Tint recommendations?

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1SloRam

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There's a discernable difference between carbon and ceramic. Even though my truck tint is darker and my interior is lighter than my wife's, it's definitely hotter inside the cab than inside the Armada with ceramic. You can hold your hand up to the glass on hers and feel almost zero heat. It gets pretty scorching in mine at times, but that's what AC is for.
I spent a couple days riding to work in a truck with ceramic tint, didn’t see enough difference to pay almost double. To each their own.
 

Jim BB

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I have 5% all round my truck but since i have gottin older having a hard time seeing out of the front at night so got to get the fronts retinted to 15 or 20%
 

Travelin Ram

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I have used a well respected shop for years, the owner is a straight shooter. They have a display with an infrared heat lamp that shines through a sliding panel where you can sample the effect of several tint types. One minute with that will tell you that ceramic does make a big difference in heat rejection. Heat rejection is not correlated with the darkness of the tint either; that’s just the visible spectrum.

Last vehicle I tinted the front to match factory rear, but even so I found it really impeded visibility driving at night. So this truck I decided to leave alone. If the heat gets to me in the summer I’ll do a good ceramic in the lightest tint available. Block more of the heat and less of the visibility.
 

62Blazer

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On my Ram I had the front side windows matched to the factory rear windows, with the tint shop saying that was around a 20% tint. Also put a 5% strip along the top of the windshield. On my car, that I drive more often, I had 35% done on the sides and back along with the 5% windshield strip.
I think the 20% on my truck causes some visibility issues at night. When trying to make a sharp turn to the left onto a road with no street lights around or navigating around a dark parking lot it's hard to see out the windows. It was also hard to backup at night because you couldn't see very good out the side mirrors (which I corrected by adding additional reverse lights). On the car with 35% I rarely ever think the visibility at night is an issue, where as I regularly think it is with the 20% truck tint. To be honest I think the lighter 35% does just as good of a job with a reduction in glare from the sun as the 20% does, and if I had it to do over again would highly consider only doing 35% on the truck. I don't drive with the windows down very often now because I like the shade of the tint better than having them open. I really don't notice any big difference in heat build-up if either vehicle is parked outside. Both have a similar light gray interior.
In regards to ceramic tint, the main thing is that it does a better job of reducing UV. UV is not visible, and UV is not heat either....however a lot of shops have a display that tries to show that ceramic tint reduces heat. UV is the primary reason you get sun damage and fading of the interior. Though I will say that sun damage is not nearly as big of an issue on cars made within the last 20 years as compared to older ones. My last truck was 16 years old and spent most of it's life parked outside with no obvious sun damage on the interior. My tint shop offered ceramic but definitely didn't try to up sale me on getting it.
If you are not familiar with driving a tinted vehicle at night, my recommendation would be to drive around with a pair of sunglasses at night and see what you think. Somebody will probably jump my case for saying this, but what is the difference between this and driving around with tinted windows? In my opinion, looking through the 35% tint on my windows is about the same as looking out a non-tinted windows with sunglasses on. 20% is a little darker than most sunglasses.
 
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trainthemane7

trainthemane7

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Sure.

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Thanks, looks great, I think this might be what I’m looking for
 
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trainthemane7

trainthemane7

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I got mine done recently, really like how they came out, don’t know why I waited so long to have it doneNice
I got mine done recently, really like how they came out, don’t know why I waited so long to have it done
nice looking truck, what percentages are on the windows, back, and front?
 

ctwalton15

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2009 crew cab, 5% all around and 20% on the front windshield. Definitely dark looking out the driver or passenger door at night but I've still got young eyes...
 

Ratman6161

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I'm not endorsing this company, but I'm linking to it because they have a chart that shows legally allowable tint levels by state. I'm assuming that if you are having a shop install it for you, they would already know the maximums for your state.

 

Fnjoey

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20% is what I run and have no issues with cops in NJ. And I have a banner half down the windshield. That would be your best bet. Any darker and the police might harass you a little.. maybe.
 

SouthernBornRebel

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Pay attention to the hue... that is where the comfort is, blue vs green etc.... the blue is the Grey comfortable to eyes one!... Go to tint shop and they'll all have samples you can carry outside.
 

Bandit1859

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I’m looking for ideas on a classy tint to protect against the intense rays we get a mile high in Colorado.
I was considering doing the fronts to match the backs, but even the back window and back passenger doors don’t seem dark enough. I was considering 20% all around because I don’t want visibility issues at night but would like the privacy. Also, any differences in regular versus carbon versus ceramic?
My area has max35% on side windows 20 every where else
 
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