i would like to tint my windows. but want to do it my self (im pretty cheep when quality isnt that importand so dont say take it in haha)and im also not the best at surfn the web. i have a 1998 f150 xlt cab n a half, and want to tint the frount side windows to match the back ones. what % tint would you reccomend. and if anyone has pictures of them matching the rear tint please share! thanks!

 

I tinted my front side windows on my 02 f150 with 30% and it matched the factory rear. Then when I wanted to do my new 99 f250 I took it in and they did the sides with 30% and it looks way better then when I did it my self! Lol it costed me 35$ for me to do it my self and 90$ for them to do it and they gave me a life time warranty!!

The hard part of doing it yourself is getting the windows back into the door without scratching your tint.

 

i did 30% on my 97 and it looks good... just did it today so i dont have any pics yet... but i just ran up to my local shop and picked up the tint for 20 bucks... takes a little time if your meticulous like i am but you can make it look professional for more than half the price

 

thanks, i think ill be able to take the time to make it pertect. i can spend hours detaling my truck haha, post some pictures when you get them, and 30% isnt illigal in most places is it?

 

Post pics when your done! Good luck!

 

Unless things have changed since I looked into it (mid 90's) the federal law is 30% blockage or 70% transmittance. To let you know what that means the side windows are generally 20-30% blockage, with 25% most common.

The typical darker tint is a 70% as they are saying so you would then be blocking an additional 70% of the factory 30% blockage or 70% transmitance. So if the police pull you over and test the transmittance on the vehicle you will have somewhere around 70 * 0.3 = 21% transmittance.

The next step would be a 50% which doesn't look at dark but is still very nice. I had this for years and really liked it.

The biggest trick to installing yourself is a slippery surface aka alot of soapy water that and good tint. The cheap tint gets crinkled easy and you can't get them out. I would recommend the 3M tint. Keep in mind this is information from the mid 90's so tint may have changed alot since then.