Window Tint

Extreme · July 30, 2003

I am considering tinting my front windows to the same shade of tint

as the ext. cab windows. The company is charging me $59.00 is it worth it and do you guys think it is a good idea. My truck sits in the sun a lot during the day, so I was hoping this will help. Please let me know. Thanks.

EMPIRE231 · July 30, 2003

YES , it keeps it a little cooler, helps keep the interior from fading, and it looks very good.

silverado man · July 30, 2003

YES go for it. It definately makes the truck look better along with a little protection for the interior.

MCourson · July 30, 2003

Definatly worth the money. I am actually about to get mine redone because the old stuff has been there for 9.5 years and is starting to turn purple and bubble.

Boogity3 · July 30, 2003

You gotta be careful though because the tint on the rear windows is 50%, which is illegal in every state b/c police officers can't see in. The legal limit down south is 35% b/c its so hot, but up north its 20%. You can always go with an illegal amount but run the risk of getting a $250 ticket, and loss of tint.

Extreme · July 30, 2003

I live in Idaho, so I am going to get it tinted as dark as

I can and still be legal. I better not get illegal tinting because I work in the City Hall, and park in the same parking lot as the police do.

fmjcafe · July 30, 2003

$59 is a great price. I paid $75 to have my front windows done and thought it was a bargain. I highly recommend doing it. The cab of my truck is noticably cooler, especially when I use my sun shades.

As to the degree of tint, the shop doing the work should know what the max legal tint is in your state.

99-2door · July 30, 2003

You gotta be careful though because the tint on the rear windows is 50%, which is illegal in every state b/c police officers can't see in. The legal limit down south is 35% b/c its so hot, but up north its 20%. You can always go with an illegal amount but run the risk of getting a $250 ticket, and loss of tint.

I think you are a little confused on the %s. The lower the number, the darker the tint is. Take 20% for instance. This means only 20% of the light passes through. I would say that the factory privacy glass tint on extended cab rear windows is 5%. you are only limited on the 2 front sidde glasses on how dark you can go. You could paint the back glasses with a can of black spray paint if you wanted to. To keep it legal looking here, I go with 5% on the back windows and 20% on the side glasses. In my Tahoe I have 5% on the back glasses which are factory privacy tinted also and 5% on the fronts. I have never had a problem with the local police here and I have never heard of anyone getting a ticket here for tint. It keeps it , even in these 100+ days we are having now.

Wingnut · July 30, 2003

I was told by the tint place that the factory tint on the back windows, as well as the side glass was 15%.

They put 15% on the driver and passenger side (front) windows, and it matches the back. It's not too dark, but when all the windows are tinted, it's pretty hard to see in.

Legal is 35% here ( like 99 2 door says, higher the number, lighter the tint) for the driver and passenger windows. I havn't had any problems with the police though.

$59 is a decent price, as long as it comes with a lifetime warranty. I paid about $55, with lifetime. They would have done it for $35 if I went with a 2 year warranty.

Just my .02

MCourson · July 30, 2003

Mine was illegal originally and we never had any problems. About a year ago my dads friend got a ticket for illegal tint so we had mine checked. I dont remember the numbers but apparently mine faded to legal. When we had the windows tinted on the Hoe and the 03 it cost $53 out the door with lifetime warranty. To remove and replace all tint including back window they quoted me $130. Does that sound like a good deal?

dcairns · July 30, 2003

Legal tint for every state are listed here:

www.iwfa.com

I had my front windows done with the lightest tint they had, since any on the front windows is illegal in California. If I ever get pulled over, I hope I remember to roll down the windows before the officer walks up to the truck. Don't need him finding something else to write a ticket about

Wingnut · July 30, 2003

To remove and replace all tint including back window they quoted me $130. Does that sound like a good deal?

On a Tahoe? Thats a smokin' deal!

If it needs it, I would jump on that deal if I were you.

They want 100 smackers here just to remove the tint!

MCourson · July 30, 2003

I wish it was on the Tahoe. But it is on a 94 (the last year without factory tinted rear windows ) regular cab c1500.

AZ-Z71 · July 30, 2003

I think you are right about the factory glass being 15%. My front sides are 15% with a 5% windshield visor. I just heard that the factory glass is not rated for heat reflection. The newer tints are metal tints and they hold their color better and don't turn purple. For maximum cooling it was suggested to tint the back to 5% metal tint to reject heat. So far mine work great just tinting the fronts to match the factory tint shade.

My brother tints all his cars with the lightest tint possible on the front windshield (illegal to do) with a 5% visor. The rears are done to 5% and the fronts are 15%. Sometimes he runs 5% all windows (except front he does as described above) At night he basically has to drive with the windows down because it looks way too illegal. One time he was pulled over coming from Mexico back to Phoenix and the officer used a gadget that measured the light transmission. Of course he was illegal and recieved a fifty dollar fine. If he proved that he removed the tint the fifty dollar fine would be dopped. He just paid the fine and left the windows alone.