I have 5% on the 2 front windows including bra and I have 20% over factory glass which makes it close to 5%.

 

I wouldn't even bother tinting the front windows anything less than 15%

 

I have 20% all around, and if I could do it again, I'd get 15 in the front, 5 in the back, and 5 on the visor.

 

I went with Solar Gard - 5% on front/rear/back and then with 40% on the entire windshield. I've run the same setup on all of my vehicles so far. I have no problem backing up, but of course the slider helps.

 

Clean classy truck you have, very nice.

The windshields on these trucks let in so much light that 5% barely looks 5% in some instances.

 

Thanks! I really appreciate the comment.

It definitely lets in a lot of light, almost too much. I've been trying to decide between going to 2.5% all around or going to 30% on the windshield. I'm a little torn between the two at the moment. Luckily my good friend tints for a living so I get to play around with tint for pretty cheap.

 

35% on the windshield does pretty well. If not, 3M Crystaline 40% works well for reducing glare and dimming the appearance mildly. I tint myself, saved hundreds doing it myself, but back windows on cars are quite a challenge. Recently did my Cavalier, ended up over heat shrinking and burning it, had to redo it again.

 

I've got the same setup as Swayze, but with 3M and nothing on the windshield. I think it's way too dark and I hate driving at night with my front windows up. I don't like backing up at night either. Probably wouldn't do it again!

I agree that the windshield lets WAY too much light in though. If it wasn't so dark inside already, I'd probably consider throwing 35 or 40% on it.

 

I've had a lot of different setups throughout various cars/trucks throughout the years, so here are my takes on them (note that I do not tint my front windshield in any of these scenarios except for the top strip):

35% All Around - Too light during the day for any real privacy but it still cut down on heat a lot. Still impairs vision at night but only slightly. In the cities you are okay but you will notice night impairment if you live in a rural area, off-road or unlit area. Good if you only want to cut down on heat but don't care about privacy or appearance. This is the most "practical" setup.

20% All Around - Good darkness and privacy during the day. Impairs vision at night a little more but not a problem except rural or off-road. Most recommended IMO.

5% All Around - A little too dark during the day - the problem is not the darkness but the difference in brightness between the windshield (not tinted) and the tinted windows. Because of the difference in darkness it takes a split second for your eyes to adjust which you might not have in an emergency. At nighttime this is even worse because the front untinted windshield is lit up by your headlights and by comparison your back and side windows are hard to see out of. Excellent privacy, though. At night, vision is noticibly impaired and I do not feel safe taking corners at speed because it is hard to tell if there are pedestrians, etc around the corner. Sometimes I drive with the windows down for safety and that kind of defeats the purpose of tinted windows. Not recommended except your back windows.

5% on top of a factory tinted rear window - Excellent privacy and it looks cool but drastic vision impairment at night. I installed ~100w KC lights in the back of my truck just to overpower the tint when backing up at night. Even during the day it was hard to see out. Vision further impaired if you are wearing sunglasses during the day. I definitely recommend against this, even on your rear window IMO. Installing the lights in the rear made it doable, though but I wouldn't go through that hassle again. Probably also doable if you have a backup camera.

 

Just an update: I went with 15% on front windows to match my factory tinted rears and then added 15% on the rear windshield. Also, I didn't tint my front windshield, but had them put on a reflective film that blocks 99% of UV rays without tinting the window. Everything works great, only con so far is that it can be difficult to look for passengers at night. Looks awesome though.

 

Good thread. About to tint the front windows on my new truck . This gives me some good ideas where to start.