Tint...

[Rock Slide]

Tom
Just remember that in PA.
Tech having any tint on your front driver and passenger windows is illegal.
However I am saying screw it for the time Being and getting the fronts to match the back.
I know of a shop in Wilmington DE that will do it and offers to take it off for free if issues occur with the law enforcement.
As for the front Valence, I plan on getting a sun visor with clearance lights on down the road so that should eliminate that problem a little bit.
Now I have a question for you folks.
Do the 3rd Gen 4Runners have tint on the sunroof?
I can't tell, it seems like it does and doesn't.
Can someone clarify this for me?

AFAIK, the sunroof is a factory piece of tinted glass.

I wanted to get my sunroof tinted too, but many of the shops around here would not do it. One installer told me a layer of tint on the sunroof will actually start to crack over time due to the excessive amount of heat placed on it by the sun. Said he tinted one for a guy once and 6 mons later, the guy came back wanting it redone b/c it had cracked all over. Said he'd never tint a sunroof again.

Don't know if this is true or not, but you can always call around to different tint shops and see what they say.

 

[broncosi]

I wanted to get my sunroof tinted too, but many of the shops around here would not do it. One installer told me a layer of tint on the sunroof will actually start to crack over time due to the excessive amount of heat placed on it by the sun.

2 things here, #1: why would you want your sunroof tinted darker? and #2: yes it will crack and its going to cost you alot more than just the tint, you will have to replace the sunroof glass and thats not cheap.

 

[YotaFun]

2 things here, #1: why would you want your sunroof tinted darker? and #2: yes it will crack and its going to cost you alot more than just the tint, you will have to replace the sunroof glass and thats not cheap.

The reason I would ever consider a sunroof tint is because sometimes I just like it tilted up, but even then sometimes the sun can be a little unbearable.

I don't plan on tinting the sunroof, I was just curious as to weather it was tinted already or not.

Thank you for the answer Rock Slide

 

[Rock Slide]

2 things here, #1: why would you want your sunroof tinted darker? and #2: yes it will crack and its going to cost you alot more than just the tint, you will have to replace the sunroof glass and thats not cheap.

Why...why not? Really it's bcause I don't like to keep my sunroof shade closed all the time. I don't run my sunroof open everyday, but when it's closed, I still like to pull the shade back to have somewhat of an "open" roof feeling.

Driving around with the sunroof closed and the shade out of the way still allows a lot of heat to enter the vehicle. The glass might be tinted somewhat, but it doesn't block any UV rays, nor much light for that fact.

Second reason: Privacy. All my other windows are tinted. If I leave the sunroof closed, yet pull the shade back on a sunny day, you can see inside the front of my vehicle very easily.

That being said, I'd prefer to pull back the shade on a sunny day and not get all the heat from the sun entering in, while still keeping onlookers from peeping in on me. But don't worry, I've heard to many horror stories about tinting it, so NO, I don't plan on ever getting my sunroof tinted.

All I'm saying is, it would be a nice option if you could tint it w/o complications.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Who's peeping through your sunroof while you are driving? Nosy truckers?

 

[Rock Slide]

Who's peeping through your sunroof while you are driving? Nosy truckers?

:lmao: :lmao: I see now I phrased that incorrectly.

I meant to say, with the shade pulled back, it's much easier for anyone to walk up to my truck (or simply drive by it for that matter) and look through the driver and passengerside windows to see inside my truck. The tint on these windows can only do so good, but when you have rays of sunlight shinning through your sunroof, it makes the inside of the truck much brighter.

 

[ruinit3]

Rock Slide -- I know where you are coming with the shade pulled back and more light in and all that crap. I have my sunroof tinted at 2% and I've had it that way for 2.5 years now. I have had NO problems with it, no cracking, no nothing. I guess you guys are getting cheap tint. My front is 17% and my rear is 2%. I only know that due to my one tint ticket. I think I paid about $45 to get my sunroof tinted, so if that seems too high to you guys that's probably why your shit is cracking!

Here's a pic:

 

[RonMAIDEN]

More than likely you won't have an issue with the sunroof tint but it's not uncommon to have cracking occur and if it does it's pretty pricey fix.

 

[Rock Slide]

Rock Slide -- I know where you are coming with the shade pulled back and more light in and all that crap. I have my sunroof tinted at 2% and I've had it that way for 2.5 years now. I have had NO problems with it, no cracking, no nothing. I guess you guys are getting cheap tint. My front is 17% and my rear is 2%. I only know that due to my one tint ticket. I think I paid about $45 to get my sunroof tinted, so if that seems too high to you guys that's probably why your shit is cracking!

That's interesting you've never had a problem with it. Cool it worked out for you

What brand of tint did you have installed?

Originally posted by RonMAIDEN
More than likely you won't have an issue with the sunroof tint but it's not uncommon to have cracking occur and if it does it's pretty pricey fix.

Okay, I know a fair deal about tint, but explain this to me: If the tint on the sunroof does crack due to excessive heat, why does everyone agree it's very expensive to fix (Not just you guys, but the tint shops too)? What makes it expensive? Can you not just remove the cracked tint w/ a razor blade and then install a new piece?

