VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 Engine and road noise in cab

I hope this is the appropriate forum for this post.

There's a lot of engine noise and road noise in the cab as I drive my '49 Chevy 4400. The floor is bare because the cab leaked water. The first leak and most evident was around the windshield. Replacing the windshield rubber fixed it. Hopefully the last leak was through the driver's side mirror mount. (Man, putting that mirror back on was difficult - the bottom carriage bolt was the problem.)

I had decided to be chincy and not put the horse-hair mat down under the floor mat. But I believe that is a bad idea because it is hard to hear the radio the way it is.

Does anyone here have any experience regarding how much of a quitening effect that horse-hair mat has?


Thanks

Lee

You need soething more sound absorbing like felt or the pressed rag material as they use in production.
Also look for leaks around the various things that go through the firewall.
When I started out in the dealership in 1950 I drove a lot of new trucks. They were factory fresh and the floor mats were not installed. It was amazing how much noise enterd the cab.
I found later to reduce the noise place a carpet over the rubber floor mat. It takes some cloth material to soak-up the noise.
Another thing that tranfered engines noises into the cab on trucks was the accelerator pedal rod. It did not have the rubber bushed joint in it like a car has and will telegraph the engine noises into the cab. In fact wether or not you have pressure on the pedal makes a difference.

Thank you, ChevGene. My 4400 had what looks like a horse-hair pad under the rubber floor mat. Of course, mice and rats have eaten most of it. I was thinking to get another one from Brothers. Chevs of the 40s and Jim Carter evidently don't sell a pre-cut felt mat, but only matting material so you can cut your own. What about noise coming through floor where the emergency brake and shifter are? Are there boots for those? Will it make any difference to put boots on the emergency brake and gear shifter on the floor?

I was even thinking to get some carpet scraps from the local flooring company to put under the rubber floor mat, since the rubber floor mat is easier to clean than the carpet.

The rubber mat that I bought from Brothers does NOT have holes for the floor gear shifter OR the emergency brake. I guess I'll have to cut it.

Thanks,

Lee

P.S.

In fact, there are no holes for anything in the rubber floor mat I bought from Brothers. No holes for the pedals, dimmer switch, gear shifter lever or emergency brake.

What do people do? Disconnect the peadals, cut small holes in the mat and re-install the pedals? Then you can't easily take the mat out to wash it.

Color me confused about restoring the floor....

Lee

Lee, I’m not exactly sure how much difference there is between the 3600 cab and 4400 cab but there should be some familiarities in them. Here are the cuts that were made in the new mat that I laid in my truck. I would go to a carpet store and look at mats or underpayment to put under the rubber.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/115158229
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Thank you, Denny, that helps me a lot.

The cabs on the one-and-a-half ton and the half ton are supposed to be identical. The fenders and hood are larger on the 4400 for obvious reasons, but the cabs are supposed to be the same. I have an emergency brake on the floor to the right of the gear shift lever.

You must have done a lot of measurements in order to know where the slits and cuts need to be.

Lee

I got a floor mat for a 57 Chevy Truck from American Classics several years ago and the jute mat was available as an option. The places for the floor shift and emergency brake and around the column and foot starter were scored on the back side but not cut out it could be used on a pickup with column shift or a larger truck with floor shift. I sold the truck and never installed the mat, it is in my shop or garage somewhere.

http://www.americanclassic.com/index.htm

Here is a picture from their online catalog for a 1947 - 1955 1st series molded rubber floor mat, for $130, the jute pad is around $15

Thank you for that commment, Sir. My mat is scored on the back as well. It didn't occur to me to look closely at the back of the mat.

Thanks,

Lee

I need to ask a question about boots for the 4-speed floor gear shift lever and floor emergency brake. I'll post that in the forum on interiors.

Lee