Window tinting

[Jeff F.]

Hello everyone, I want to tint the driver and front passenger windows on my 2006 Explorer EB and I dont know how to match the tint that is on the other windows, so I am wondering if there was a certain percentage of tint that was standard for the factory to use on the windows and if not hopefully one of you guys here can help me out!!
Thanks in advance, Jeff
The tint shops in my area are not cooperating, because I want to do the job myself!!

 

[Trac Marks]

Fact is, rear windows have no tint - thats smoked glass back there. Like a beer bottle, its just color. No tint means the rear windows offer little to no UV ray protection, no radiant or infrared heat reflection, and in the event of a wreck - more likely to shatter into a million pieces to end up in your eyes and face. Factory smoked glass offers little to no UVA / UVB ray protection - the ones known to cause skin cancer. The only benefit to smoked factory glass is glare control and privacy. So there is no off-the-shelf film that Ford used that you can use for an exact match.

Closest you can get to match the LOOK of the fronts to the rears is 20-30%. The least most tint places will carry 35%. it'll be close enough. You want BLACK non-reflective/non-metallic film, not charcoal or bronze or any other non-black color. Ceramic is best, I'm not brand-name loyal.

If you are interested in protecting your skin, your passengers skin, allowing the A/C work more efficiently, and prolonging the life of interior plastic, leather and carpet, get ALL the windows tinted front to back, including a clear film on the windshield.

 

[michael loibl]

15 % is what I used on my front doors and I must say it looks perfect. My tint guy whom I have ongoing business with on many vehicles guided me as follows... The rear privacy glass is approximately 20-25% light transmission. However, when you look at the vehicle from the side, The fact that a substantial amount of light will be entering the front seat area through the windshield dictates that you will need a darker tint on the front doors in order to achieve the same appearance. I am absolutely thrilled with how it came out if I remember I will post a picture in the morning

 

[michael loibl]

Pic of my 06 EB with 15% front doors

Stock back privacy glass

 

[michael loibl]

15% on fronts. Stock rear

Try again

 

[Jeff F.]

Hi, thank you for that info, but I am wondering if the color that you used was black tint or brown/bronze?

 

[Jeff F.]

The windows that I am wanting to tint are on the same color vehicle E.B. as yours, so you have an excellent comparison for me!!

 

[Jeff F.]

The windows that I am wanting to tint are on the same color vehicle E.B. as yours, so you have an excellent comparison for me!!

 

[MotorCityFats13]

I wanted to tint my windows but MI has one hell of a stupid law about tint!
yes I always tinted my glass but now I know why cops always messed with me

http://tintlaws.com/index.php

ohio has some pretty loose laws on tint!

"The sticker to identify legal tinting is required between the film & glass on each tinted window." I would totally deal with this to be able to tint 50%

on the other hand jersey is worse than MI

 

[NickSantagataa]

I used 15% and it matches perfectly

 

[michael loibl]

I am almost certain it is black tint. It definately doesn't have any bronze type appearance to my eye. I hate the bronze look as much as I hate "mirror" tint on windows.

This guy did such a great job! I had it done a week after buying the truck new in June of 2006. Perfectly even trimming right about 1/8 inch from the edge of the glass.

New Jersey is notoriously tough on front door tint, but in 9 years I have yet to be stopped for that, or had it even mentioned while stopped for another violation.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

I am almost certain it is black tint. It definately doesn't have any bronze type appearance to my eye. I hate the bronze look as much as I hate "mirror" tint on windows.

This guy did such a great job! I had it done a week after buying the truck new in June of 2006. Perfectly even trimming right about 1/8 inch from the edge of the glass.

New Jersey is notoriously tough on front door tint, but in 9 years I have yet to be stopped for that, or had it even mentioned while stopped for another violation.

ive never gotten the ticket but they sure like to pull me over or just mention it when I am pulled over... MI is top 4 inches of window... who wants to do just the top 4"..... it would look so stupid

 

[BrianDye]

ive never gotten the ticket but they sure like to pull me over or just mention it when I am pulled over... MI is top 4 inches of window... who wants to do just the top 4"..... it would look so stupid

Michigan tint laws make me so mad. The top 4" that I rarely see people do, looks so god awful.

I work in Ohio, and it makes me so jealous seeing 4/5 cars in the parking lot with their fronts tinted. One guy even has a new Charger, and though I think its a pretty bad idea, has the windshield tinted as well as the rest of the windows, and my god it looks mean.

All my front door panels and dash is so faded because of no front tint, im just gonna bite the bullet and get the fronts done. Gonna go dark in back but light in the front. I had a Charger with 5% in back and I think 15% or something on the fronts and never got pulled over, also had a Crown Vic with like 25% all around (Bought that one like that) and never got anything for that either.

Now I just have to figure out how to restore my panels.