Tinted windows

[hulk311]

I'd like to get windows tinted on my 4unner. Is the new tint going to be applied over the factory tint or do they strip factory tint off the windows first?

If they apply the new tint over the old tint, I need to know what percentage the old tint is on each window. Say its 20%, and I want to make it darker, would putting any % tint on it make it darker, say even 50%? How exactly does this work?

I have a '97 model, what brand of tint best matches it?

 

[alpha]

If you have the factory privacy glass, the tint is in the glass, not a film applied over it.

Yes, it will be applied over the factory privacy glass. Yes, it will make it darker. The factory glass can be either 20% or 15%. On the 4th gens, it is closer to 20%. It may be different for 3rd gens..

If it is 20%, applying say 35% on top of it will make it look to be about 10%.

As for brand, that's hard to say. A lot of brands will match, it depends on the color of the specific film.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

The previous owner of mine laid new tint over the OEM tint and looks great. The rears were tinted with 5% so my back is very hard to see through w/o sun behind it and the fronts he didn't go as dark but still definetly darker than the Limited's factory tint.

Definetly keeps things cooler in the summer.

I'm partial to the Llumar brand and had good luck with it on my Eclipse and it's what is on my Runner now.

Pics

Here's a shot that you can see the front tint pretty good.

Another

 

[boston_kevin]

Keep in mind, most states have laws about the maximum tint you can apply to the front and rear windows. Make sure you don't exceed the legal tint laws otherwise you will receive a fine and have to pay to remove the tint...

 

[RonMAIDEN]

The rears aren't as big an issue on the rears but most states police don't seem to have an issue with dark tint if you have the windows down and hands on the wheel when you are approached by them.

I've had "illegally" tinted windows on my cars since the '80s and with my Eclipse I was pulled over about 17 times and tint was never mentioned but they seemed to be content with giving me a speeding ticket. :
Have been pulled over 3 tijmes in my Runner and the tint never came up. California cops can be Nazis tho'.

 

[RL4673]

Here is a little insight on the 4th gen.. I got 20% tint on all of the windows of the truck. Tested with a tint-meter at work, it registered 14% on the front windows and 4% on the rear.

 

[4Runner1371]

Ron, Your truck's darn sexy! Since the stock tint's inside the glass using different tint method, there is no way for you to perfectly match the tint. It's easy to come close though. I did 15% on my side-fronts and it matches pretty good from the outside, ofcourse it's darker looking out from the aftermarket tints then the stock tints. Dunno if you guys know, rear stock tint's like 20% I believe, meaning 20% of the sun light gets through, so when you tint it over with another 20% tint, the 20% of the 20% light is getting through. You do the math.

P.S. 5% is like limo tint and it's almost impossible to see it at night if there's no lights around, hell, even with my tints, I have to roll the window down if there's like no street lights or anything. Plus, it's more obvious that you got a illegal tint compared to 15+% tint, since it's hard to see through. My roommate's a cop and he got 5% tints all around PLUS 35% tint on the front, damn things hard as hell to see even in sunlight! Oh! I think my installer used 3M.

P.P.S. My cop friend said, SUVs and trucks have stock tints in the rear windows so it's legal to tint it 0% if you want. It's the fronts with no tints that are not supposed to go under 35%. 35% is damn light though. So I risk it, if I get pulled over for tint, it's only another $60 to do just front 2. Oh, it's according to Maryland law.

 

[alpha]

Ron, Your truck's darn sexy! Since the stock tint's inside the glass using different tint method, there is no way for you to perfectly match the tint. It's easy to come close though. I did 15% on my side-fronts and it matches pretty good from the outside, ofcourse it's darker looking out from the aftermarket tints then the stock tints. Dunno if you guys know, rear stock tint's like 20% I believe, meaning 20% of the sun light gets through, so when you tint it over with another 20% tint, the 20% of the 20% light is getting through. You do the math.

P.S. 5% is like limo tint and it's almost impossible to see it at night if there's no lights around, hell, even with my tints, I have to roll the window down if there's like no street lights or anything. Plus, it's more obvious that you got a illegal tint compared to 15+% tint, since it's hard to see through. My roommate's a cop and he got 5% tints all around PLUS 35% tint on the front, damn things hard as hell to see even in sunlight! Oh! I think my installer used 3M.

P.P.S. My cop friend said, SUVs and trucks have stock tints in the rear windows so it's legal to tint it 0% if you want. It's the fronts with no tints that are no supposed to go under 35%. 35% is damn light though. So I risk it, if I get pulled over for tint, it's only another $60 to do just front 2.

tint, not tints. i used to be a tinter, and its kind of a pet peeve when people say tints..

it's sometimes hard to see at night with just 20% tint, let alone limo. If there are no lights, it's a bit hard backing out at night. And if people have vision problems, it's recommended not to go too dark.

and in terms of legality, different states have different laws. darkness levels in one state can be different in another. i.e. front windows are legal in CO if the whole car is not under 27% VLT, but front windows in CA are not legal unless under 70% VLT (which basically means clear). In terms of the rear windows, if the front two are not tinted, then you can go as dark as you want in both states.

But it varies per state, so as previously mentioned, check with your local laws to see what is legal.

 

[4Runner1371]

HAHA oops! I kept saying Tints then Tint. My apologies!

 

[RL4673]

Maryland Law states you can have the rear windows of a multi-purpose vehicle as dark as you want provided the front windows are not darker that 35% AND you have two side mirrors.