A process that enables the formation of a high damping, soft polymer gel includes reacting a maleimide copolymer with a maleated polyalkylene and an alkyl diamine under substantially dry conditions sufficient to form a polyalkylene-grafted maleimide copolymer product which then is dispersed with an extender sufficient to form the gel. The steps can be carried out sequentially in a high shear mixer without the need for intermediate steps of cooling and grinding the reaction product of one step before proceeding to the next.