Just 30 years ago, sound in a car was only provided by a standard radio. Nobody thought about sound quality back then. Today everything has changed, and car audio is already a common occurrence. And high-quality sound is an entire industry with a special culture in which high technology serves for the benefit of art and beauty. Many devices have been created: from inexpensive radio tape recorders to speaker systems. One of the most common methods of improving the sound quality in a car is installing an acoustic shelf on the Lada Priora.
Purpose and design features
The element is located behind the row of rear seats, regardless of whether it is a sedan, station wagon or hatchback. On the Priora, both a regular and an acoustic shelf can be installed from the factory, although the latter can be called such a stretch. It is designed to secure speakers and other devices that reproduce sound. It has cutouts for standard elliptical-shaped speakers measuring 6x9 inches.
The factory shelf is in most cases made of plastic. Due to weak fastenings, it constantly rattles, which reduces the sound quality.
Installing an acoustic shelf solves several problems at once:
- sound quality becomes higher;
- when playing audio recordings, extraneous noises cease to be heard, this is especially noticeable at high volumes;
- you can install speakers of any shape and size (relevant for a homemade product);
- the ability to create a competent acoustic scene in the car thanks to the correct location of the speakers.
The only advantage of a factory-made acoustic shelf is that you don’t need to spend time and effort making it yourself. Otherwise, it has more minuses than pluses.
Improving sound insulation when installing an acoustic system for Lada Priora
When installing speakers with higher power on a VAZ 2172, the sound insulation of both the rear panel and the car doors, instrument panel and ceiling should be improved. You can get rid of extraneous sounds in your car using vibration and noise insulating materials, as well as protective covers.
Since the new acoustic shelf of the Priora Hatchback is made of dense plywood, sound insulation begins with the installation of vibration-absorbing materials, such as vizomats, ECO, vibroplasts, etc. Next, a second layer of sound-absorbing material such as “Accent” or “Isoton” is applied. In this case, the thickness of the sound insulation layer should be taken into account, otherwise the installation of plywood parts will become impossible.
How an acoustic shelf works
Since the speakers are embedded in a shelf located in the trunk, the system is closed. In this regard, special requirements are imposed on such structures:
- All components must be rigidly fixed. Otherwise, it will not be possible to eliminate the effect of resonant sound. Powerful speakers weigh quite a lot, and the fragile material may not support them.
- Tightness. This will help avoid an acoustic short circuit, which negatively affects the quality and volume of car audio.
- Minimizing resonance. The structure should not rattle. Stiffening ribs must be installed on flat surfaces.
Acoustic shelf diagram
Taking into account all these requirements, most acoustic shelves are manufactured: both industrial and homemade. The product is upholstered with textile materials, which give it a finished and aesthetically attractive appearance. Carpet is most often used, less often - leatherette or leather.
Depending on the body type, the shelves are available in different designs:
- Single (solid) surface. Used in a sedan. This is a simple panel with holes for mounting speakers.
- Prefabricated structure. It consists of two side parts, which are fixed motionless, and a central one. Speakers are mounted in the first, and the second is folded up or completely removed to load the luggage compartment. Used in station wagons and hatchbacks.
The design allows you to install the speakers openly (top) or closed (bottom). During hidden installation, the casing is not cut out, since the carpet does not interfere with the propagation of sound and does not affect its quality.
Ways to refine the product
Removing the shelf from the trunk of a Lada Priora takes no more than a minute. In hatchback and station wagon you need to pull it up and then remove it. In a sedan body the removal process is more complicated:
- you need to disconnect the wire block from the additional brake light and from the speakers (if any);
- pull the locking strap up and remove the back of the rear sofa;
- lower the armrest down and unscrew the fastening screws of the luggage compartment hatch;
- press the 4 locking elements;
- lift the front part a little and pull it towards you, overcoming the force of the seals until the latter come out from under the rear window.
To put the shelf in place, repeat all steps in reverse order.
The process of finalizing the shelf in a sedan
The standard design is not of good quality and most often begins to rattle and creak. If it is not possible to make a shelf yourself, modify the factory one.
To work you will need:
- polyurethane foam;
- scotch;
- noise and vibration insulation material;
- glue, preferably epoxy;
- silicone sealant.
The upgrade looks like this:
- The standard shelf is removed from the car along with the speakers.
- All holes are sealed with tape - it is important to prevent polyurethane foam from getting into them.
- The bottom surface is moistened for better adhesion to the sealant.
