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as an auto mechanic I've been dying to touch on the subject of how cars and especially trucks have gotten louder over the years. - hard tires that lower rollin

as an auto mechanic I've been dying to touch on the subject of how cars and especially trucks have gotten louder over the years. - hard tires that lower rolling resistance but increase noise. this combined with thin sidewall tires. - lax enforcement of the noise ordinance with respect to riced out civic coffee can exhaust. these are rarer in 2018 as its impossible to install one without the emission control balking at you. - streets that havent been paved since the carter administration - heavy trucks with massive turbochargers and oversized "ram" air intakes (vortec, etc..) to appeal to businesses that want to save fuel costs. Vortec type intakes especially are deafeningly loud at scale. - trucking companies that dont size their loads. Do not send a 53' lowboy into a densely populated city street. there are quieter options. sub it out to a millwright or last miler. - heavy construction equipment companies that insist if they add catalytic converters, mufflers, or noise controls theyll have to declare bankruptcy. Same goes for companies that include the absolute loudest "motion" alarm for equipment (the beep beep sound.) Im looking at you, Komatsu. - Cities that tolerate lax air standards for older construction equipment. these translate into lax noise standards as well. - garbage trucks. Heil brand trucks are absolutely the noisiest trucks on the planet because they dont include ameneties like bumpers for their skids, or bumpers for the top of the truck to cushion the bin when it hits the rooftop. The arm for loading plastic bins was designed by a grad student and it shows. High speed lift and slam.

TheCoelacanth 8y ago
Don't forget non-existent enforcement of traffic laws. In NYC, it is illegal to honk except in an emergency situation. You would never know that from listening to traffic, though.
Rumudiez 8y ago
Thanks for sharing. People tend to think about engine noise when talking about loud cars, but I often remark to myself how loud Tesla’s et al electric cars still are due to road noise. From my balcony a couple floors above street level I can’t tell the difference between any electric and most ICE vehicles traveling by without needing to look.
js2 8y ago
And Harley Davidsons. I especially like the ones that like to ride in large groups through state parks. I honestly think most Americans just have no appreciation for quiet. There’s not a day of the week there aren’t leaf blowers heard in my neighborhood. :-(
thinkythought 8y ago
Points 4 and 8 also combine here. The new "green" garbage trucks the vendor in my city has begun using are so INCREDIBLY loud. Even just the engine noise from them. The PTO and gearbox noise is just atrocious, tons of turbo noise, tons of just weird mid frequency resonant whining. They're some of the loudest trucks i've ever heard, and are basically as loud as monster trucks or straight pipe hot rods. I'm completely not exaggerating that they're multiple harley davidson loud, and at a more annoying frequency. I've gotten like stabbing ear pain from being near one of these accelerating hard.

TheCoelacanth 8y ago

Don't forget non-existent enforcement of traffic laws. In NYC, it is illegal to honk except in an emergency situation. You would never know that from listening to traffic, though.

Rumudiez 8y ago

Thanks for sharing. People tend to think about engine noise when talking about loud cars, but I often remark to myself how loud Tesla’s et al electric cars still are due to road noise. From my balcony a couple floors above street level I can’t tell the difference between any electric and most ICE vehicles traveling by without needing to look.

js2 8y ago

And Harley Davidsons. I especially like the ones that like to ride in large groups through state parks. I honestly think most Americans just have no appreciation for quiet. There’s not a day of the week there aren’t leaf blowers heard in my neighborhood. :-(

thinkythought 8y ago

Points 4 and 8 also combine here. The new "green" garbage trucks the vendor in my city has begun using are so INCREDIBLY loud. Even just the engine noise from them. The PTO and gearbox noise is just atrocious, tons of turbo noise, tons of just weird mid frequency resonant whining. They're some of the loudest trucks i've ever heard, and are basically as loud as monster trucks or straight pipe hot rods. I'm completely not exaggerating that they're multiple harley davidson loud, and at a more annoying frequency. I've gotten like stabbing ear pain from being near one of these accelerating hard.