl drains while youre in there. Use rubitex/vinyl/pipe insulation or anything non absorbent and low mass to fill gap between cab and bed, as low as possible, and slightly curved/angled for drainage. This eliminates rear tire "roar", chambered muffler drone, and the hot draft up into the low pressure zone behind cab - Unbelievable improvement of comfortability when dual slider is open. So many more things i dont have the patience to list, but you can reply to this comment and get a hold of me of you like, ive owned and built about a dozen 93-97 rangers, 92-96 f150, fox chassis, LTDs etc. These last 2 years have been a full build on z 92 f150 nite flareside, invluding a maximum effort interior and climate control redesign. That reminds me, run the thickest highest btu AC condenser core available for an RBV, probably going to be late 2nd or 3rd gen explorer. On vehicles i plan to keep a decade or more, i run 2 condensers in series sandwiched together very close and perimter sealed. Ptfe lined AN hoses make a easy and cheap condenser to condenser line. Sheet metal enclosure of grille and bumper forward inlets, tapered down to feed the full face area of the condenser and radiator. Seal all stacked units together into an air tunnel. Verify mechanical fan is approximately 1/2 its depth into fan shroud. Keep fan diamter 90% or more of shroud opening diameter. Ford v8 trucks came with a wide array of fan diameters and depths, and share fan blade assembly bolt pattern with most years of the cologne and vulcan v6s. Deeper fans and longer fan clutch snouts push the fan forward, where shroud diameter grows, allowing you to cut shroud back to new fan centerline (added bonus - easier acc. Dress access for repairs) and fit larger fan diameter while retaining factory shroud. Prevent hot air recirculation at condenser with forward sheet metaling and fan discharge director at base of core support. You seem to take pride in your ford, keep it up. Best wishes from sunny socal, Brian at SPS

[@samhorton2887]

dude. you’re a legend for this. i’ve got a project of my own i need some tips for, how do i contact you??

[@Sevredline]

Wow this is Fantastic information! Thank you for posting this! I will be posting soon. Life got busy. The A/C works worlds better than before ans stay ice cold in the hottest days in NC. I will check and try some of the things you listed. This is such informative thing to help. Thanks again!

[@KuWizZ]

Great work bro

[@pabst100]

finally a saw a video of someone using foam; cause that is what i did on my truck roof cab and sides on my k10 and i used dent insulation on the floor cab,, and now i dont have to put back the headliner and the interior trim around it since the cab is not cold anymore

[@Sevredline]

Yes it is kept it warm in the winter and the A/C works great even on 100* days. Would do again.

[@sages101]

Any problems with the foam? I used Thinsulate on the roof of my camper but now in the winter, I'm getting some condensation dripping through the joints where I cut the insulation. Thinking of joining them by spraying great stuff between the cracks. Worried about the summer heat though, thoughts? I do have a white van so I supposed it won't get as hot as a black van.

[@tobeforgottenisworsethande8995]

His truck tragically caught on fire 4 days later

[@rachelkarengreen99]

How has the foam held up? A huge potential downside I see is that if moisture ever gets to the foam, it'll have a hell of a hard time getting out, and may cause rust in the inside of the car. I heard stories about people putting expanding foam in their car only to have it slowly rust without them knowing it.

[@Sevredline]

Wow thank you for this Info. I have not had any moisture problems with the truck. It’s been setting for the last 1.5 years in the sun/rain. I will be posting a update and continued mods of this truck. The foam is still intact and working like the day I finished it. Thank you for the comment!

[@kiddykid7552]

Nice work, always try to flip the polystyrene bottle

[@rocker112011]

Does it hold well against heat ?

[@Sevredline]

Yes, It’s been setting in the NC summers with no issues of smell or deteriorating. Keeps the cabin cool on hot days and warm on cold days. I would highly recommend!

[@memphis502]

How did it work?

[@Sevredline]

Worked great! I will be doing this to future projects!

[@TheAceTroubleshooter]

Did you at least wipe the damn thing down with something before installing the butyl??? If not itll be coming up within a year bet money

[@TheAceTroubleshooter]

PS: Tape off your holes next time, and fill from your corners.

[@Sevredline]

Yes I cleaned the entire surface with 90% rubbing alcohol. It’s been setting in the NC sun for two years now and it’s all still intact. I also used 3m aluminum ducting tape to cover holes. It worked great. No smells. Well insulated for ac/heat depending on temperature.

[@crazy4dariver]

The glue on that stuff is EVIL! I just barely touched the panel down and it stuck sideways. Really? Funny though.

[@gilepiknik9560]

does it significantly increase soundproofing?

[@Sevredline]

Yes it did do a good job. Not as much as expected. Driving wind noise is hard to get rid of with the suicide rear door design.