- Polyurethane foam is applied to the lower part and after 40 minutes it is pressed down to increase rigidity. The sealant must be pierced in several places with a nail to expel excess air.
- You should wait until the foam has dried completely and treat all seams with silicone sealant.
- Noise-vibration insulation material is glued to the outside with epoxy glue.
- If desired, you can top the product with textiles.
This modification increases the rigidity of the structure, prevents squeaks, and improves sound quality.
To ensure that nothing interferes with the sound, no foreign objects are allowed on the acoustic shelf.
Improvement method without polyurethane foam
On Lada Priora hatchbacks and station wagons, using the method using polyurethane foam is undesirable. The thickness of the product is considerable, and for a large surface area this threatens sagging. For this reason, other materials are used for modification: modelin, anti-creak or vibroplast.
First you need to make the structure heavier. To do this, noise-vibration insulation material is glued to the bottom side. In this case, a construction hair dryer is used to heat the vibroplast and a tool for rolling out the insulation - any hard roller will do. Weighting will prevent rattling.
Then all surfaces that come into contact with each other are covered with modelin. This refers to the shelf holders on the sides and the contact points of the plastic linings with the luggage compartment pillars. Sealants for windows and doors, used in construction, may also be suitable for pasting. The purpose of this stage is to remove squeaks.
As additional measures, you can use components from foreign cars instead of standard rubber bumpers. They press the shelf more tightly to the trunk lid in the closed position and prevent it from moving and bouncing when driving on uneven roads.
If the rear parcel shelf rattles on a Priora/Kalina/Grant
| The rear shelf of Priora, Kalina and Granta is famous for its crickets, they are especially noticeable on hatchbacks and station wagons. According to statistics, 70% of car owners, after purchasing a domestic car, almost immediately soundproof the rear of the car. Do you know what to do if a shelf creaks? |
You will need : a trunk lid bumper from a foreign car (catalog number: 96567780), anti-creaking (for example, Modelin) and vibration-absorbing material (for example, vibroplast).
The first step to keeping the rear parcel shelf from rattling is to weigh it down. To do this, we glue vibration-absorbing material on the back side of the shelf, using a hair dryer to heat it up and a hard roller to roll the material. A heavier shelf will rattle less.
The final step , which should help you get rid of squeaks in the rear parcel shelf, is rubber bumpers from a foreign car. You just need to replace the standard bump stops with new ones (from a foreign car). What will it give? Thanks to them, the closed trunk lid will tightly press the rear parcel shelf, preventing it from bouncing on bumps.
Thus, by completing a set of measures to soundproof the rear shelf, you will completely get rid of squeaks, crickets and rumbles.
By the way, another way to “kill crickets” is to install an acoustic shelf. The soundproofing of the shelf on the sedan is slightly different. Photo source:
Similar materials
Advantages and disadvantages of homemade products
A DIY shelf has a lot of positive aspects:
- precise adjustment to the dimensions of the luggage compartment;
- the ability to use any acoustics connection scheme;
- you can use any material for manufacturing and upholstery - in order to increase durability, it is better to choose natural wood treated with moisture-proof compounds;
- Compared to a standard acoustic shelf, a homemade one does not rattle or vibrate;
- you can create a product according to your own drawings and increase the amount of usable trunk space.
Among the disadvantages, they note only the need to spend free time, especially if you have to develop everything yourself. You also need to have skills in handling various power tools, for example, a jigsaw.
Making an acoustic shelf with your own hands
To improve the appearance of the product, it is recommended to use artificial or natural leather. High-quality casing made of sound-permeable materials will help hide the speakers from prying eyes. If you choose the size and shape of the shelf wisely, you can achieve maximum effect when playing low frequencies using budget playback equipment.
You should create a layout after purchasing the speakers, since the holes in the finished product must exactly match the dimensions of the built-in devices.
Creating a Layout
To create a layout, you can use the shape of a standard acoustic or regular Priora shelf. Taking its dimensions as a basis, calculate the required dimensions. First you need to remove the shelf from the car and attach it to a previously prepared cardboard sheet. Next, use a marker to outline the product, including the slots for the seat belts. After this, you can select any location to install the speakers and mark it on the layout.
The excess part of the cardboard is cut off with scissors or a stationery knife, and holes for the speakers are also cut out. If there are podiums for speakers on the factory shelf, then they are also removed and used to create a layout.
To work you will need the following tools:
- material of suitable size and thickness - plywood, chipboard, OSB, MDF;
- jigsaw;
- wooden bars;
- self-tapping screws of different lengths;
- sealant;
- fine-grained sandpaper;
- epoxy resin based adhesive;
- stationery knife;
- sound-absorbing material for finishing.
