Factory Smoked Glass...What Fits?

I salvaged some glass out of a 1996 XJ (Build Date 8-95) They are both rear door windows and 1/4 glass and both rear cargo windows. Had trouble with the rear hatch, i'll try again today before it goes to the crusher tommorow.

The glass is factory tinted so I am not passing it up.

The big question.....Will they fit my 1998 xj? Will 1996 xj glass fit a 1998 xj); save for the front doors?

Thanks

Cipey

Honestly..... I'd skip that and just get yours tinted. Not that expensive!! :dunno:

crystalship1 said:

Honestly..... I'd skip that and just get yours tinted. Not that expensive!! :dunno:

Click to expand...

Why would I'd do that? The Glass is Free,"Not that Expensive" (i.e. cheaper than buying tint) I work in a tow yard and its an unclaimed asset from a MVA. Plus I already removed it along with the leather seats, the drivers side is power. I just want to know if they will fit in my '98. My gut feeling says yes, but I have been wrong before. I want to hear from somebody that knows for sure and this is the place to ask.

Thanks

Cipey

well it is a whole lot more work than needed than to just go out and get them tinted but to each his own i guess. while i dont know for sure, i am like u in thinkin they should fit because that area of the body did not change in the update in 1997 but the glass from the rear hatch will definately not fit on the 98 the tailgate was completely redesigned in 1997 in just about everyway possible from where the hinges are, shape of the door, even the construction (pre 97 is fiberglass, 97+ is metal) so the rear glass definately wont work besided the rear glass shouldnt be tinted anyway unless someone had it tinted aftermarket cuz to this day i have never seen a factory tinted rear window on a pre 97 XJ not sure why they didnt

Ben824 said:

well it is a whole lot more work than needed than to just go out and get them tinted but to each his own i guess. while i dont know for sure, i am like u in thinkin they should fit because that area of the body did not change in the update in 1997 but the glass from the rear hatch will definately not fit on the 98 the tailgate was completely redesigned in 1997 in just about everyway possible from where the hinges are, shape of the door, even the construction (pre 97 is fiberglass, 97+ is metal) so the rear glass definately wont work besided the rear glass shouldnt be tinted anyway unless someone had it tinted aftermarket cuz to this day i have never seen a factory tinted rear window on a pre 97 XJ not sure why they didnt

Click to expand...

the glass in the donor xj was/is tinted and its a shame it doesn't fit the newer tailgate. tinting with film to me is ghetto, it cracks, burns and shinks and looks like crap after a month of wheeling and besides, where i live i believe 20% is max tint for film...thats the law or something like that. cops will pull it right off your windows or its a tow and a ticket...its a ticket anyway..defective equiptment.

but my question wasn't factory tint vs. tint film. just want to know if it will fit my 98. timewise it onlytook me less than an hour to properly remove the all the glass and it was my first time doing it, a few screws really.

besides, if you got it for nothing wouldn't you use it?:rof:

Cipey

MA is no less than 35%.

Rear hatch glass is 1984-1996 (fiberglass) or 1997-2001 (steel).

Cargo area side glass will fit any year.

4 door rear doors the glass should fit any year but I am not 100% sure. It is easy enough to pull out to compare.

dizzymac said:

MA is no less than 35%.

Click to expand...

thanks..i knew it was something low...i know the troopers carry a sample and hold it up to see if if its too dark...seems like a waste of man power to me. they say someone could have a howitzer behind tint. who knows! Does NH have a tint rule?

Cipey

Tim_MN said:

Rear hatch glass is 1984-1996 (fiberglass) or 1997-2001 (steel).

Cargo area side glass will fit any year.

4 door rear doors the glass should fit any year but I am not 100% sure. It is easy enough to pull out to compare.

Click to expand...

thanks tim, i knew about the hatch....its the rear doors that concern me...don't want to take em apart and find out i'm screwed.

thanks

Cipey

Ben824 said:

. . . . besides the rear glass shouldn't be tinted anyway unless someone had it tinted aftermarket cuz to this day i have never seen a factory tinted rear window on a pre 97 XJ not sure why they didn't.

Click to expand...

I'm no expert on national window and tint laws, but here in Calif., if you have outside rearview mirrors on both sides of a vehicle you don't even need rear quarter windows or a BACK window. Look at the Chevy HHR Panel, no quarter windows and a tiny rear window.
As for factory tint, our 1989 2 door came with factory "mirror" tint on the rear quarter windows. I found a factory mirrored hatch window at the junk yard and installed it also. I liked the cooler inside temp. and privacy so much I added all three to the '96.

