Although some Polaris Ranger editions are slightly louder than others, at the end of the day, your Polaris Ranger will never be as quiet as a Cadillac. And while some riders regard engine and exhaust sounds as integral aspects of the off-road experience, not everyone enjoys listening to the roaring rumble of a Polaris Ranger as it screams across the land. Drowning out the sound of your machine by blasting high-decibel tunes from an MTX Audio sound bar is hardly a viable solution, and hearing-protection accessories like earmuffs or Ear Pro ear plugs come with their own set of disadvantages -- such as inhibiting conversations and hampering your situational awareness. So if your Polaris Ranger is louder than you’d like it to be and you’re interested in Polaris Ranger noise reduction kits, Polaris Ranger sound deadening materials, and other products to lower your Polaris Ranger noise level, continue reading, because we’re about to let you in on a little secret about how one can soundproof their Polaris Ranger side-by-side!
Multi-Purpose Polaris Ranger Sound Deadening Accessories
When it comes to Polaris Ranger sound deadening products and Polaris Ranger sound dampening kits, there are several alternatives from which one can choose. Counterintuitively, accessories like roofs and full cab enclosure systems typically make things louder in the co*ckpit. Without a sound-absorbing headliner and windows that can be opened, sound waves will tend to bounce around and reverberate. Under just the right conditions, sound waves that originate from under the vehicle can amplify the sound waves bouncing off windshields, doors, and cab enclosures, creating what is known as constructive interference.
Polaris Ranger communication systems that include noise-canceling headsets connected to radios / intercoms are a great way to protect your ears without making it hard to talk when you're in the thick of it. These noise-dampening solutions, however, just don’t cut it for some riders. And if you are such a rider, alternative approaches to remedy loud Polaris Rangers do exist.
Polaris Ranger Noise Reduction Products
Materials such as Blueskin, B-Quiet, and Butyl are frequently used as soundproofing for the Polaris Ranger. Some come in sheets / rolls with self-adhesive backing, while others need to be stuck in place with heat-resistant glues or pop rivets. Depending on the material you go with, you might also get a bit of heat shielding from your Polaris Ranger sound deadening kit. Dynamat, for example, is not only used for automotive soundproofing, but also for controlling heat as well.
Boom Mat by Design Engineering and Thinsulate SM600L by 3M are also solid options for acoustic insulation. Be it loud vibrations emanating from the drivetrain or a consistent blare from your Polaris Ranger exhaust as it trumpets away, you can reduce in-cab noise by dozens of decibels with the right acoustic-absorbing material!
Once you’ve chosen an appropriate sound-deadening material with adequate thickness -- typically between 80mil and 150mil -- the next step will be to place it inside your UTV. Most people who’ve soundproofed their Polaris Rangers put noise dampening products on the rear wall behind the seats, inside the seat compartments, and underneath the dump bed. For full effect, however, you should seriously consider placing some noise deadening mats, sheets, or panels on the floor of your Polaris Ranger.
Coating the removable storage bins under the seats in the back will help to reduce cab noise, but if you aren’t messing around and want the cabin of your Ranger to be as quiet as a recording studio, you can cover the doors, roof, rear bulkhead, and even the heat ducts with sound-deadening material. The application of sound dampening products will make a huge difference in terms of noise, and it will also act as a thermal insulator to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Closing Thoughts
When choosing sound deadening accessories for your Polaris Ranger 570, Polaris Ranger 900, or Polaris Ranger 1000, beware of fake products that imitate genuine sound dampening mediums. There’s a knock-off Dynamat product out there that uses a tar-like adhesive, and when it heats up, the glue starts to run and loses its stickiness. Weight is another factor worth considering. You could completely soundproof your Polaris Ranger by plugging every hole and covering every surface, but in your efforts to cut back on echo / drone, you might end up forfeiting power due to the extra weight you've added. Plus, if you make the cabin of your Polaris Ranger too quiet, you’ll be stuck listening to your other half complaining about the way you drive!
