window tint delima

[G.I.G.]

I just had my front two windows tinted today on my '07 4R to "match" the back windows and noticed that they are darker than the rear windows now.

I did a search here to try to find some threads with more info on matching the factory tint. I didn't find anything conclusive but it sounds like 20% seems to be the best match. They told me they did 15% so I'm thinking 20% would be a better match. I think they use Solar Guard or something like that. I understand that the colors won't match up perfectly, as long as I get the same darkness (it's hard to see the color difference from the outside anyway).

For those of you who have your windows tinted to match the factory tint, what % are you using and what brand? I had Lunar 15% on my old Grand Cherokee and that was a good match on that car. That same shop offers Solar Guard now and didn't know if that was better or worse. I think I might take it back in to go a shade lighter.

 

[Casper]

i assume we are speaking about factory tint?

dealers sometimes do aftermarket tint and that makes it much more difficult to match since different batches of the same tint % from the same company can have much different qualities.

 

[G.I.G.]

i assume we are speaking about factory tint?

Yup, the factory tint.

 

[ssmtsx]

My tint place told me the rear windows were 20%. I had my all my windows tinted 35%. You could always have you back windows tinted again to match the fronts?

 

[G.I.G.]

I called the shop this morning that did my tint. I'm brining it back in today to have 20% tint put on the front windows. Hopefully that will be a better match.

 

[G.I.G.]

Well I took it back today to have a lighter tint put on the front windows. They said that the fronts were a "little" darker than the rear but the next shade lighter would be too light. They said they already had 30% on there and that 35% was next shade lighter. I have a difficult time believing that because it is much closer to the rears than before, maybe just a bit lighter but nothing major. I think they had 15% on before and now have 20%. That's just my take on it.

 

[cdoyle]

I have 20 on mine, and it's almost an exact match. I really like it.

 

[Even Steven]

I also went with 20 percent to match the rest of the glass perfectly.

For a few pictures in different lighting, look here:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?threadid=28234

 

[bft4.7]

I believe I have 20% on mine as well. If not then it was 25%. I do notice that the front is a little darker than the rears. Unless you are really looking though you would not notice.

 

[Iron Clad Lou]

I also went with 20 percent to match the rest of the glass perfectly.

For a few pictures in different lighting, look here:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?threadid=28234

wow, looks great! since I dont really want to get busted, I'm going with 35%...and seeing yours with 20% makes me confident that the fronts will be lighter than the rears.

 

[sharp4runr]

Yup, I have 20% on my fronts and from the outside the match perfectly. When sitting inside looking out though, the fronts seem darker than the rear. You can only really tell in bright sunlight.

 

[bmccreery]

i took mine to the local tint shop and told them to match it to the rear factory tint. they put on 15% and it looks perfect from the outside but the front does look darker from the inside. that doesn't bother me though cause i never look out the rear windows. 15% is the way to go.

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[cmar]

I went with the 20% on the front and it look ok sometime but other times the color dosent really match. it seems more charcol and the stock seems kinda purpleish. Anyone else have this problem?

 

[Pincushion]

In TX, 35% tint is the darkest legal tint on front door windows. It's lighter than the rear glass, but I have to roll my window down to see well enough to back up at night anyway. I live outside the city limits and we don't have street lights. (no crime or city taxes either)

 

[bmccreery]

ya i live in TN and legal is 35%. ive never had a problem with the cops though and i have to roll down my windows to see to back at night also. tint makes any car look sweet though