Mike

Give the rear glass a good kick from the inside. I did that at a junkyard once for kicks and the widnow was just hanging by the defroster wires, unhurt.

I feel ya if its free and it doesnt take you long to do it than i would do it to i guess. I have had aftermarket film on my 97 XJ for 3 years now with no cracking, no peeling, no fade, and no bubbles. I had the factory tint which is like 15% I believe and I put 15% over it and it tested out with a tint meter to like 4% (for those that don't know about tint its the lower the percentage the darker the tint) and the front windows tested at 14%. The law here in Georgia is 32% for all windows on passenger vehicles and for the front winows only on Trucks, Vans, and SUVs. Most cops here dont give a s**t but some small town cops will still pull u over just for the money and then occasionally you just get a dick cop who wants to be an a**. The whole tint law is complete bulls**t its simply to generate revenue it protects nothing not cops and not safe driving. So yes it is a complete waste of man power.

I'm in the process of pulling out all the old film-tinted windows and replacing with factory tint. The film is nasty, chipped and peeling. I'd NEVER go the film route for windows.

Nothing wrong with the film if it is applied properly and taken care of properly.

I would've chosen free factory tinted windows w/ a little time vs $150 film(even though I'd still have to film the front windows) if I had that option. I kinda dug the factory mirror tint on the sides and rear and the little pop-open windows on the 2-drs. Too bad none of the four 2-drs(88, 92, 94, and now 96) I had came with them.

PhotographerMike said:

I'm no expert on national window and tint laws, but here in Calif., if you have outside rearview mirrors on both sides of a vehicle you don't even need rear quarter windows or a BACK window. Look at the Chevy HHR Panel, no quarter windows and a tiny rear window.
As for factory tint, our 1989 2 door came with factory "mirror" tint on the rear quarter windows. I found a factory mirrored hatch window at the junk yard and installed it also. I liked the cooler inside temp. and privacy so much I added all three to the '96.

Mike

Click to expand...

i was referring to the pre 97 cherokee XJ in specific not all vehicles sorry i didnt clarify kinda thought it was inferred considering what forum we are using but hey my mistake ill make sure to remember that.

Also for any of you mislead by myths about tint or discouraged by old purpled out tint, today's tint is FAR better than the old purple tint that most come accross on older film tinted vehicles. 3M makes the adhesive for most of today's aftermarket film maufacturers and they have perfected the adhesive to resist bubbling and peeling. Also most of today's well known and quality window tint maufacturers make there tint to resist fading and purpling like the older films have done. Today's films are also far more scratch and chip resistant compared to the older films. BUT a major facotr in a quality aftermarket winow tint film lasting a long time without bubbling or peeling is proper installation. I have worked at a tint shop and know the owner of the shop very well and he has educated me a whole lot on window tinting and the horror stories that many have heard are due to poor intallation and poor quality film. My personal favorite brand is Lumar but there are many other great films out there that are just as good. And window tinting is a fine skill that takes much practice and many times years to perfect I know I tried its not as easy as it looks. Also many places affer pretty good warranties now that anywhere from a couple of years to lifetime against fading, peeling, bubbling, and purpling.

But if u can get the windows for free and it doesnt take u long to do the swap then definately go for it. If it was me I would put the windows on and then throw some film over it to make it even darker. I had 15% put over factory and it tested out at 4% visible light transmission and I absolutlely love it even on the brightest day out u cant see in my back windows at all. I also had 15% put on the front windows which tested out at 14% and then i have a 5% strip at the top of my windshield stretching down 6.5 inches. I will tint every vehicle I own from now on its worth every penny from the privacy it provides to the security I get from it also protecting my interior from damaging UV rays and keeps me a little cooler in the hot southern summers.

Did pre 97 Cherokees even come with factory tinted hatch glass?

My own Jeep and every other pre 97 I've seen with factory tint only has it applied to the rear door and quarter panel glass. Never the hatch!

I paid $60 to have my hatch tinted to match the factory tint of the sides. I left my front door windows untinted.

Nevada City Sparky said:

I'm in the process of pulling out all the old film-tinted windows and replacing with factory tint. The film is nasty, chipped and peeling. I'd NEVER go the film route for windows.

Click to expand...

what year rig do you have? do u think that 96 glass willfit my 98? just the rear doors and cargo area...not the hatch or the front.

Cipey

Blaine B. said:

Did pre 97 Cherokees even come with factory tinted hatch glass?

My own Jeep and every other pre 97 I've seen with factory tint only has it applied to the rear door and quarter panel glass. Never the hatch!

I paid $60 to have my hatch tinted to match the factory tint of the sides. I left my front door windows untinted.

Click to expand...

My '97 Sport did!!! :wave: