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Something I haven't seen anyone else do: I had clear ceramic solar rejecting tint applied to the panoramic sunroof. I didn't want it any darker as I want to be able to see through it at night, and if I want to block light I can always close the power shade. The ~20% tint to the front side windows was also ceramic. I did nothing to the back or rear windows, yet the truck s stays significantly cooler in the summer sun.
I did the same thing with my Panoramic Roof as well. I have all ceramic tint: 35% front and 78% back and roof. The 78% is not noticeable for tint color/darkening but having all windows tinted with ceramic does lower the heat in the truck significantly when it is 95 degrees outside.
I didn't realize (until reading a different thread) that the backs windows are basically just smoked glass. They don't provide any UV protection (heat reduction). I currently just have the front windows done with 30% and it doesn't match the backs. I am going try again. I will do the backs and fronts to try to get closer to a match as well as doing UV across all of it and I want to do the front windshield with lightest possible.
In Texas 25% is legal on front sides, only top 5" or so on windshield and no restrictions for the back.
Make sure you read up on your state laws to see how dark you can legally go. The OP is in Arkansas, so he can do 25% on the side windows and 10% on the rear. I'm in Texas and can do 25% on the sides and any % in the rear. I believe the factory "privacy glass" is around 35%, so I laid 35% on top of that and another 35% in the front. So now I'm sitting at 35% in the front and roughly 15% in the rear. Here's where I found the tint laws...
Do you tint just the front, or light tint over the rear tinted and match the front?
I recently traded my 2013 SCrew FX4 Appearance Package for a 2016 XLT FX4 Sport.
When I tinted the previous truck I only did the front windows, the 16 seems to have lighter rear tinting.
I tinted the front windows to match the back (20%) but will go back and tint over the back as I have heard their is no heat rejection on the back (side) windows. I also did 40% on entire windshield and 15% on back sliding window.
Note that the rear passenger windows and rear cab glass are not tinted - they are 'darkened', but provide no UV protection. Most tint shops offer a package to tint all 5 windows...
I went with 5% tint on front doors & 15% tint overtop of the factory 20%tinted glass which is about 2%. I would do the windshield 50% but I have been pulled over a few times just for my windshield being tinted on past vehicles.
I didn't realize (until reading a different thread) that the backs windows are basically just smoked glass. They don't provide any UV protection (heat reduction). I currently just have the front windows done with 30% and it doesn't match the backs. I am going try again. I will do the backs and fronts to try to get closer to a match as well as doing UV across all of it and I want to do the front windshield with lightest possible.
In Texas 25% is legal on front sides, only top 5" or so on windshield and no restrictions for the back.
Many people don't realize this. The back windows are what is called privacy glass and is tint made into the glass itself when produced. It offers no heat or UV protection whatsoever. In northern climates, that might not matter much to some people but down here in Texas, it's a big factor. I've had all my cars tinted since I first started driving over 20 years ago. On my F150, I have 35% carbon done all the way around, except for the windshield which is illegal in Texas. It has 92% heat and UV rejection and you can really feel the difference, especially with black leather interior. It does cost about $200-$300 more than just going to the local tint shack and getting Autozone grade tint applied but well worth it.
01-09-2017, 01:01 AM