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Uhh,it's not the tint that you are worried about it's the sunroof itself that will crack and that's a dealer only piece of glass and you'll pay through the nose to replace it.

 

[Rock Slide]

Uhh,it's not the tint that you are worried about it's the sunroof itself that will crack and that's a dealer only piece of glass and you'll pay through the nose to replace it.

Okay that explains the expensive part of it, but now the reason - Why does the sunroof glass crack? Or better yet, why does it crack with tint on it?

 

[YotaFun]

Okay that explains the expensive part of it, but now the reason - Why does the sunroof glass crack? Or better yet, why does it crack with tint on it?

I am too curious about this?

Anyone have an explanation?

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Some tints absorb more heat than with just the factory tint and the heat temp causes the glass to crack.

The real problem is when you have the inside shade closed since the top of the shade hasd a reflective surface so when it's closed the and you have the extra tint it absorbs the heat and doesn't allow for the reflector the heat back out. In short the new tint will allow more heat to be trapped inbetween the shade and the glass.

 

[Rock Slide]

Some tints absorb more heat than with just the factory tint and the heat temp causes the glass to crack.

The real problem is when you have the inside shade closed since the top of the shade hasd a reflective surface so when it's closed the and you have the extra tint it absorbs the heat and doesn't allow for the reflector the heat back out. In short the new tint will allow more heat to be trapped inbetween the shade and the glass.

Interesting...I wondered what caused the glass to break. Makes sense though.

Now to play devil's advocate: Is it possible the newly tinted glass would be okay if I never closed the shade? Another words, if I had the glass tinted to say 5%, then I really would have no need to shut the shade. It could remain open all the time. You think the glass would still crack then?

 

[Rescue84]

Sorry guys... didn't mean to ignore anyone, I was in Florida for the week without a computer...

I got the front 2 done at 22% and a banner up front at 13% with Sun-Guard film. It matches up pretty well, I'm happy with it.

Av: Yes, it is indeed illegal in PA to tint the front 2 or to have any tint on the windshield which could be a problem but I'm pretty sure it won't be. Most of the cops around here have their personal vehicles done all the way around, I'm more worried about inspection than anything else.

I'll try to have some pics up soon.

 

[ruinit3]

That's interesting you've never had a problem with it. Cool it worked out for you

What brand of tint did you have installed?

I had Solar Guard tint installed. I actually just called the place I had mine done and asked about the sunroof and he said in 20+ years he's been doing this he has never had someone come to him with that problem. FYI...I asked him how much a 4runner would cost to get tinted and he said $350. He has all master tinters and they don't machine cut, they hand cut all pieces. I don't think I paid that much but gives you an idea of the cost of a good tint shop versus a bad one.

 

[YotaFun]

Av: Yes, it is indeed illegal in PA to tint the front 2 or to have any tint on the windshield which could be a problem but I'm pretty sure it won't be. Most of the cops around here have their personal vehicles done all the way around, I'm more worried about inspection than anything else.

Yeah, lol you should take pics of those personal cops with there cars done and say "hey you have it why can't I?"

Where do you normally take your runner to get inspected?
Same guy you have been using for years?
I trust mine (even though they lost my only good set of keys) and he is pretty good, he even extended my expiration date for the inspection to match up with my registration, a whole other 6 months, thats sweet.

I figure though if the tint matches to the factory back I can pass it off as factory all around.

 

[broncosi]

yea man all the cops here have blacked out windows, talk about some sketchy pigs?

 

[trd_4runnin]

I dont really know that much about tint but I think these stories about sunroofs cracking due to tinting is a rumor. I mean, if this glass was that heat sensitive to where it would break under excessive heat, why in the world would Toyota put that on the top of the vehicle. It just doesn't make sense.

Secondly, the guy who does my tint used to work for a tint shop around town. He then left that shop, moved to a ritzier town and started his own tinting business tinting multi-million dollar houses. I'm not sure what the certification is, but he is one of only 3 people in the United States with this special tinting certification ...

That being said he has done various sunroofs for me and my family and none of us has ever had a problem. No one on this board has appears to have any first hand experience with having this happen to their sunroofs it appears to be just all hearsay.

 

[YotaFun]

I dont really know that much about tint but I think these stories about sunroofs cracking due to tinting is a rumor. I mean, if this glass was that heat sensitive to where it would break under excessive heat, why in the world would Toyota put that on the top of the vehicle. It just doesn't make sense.

Secondly, the guy who does my tint used to work for a tint shop around town. He then left that shop, moved to a ritzier town and started his own tinting business tinting multi-million dollar houses. I'm not sure what the certification is, but he is one of only 3 people in the United States with this special tinting certification ...

That being said he has done various sunroofs for me and my family and none of us has ever had a problem. No one on this board has appears to have any first hand experience with having this happen to their sunroofs it appears to be just all hearsay.

After reading this I think we should submit this myth to the mythbusters.
I agree, has anyone one here had first hand experience?