LOL everyone I guess I wont, so maybe later in the future ill have it done on a different truck I get, my expy isnt good looking in the first place

 

I've got 20% on my whole shield with 2 8" 5% strips.one on top one on bottom...then 5% on all the sides and rear with 20% over that...I can see perfect backing up....LEDs help alot ....if I didn't have them I would just roll the windows down.....

I'm a professional tinted as well and I have no clue where ya guys get 4% or 2.5%.....no company sells them...I've had samples from 20 something different companies and never heard of those numbers lol

 

finally somebody gets it. lol im no professional but darkest i've seen a reputable company sell is 5%. lol stacking layers will get you odd numbers though. and two 8 inch strips and 20% windshield? doesnt sound like you see much at night. i have 50 over 50 on my windshield so 25-28 percent and even with a retrofit it's hard to see...

p.s. while you may know your tint, your not that educated on lighting. leds in halogen reflector based lamps suck. nice clean color but output suffers. i could see a lot better when i had halogen bulbs versus my leds even with a light bar with leds in it.

 

I dont know why yall keep going on my 2% Ide just assume its somewhere near that dark with 2 layers of 5 over factory had to be near that dark its pretty much like black paint it isnt just a sheet of 2.5%...It was done with 3m tint which is a reputable enough name for me done by my buddy at platinum auto glass...

 

ok so two layers of 5 over factory (20) equals out to 0.0005% mathematically lol you're right, basically just black paint. and 3M does make very good tint i think..

 

I use sun Tek and sun Gard and very rarely global.....but I have to disagree about the LEDs...I have wayyyy more light output from them rather than a halogen....helps alot more

 

Whatever you do, don't tint yourself

 

monsterking254; use whichever bulb works for you man, i'm just going off personal experience and numerous tests.

jamesmiz; applying tint isn't the hard part as long as you have a little patience. i think i can speak for most professional tinters by saying that your shops set-up(less dust as humanly possible), prep work(how clean you get glass), and steady hand to cut the film is most important. the rest is just putting on a huge sticker. lol

 

You definitely don't want to do it yourself, IMO, unless you've done it before and know what you are doing. There is a reason window tinters get paid to tint windows....they have done it a lot, learned the tricks, and can make it look as close to perfect as you can get it. (The good ones can, at least.)

I also know, from experience, that just as important as the dust free environment, the prep/cleanliness of the window, and the technique of the tinter is the QUALITY of the film!

There are vastly differing qualities of window film. There are films that are made from polyester in India, have no warranty, and will turn purple in a year....there are films that will de-laminate (peel) in a really hot climate after awhile....or films that will crack and bubble.

Use a reputable window tinter that has been around for awhile, at a birck and mortar shop...and pay a little more for a film with warranty. Why spend $150 for a tint job with crap film that will look like crap in a couple of years, when you could spend $200 for something that will last quite a bit longer? Also, ask about the specifics of the warranty...is it warrantied against peeling, adhesive failure, de-lamination? What about excessive color change? (aka "Purpling") Some advertise "Lifetime Warranty" without telling you that it's just for peeling, not for turning purple.

You also can tell a difference in the clarity of some films. Ask your tinter to see samples - Many will have samples on pieces of glass for you to examine. Ask them to see what's on their personal vehicle.

All "window tint" is not created equal. Stay as far away from the crap you can buy at Wal-Mart as you possibly can.

I am a lifetime user of SolarGard Window Films. And yes, I'm biased, because I've sold SolarGard Film to window tint shops for the last 13 years. I have SolarGard NR Supreme 15% on my F150 side windows...it matches the rear well and looks good. It is as clear a film, looking out from the inside, as I have seen....no distortion whatsoever. It also has Lifetime Warranty against peeling, de-lamination, adhesive failure, AND turning purple.

SolarGard, 3M, Lumar, SunTek...all brands with good reputations among tinters in the world.

Good luck!

 

Quick question for you quiz. I've noticed with my suntek tint that at certain angles and light it almost looks rainbow-ish in a way. I notice it most on my windshield which is 50 over 50. is that poor quality tint or normal across the board?

 

I have tinted my own windows for a long time, and have done so to others. I taught myself when I was 16 with the junk from Autozone ( good ole Gila films ) and I stepped up, bought quality supplies and a roll of 20% Llumar and did my friends and others cars, made a killing in cash, ticked off the shop down town cause of my half price of their usual $150 all around quote.

I have always been good so it is possible to train yourself to tint well. That being said the information Quiz posted is absolutely true. Do not buy off the shelf and expect it to look fantastic and be easy. It is a very precise and pre-cautionary task. There are tons of tricks to it too, such as folding the film and cutting one window once to get one set of windows left & right done.

I have been using Northern Tint Co films since I do not want to spend $180 on a roll of a certain percent of Llumar film and be such with 100' of it when I only need 15' tops.

 

I hate to break it to you, but if you're seeing a rainbow tint in your windows....you're probably gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that...



Kidding aside, are you seeing it from the outside looking in, or the inside looking out? A lot of times if you're wearing polarized sunglasses and looking out, you'll get an iridescent effect that looks rainbow-ish. I'm not 100% sure what causes it, to be honest. Anybody here know?

 

I think it's just how they make the tint and especially if it's a metallic tint it seems be worse for some reason. I would hedge a guess it may also have to do with heat shrinking the tint with a heat gun as well just because the heat is changing how everything is aligned in the tint, kind of like a prism bends the light to show the color spectrum. Even on the clear glass they use for windshields, side windows, and rear windows you can see different patterns but I think that has to do with the tempering process.

 

Daniel, do you wear polarized sunglasses? Mine cause a rainbow in the tint when I wear em.

 

I can say that of all the mods Ive done on my truck window tint is the most satisfying. If I ever get another truck thats the first thing that will be done. Mine is 20% on all windows except the front and it is perfect. Not too light not too dark