Alignment and Storage
I decided to go ahead and get the X aligned today as I am planning on staying with the stock tires for a while and do not want to mess them up. Greg got it incredibly close when he did the suspension install just with his knowledge of the rig and accurate setup of the UCA's. He did a quick tape measure check when he finished and said 'perfect'... he wasn't wrong! It drove great and tracked perfectly straight.
For you local folks (Patrick) who may need an alignment, I found a screaming deal at the place that both local shops use. Santa Cruz Auto Repair and Tire has a $10 off coupon on their website and on top of that only charges $89.95 for alignments on lifted vehicles. My local tire shop, Skips in Scotts Valley and Lloyd's tire in Santa Cruz wanted $140 and $145! With the coupon, I paid $79.95.
I confirmed that the alignment would not be affected by the rear spring shim install and decided to wait to do that because the vibration is getting less and less noticeable as I put more miles on the springs. Since I am staying on the stock tires for now, I also decided to skip the LCA cam bolt install. Before I get 285's installed, I will have the cam bolts installed per Brutal's instructions to move the wheels forward and get the rig re aligned. This saved me over $200.
I made a trip to Sears to pick up some 'Truck Tool Boxes' that I had seen in a thread on The New X. I am amazed at how much each of these hold and was able to fit all the tools and misc. stuff from a lg toolbox into 2 of these small boxes. The kicker is, they fit under the rear seats! At $8.99 ea, these are an excellent way to maximize space in the X.
They are also having a sale on tools right now and I picked up a 108 pc. Mechanics Tool Kit for under $50! I really like having tools in the hard case boxes for organization and ease of storage. I left Sears and went to Orchard Supply and picked up 2, small 8 gal 'Action Packers' for my recovery and camping gear. These fit perfectly between the utilitrac rails in the back of the X with the new tool set placed in between them. While I was there, I couldn't resist a great deal on a 19.2V 3/8" Drive Lithium Ion Drill/Driver kit for $60 (normally $89.95). I had just seen the exact same kit at Sears for $70 on sale. Now I just need to find another battery and I'll be set...
The X also has a storage area under the rear floor where I was able to put my high lift base, the ARB tire repair kit, a set of jumper cables, my lg lug wrench and the container of spare fasteners that are part of my tool kit.
Here are some better pictures of the sliders and how they fit as well as the small tool boxes and their hiding place.