HOW TO: Tinting tail lights, The right way (PICS)

I dont advise that. Since black spray cans are straight black it will not be transparent and will just completely cover your lights.

 

x2

 

Sub'd for future reference. Nice job! I need to do this soon

 

Yea perfect instructions. I did my spare set of tails and they are nice and dark but still useable. It's definitely best to do them both at the same time or else it's hard to get them to match, but looks good anyway!

 

For the OP, or anybody else, how much does this darken the lights themselves? With 3 coats, for example, do you notice any difference in the brightness of your reverse lights from inside the truck?

 

DO NOT do 3 coats or else they will come out super dark! It depends on how dark you want your lights to be. The nite shade stuff cures about 3 times darker from when it is first sprayed on and wet. I did one lite coat on mine and it still came out a little darker then I would have liked but I still like it.

 

Thanks a lot I probably would have made a huge mistake when it came down to it haha. So with one light coat you haven't had any problems with cops or the lights being too dim to serve a purpose? I'm really just looking for a way to smoke my lights, don't want to have to deal with cops, just want them to blend in a little better with the magnetic gray. And I spend too much time in the woods at night to not have decent reverse lighting.

By the way, your lights look real good!

 

If for some reason they come out darker then you would have liked, you can always re-sand them down and redo them but its just kind of a pain in the butt but its doable. I dont have any issues with law enforcement cause I know all the cops in town but there not illegal to begin with. It does effect the output of the reverse lights a little bit though.

Thanks for the compliment!

 

That's true, I guess there's always that option. And that's good to know, I'm still unclear on the law with tinting lights, guess I'll have to research that a little more, but I'm thinking it may be worth it either way... And the reverse lights is a concern, but I guess I could always find some brighter reverse lights to make up for it...sometimes youve just gotta make sacrifices haha. I think you've talked me into this one without even trying too hard...

 

Well from what the cops told me in town, here in Nevada they just have to give out a certain amount of light to be legal so Florida might be different. Most times I got into Utah, I turn on my parking lights that way they can see the rear LED's and know they are functioning lights. I know Cali has strict laws about everything! Yeah I heard you can get brighter lights for the reverse ones.

 

Or tape over the reverse light area so it stays clear.

 

I gotcha. From what I've found from a little research, I believe the law is similar in FL. Looks like the lights must be visible from at least 1000 ft, which just sounds to me like it's up to the officer, since I doubt they're measuring out 1000 ft.

That's a good point, I'm just not sure if I like that look or not We'll see...

 

Here they are with taped off reverse lights, next time I will go that route.

 

awesome write up. cant wait to black out mine!

 

Yea I did that twice, then realized that if you pour gas on them you can wipe off the nite shadez. saves you about an hour worth of sanding.

 

Gas is a time saver fir sure

 

Thats great cant wait to get started on mine.. Your look awsome

 

Subbed to further make my taco unique!

 

The 05+ tailight lenses don't pop off the housings?

I'm too lazy to unbolt it from my fathers X-Runner..