First, you need to attach the cardboard model to the material that will be used for the future acoustic shelf, and trace all the lines with a marker. For manufacturing, it is advisable to use composite materials made of thick wood. Usually this is a panel up to 25 mm thick, for the manufacture of which a plywood sheet or MDF panel is used.
Making a shelf for a sedan
The creation process includes the following steps:
- The shape of the product is cut out with a jigsaw, and all unnecessary parts are cut off.
- Several wooden blocks should be attached between the holes for installing the speakers, using sealant and self-tapping screws. The bars will act as stiffening ribs, preventing rattling when playing music at high volume.
Podium templates are cut out on a separate piece of material using a jigsaw. They are fixed to the workpiece using mounting foam. After the sealant has completely hardened, excess pieces should be cut off with a stationery knife. Slots are cut for seat belts.
The workpiece is processed on all sides with fine-grained sandpaper until the surface is smooth, after which all seams are sealed with sealant. The shelf is covered with finishing material - you can use adhesive bases based on epoxy resins for this.
If non-vibroplast is used for finishing, then it is better to additionally apply any sound insulation.
Now all that remains is to install the structure in its original place. To secure it, it is better to use strong bolts that will not loosen over time. If you are installing a homemade product, it is important to adjust the dimensions correctly.
Creating a shelf for a hatchback and station wagon
The same materials are used for manufacturing and the algorithm of actions is also almost identical. The difference is that the standard shelf without sidewalls in cars with these body types consists of two parts. One of them reclines for easy loading of luggage.
There are two main manufacturing methods:
- Two parts are cut out of the material based on a template created according to the dimensions of a standard shelf. One part should be 2-3 cm shorter than the other. Using epoxy glue and self-tapping screws, both halves are fastened to each other.
- To make the part that folds up, a thinner sheet of plywood is used. If desired, you can modify the folding element from the old shelf, making it heavier with sound insulation. Fasteners can also be taken from an old product. Holes for speakers are cut out as desired on the folding or fixed part.
First, the rear seats should be removed from the interior. The standard shelf must be removed - a new one is cut out using its template. The difference from the previous method is the presence of sidewalls. They can also accommodate speakers of any size and shape.
You need to dismantle the sidewalls and create a cardboard mockup based on them. You don’t have to do it, but transfer the dimensions directly to the workpiece material using a marker. Then all actions repeat the algorithm already described above.
When placing speakers on podiums, point them towards the glass - this way the sound will spread better throughout the cabin.
To raise and rotate the podium in the desired direction, you can use metal plates that are attached to the workpiece. To fill the resulting free space, you can use polyurethane foam. After hardening, its excess parts are cut off, and the inside of the structure is covered with vibration and noise insulation materials. Then the sides are upholstered, the speakers are installed, and the shelf is mounted in its regular place.
Refinement of the station wagon shelf
Acoustic shelf lada priora
You can start modifying the standard factory shelf if you don’t want to change it. On a station wagon, the factory shelf does not have a straight surface for mounting speakers. What is the point of revision? Ensure a flat surface, that's right. The material in this case will also be plywood, the thickness of which is 20 mm. As for the width, 35 cm is what you need.
Note. Note that the factory shelf is made of 2 layers of plastic.
- We cut off that part of the factory shelf where the speakers will be inserted with a sharp knife;
- We cut out the outline of the factory shelf from plywood;
- We glue the additional option to the back of the factory shelf using epoxy.
Note. In the process of such refinement, a difference is possible. To avoid this, it is recommended to cut 2mm plywood along the contour of the cut out part, and then glue the whole thing to a thick piece of plywood.
- Acrylic-based putty (for wood) will help hide all seams and irregularities, and sandpaper will clean the surfaces until they are smooth;
- At the end, we tighten the entire resulting shelf with carpet and, just in case, weigh it down with vibration material.
Reviews from Priora owners about the acoustic shelf
Standard acoustic shelves are clearly inferior in quality to homemade ones. Many car owners are forced to modify the factory version, since it copes with its functions very mediocrely. Many people come to the conclusion that it is not practical to pay for an element that still needs to be improved.
The way out is to create an acoustic shelf with your own hands. Such structures are strong, durable, do not creak or start to rattle. An acoustic shelf, even the simplest one, is found in almost every car today. Homemade products have become very popular. Whether to choose an acoustic shelf from a store or to make it yourself - everyone decides based on their financial capabilities and the availability of the skills necessary to create the product.
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