Projects
KoolMat
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Projects KoolMat |
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| Slice and fit to tub one side at a time. | |
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Ever since the Tummy Tucker was installed, my feet have been burning up. And if that wasn't enough, I could smell a little gear oil when I downshift. So I hit searched the internet and found KoolMat recommended on a Corvette forum.
First off, its heavy and its expensive. So if you are on a tight budget, maybe you want to stop reading now. There are KoolMat kits for Corvettes and a couple other cars, but not for Jeeps. It comes in bulk form on a roll that you can buy for about $30 per foot. No, thats not a typo, its $30 per foot on a 32" wide roll. It weighs .72 lbs per square foot so shipping would not be cheap, either. Still with me? To secure the Koolmat to the tub you need some 3M Super Adhesive 8090 or other high temp spray on adhesive that works with fabrics. You also need some high temp RTV to seal the seams. The KoolMat is installed fabric side down, leaving the rubber side up toward your feet. |
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| Slice and fit to tub. | Slice and fit to tub. |
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I cut a square for each side of the Jeep and then notched triangle sections out to make it fit the square corners. Once I had a good fit I sprayed the adhesive on the tub and the fabric and pressed it into place. I used black high temp RTV to seal the seams where different pieces of KoolMat come together.
I placed a 3rd piece over the console area and cut out just enough to allow the shifters to move freely. I made sure the center section overlapped the other 2 sections and sliced through both layers making a near perfect seam. A little more black RTV to seal the seam. The lower boot on the transmission shifter had to be cut when the Tummy Tucker went on and that was the source of a lot of heat and smell. Having a small opening in the new KoolMat is good but to seal that opening a little better, I cut another round piece of KoolMat and placed it over the transmission shifter. Did you notice that I burried my drain plugs. I have not decided how to deal with this. I might decide to cut around the drains, but I am leaving it for now. |
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So, does it work? Yes it does. I can drive comfortably again. I drove across the desert from Texas to California in sock feet.
I think the Jeep is a bit quieter, too, but most of the noise in the Jeep is wind noise and this does not affect that. I will probably cover the back seat floor at a later date. I'll add pics when I do, or when I fix the drain plugs. | |
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