Ok plain and simple, I need to tint my windows. I have a regular cab ranger that was originally tinted 5% (cop that pulled me over tested it around 15% so it must have faded over the 7 years since its been done) and that, although I like it, is too dark. Some people I talk to say get 35% because with the regular cab it will look darker and I will have less police attention but after looking at 35% I'm just not sure I want to go that light. I was thinking 20%. Does anyone have any regular cabs with 20% that they could post a few pics of? Any help would be greatly appreciated

Here is what I am working with (windows look tinted due to the pic, they are just stock clear):

 

IMO, 20% is perfect. I went with 35% on my fronts just because the fuzz around here are kinda, well, azzholes, haha. BUT, I did 5% on my back window and over the factory-tinted back/side windows. This gives the 'illusion' that the fronts are darker. Don't forget about the windshield banner, doesn't add any illusions or effects, it just looks good

If you don't care too much about the fuzz, I'd do the 20% up front and a 5% banner and back window. That'd be just about perfect, again, IMO.

Edit: Heres a side view that shows my front tint straight thru, not real dark at all really



Now heres one similar to my sig pic, looks like 20%, little darker maybe




This is what I mean by "illusions". Its all in the angle you look at it. Hope this made some sense and helps ya any.....

 

That does make sense and help. I think I will probably not mess with the back window just because I don't want to hassle with it lol. Legal limit here in Ohio is 50% but thats like, well nothing. I have only been pulled over in the ranger once for tint and that was on a dark rainy day. Most of the time the windows are down half way or so anyway. I think I will probably go with the 20% because everywhere I look people who did 35% wish they had done 20% and most people with darker than 20% say it gets kind of annoying at night so it sounds like 20% is perfect. Thanks for your help.

 

No prob dude. I had a little Mitsu Mighty Max back in high school. Slammed, dark windows, FM exhaust, whole nine yards. I had 2 1/2% on the sides, spray-painted the back window, and had a 12-14in banner on the windshield. Needless to say, dumb as hell, haha. Had to ride with the windows down at night, no matter how cold it was, and had to slide the back window open to back up. But, it was 'cool' as hell back then in school, haha. I never once got pulled over in that thing, never. The day I sold it, I traded it for a mustang. The guy who got it got pulled over on his 20min ride home! Haha. He had put his mustang plates on the truck to get it home, so he got busted for that, the tint, and no seatbelt

I gotta feeling you'll end up doing the back window too before long. With the light coming through, it'll make the sides look more like 35% versus 20%, IMO anyways. Good luck with whatever you do end up doing, tint is one of those mods that is so suttle, but so necessary at the same time.

 

Take a look at my photo gallery, I have 20's all around

 

02steve, thanks alot that is really helpful. To tel you the truth I'm 19 and the problem I am having is with my mom allowing me to tint them too dark. So long as I live under her roof I must follow her rules type of deal. Every summer I do something to the truck and this summer I decided to do some sublte things. Two summers ago I did exhaust, last summer I did a nice expensive audio install, and this summer I want to do the tint and I would really like to do the headlight eyelids (I think thats what they are called). 02steve could you tell me where you go yours or did you do them yourself? If you did it yourself, how did you do it/ what type of materials did you use? 4.7Ram with the whole mom thing I can promise I will not be doing the back window lol. I would love to do 5% on the back and 20% on the front and if it were my choice I would have had them done today but I have to get it approved by her first and so far she has only approved 35%. She really hates how dark the ranger is. Another question, when I went to the store today the guy told me they do 20% but when it is put on the window and it drys it is really more like 17%, is this true? Thanks to both of you

 

I got mine done professionally, for $175. That's 2 different shades, all 5 windows, and the banner, WITH a lifetime warranty against peeling/fading/'purpling'. Not bad at all IMO. I've seen that most who do it themselves just take out the whole glass to do it. Not a task I'd be up for myself really. I did the 2 1/2% on that other truck myself, it wasn't too hard really. But, getting it done professionally was the ticket.

Your truck shouldn't cost much more than $100-125 I'd imagine. You shouldn't have much more than $150 between the tint and 'lids.

 

I got a quote for $80 to do the side windows with a lifetime warranty on all the same things. I just don't know how to do the the headlights. I dont want just tint on it i ant them painted to match the truck and I dont know if its a plastic peice that you can buy or if you have to custom paint it yourself. I am really into the subtle things people do and I think that just looks cool. I also like everything nice and clean, kind of ocd lol, and like when I put my subs I hid every wire and the bass boost is hidin in the ashtray.

 

I have heard of some vinyl pieces that you can buy for the 'lids. A lot of cats on here just tape'em off and paint'em. I didn't quite understand, but did you say you don't want them color-matched to the truck? If not, then VHT Nightshades is your answer. A member JUST had a thread up about tinting his tails and doing the 'lids with the VHT. I'll see if I can't dig it up for ya.

FYI, theres a search button at the top.....I'd use that to look up info on the eyelids, you should get several different techniques to learn how to do it. It's on my future to-do list, sometime or another. Also, if you happen to see a member who has them, drop'em a PM, I'm sure anyone on here will be happy to help ya!

 

Np, here is a thread I posted a while back: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...lled-pics.html

I had to do the eyelids myself because they don't make them for our years (02-05's)

Basically, in short, use 4-5 coats of VHT niteshade so no light can get through the headlight, and then paint over it. Just tape off the headlights where you don't want to paint.

And honestly, with the tints, I think 20% is a good threshold. I have had them on for maybe a little over two years and haven't been pulled over. My buddy has an 07 ram and he has 15% and he has been pulled a couple or a few times. So, I think 20's are just right