wi_taco 2015 TRD OffRoad build "The Gray Ghost"

Been planning to upgrade my flooded lead acid (FLA) battery for a while now. I noticed my Pioneer W4660 headunit (via that Maestro RR functionality) is showing 12.1V resting charge which is no bueno. Starting speed has been noticeably slower lately and I don't feel like taking any chances. It's time to pull the trigger.



In preparation I picked up a cheap bluetooth voltage monitor online. This one is an LNEX brand, model BVM02. Might review this more later, but basically the "guts" of this doohickey are probably the same as every other cheap Chinese variant. I chose this one based on reviews looking less shady and good reports of not being D.O.A.



Connected to stock terminals on the FLA battery. I wanted to run it with the dying battery first so I can confirm the numbers. FLA is an Exide 27FS made in August 2017 so it lasted about 4.5 years. Previous owner or whatever shop installed this battery cranked the hold down bracket so hard it indented into the battery case. Because of this it's leaking from the front under the holder (can't really see here but there's lots of white crust and battery juice in the tray, also not good).



Here are a couple screenshots from my phone app (which comes up branded as XPARKLE, hmm) connected to the bluetooth device. Left side shows resting voltage of 12.29V, right side shows 14.25V right after startup so that confirms my alternator output. It's a pretty basic app but it does the job. I confirmed these numbers with a known good multimeter. This also confirms my Pioneer W4660/Maestro RR reading off the OBD2 port are not entirely accurate - more on that in later posts.



Old battery is out. Need to do some cleaning for new battery. Lots of battery acid leaked out into the white plastic tray. This is fairly recent because it wasn't there when I cleaned the terminal clamps last fall. Glad I caught all this before it left me stranded.



Amazing what a quick cleanup can do. Yes I am aware it's still dirty down there in the middle but I'll clean that more thoroughly later when I upgrade the headlights (which is also coming soon-ish).



Old Exide battery weighs just about 50 lbs on my hanging scale. This is what I expected. Crappy photo but you can see more of the corrosion where the case was compromised on top by the gorilla who cranked down that clamp. Fun fact: this battery outlased the actual Exide company, they don't exist anymore other than products being resold under that brand. New battery install coming in next post when I get a few free minutes.

 

I've had good luck with the walmart ever start brand, they last about 6yrs for me at a good price point.

 

I just bought one for my old Jeep XJ to get it running again, definitely hard to beat for the price.

For the Taco though I'm going to an AGM (already installed, just need time to process photos). Coming soon.

 

New X2Power 27F (SLI27FAGMDP) AGM battery. Weighing in at just about 70 lbs just like the specs. Definitely a noticeable difference in heft. That little plastic handle is unbelievably strong.



During the install I couldn't get the new X2Power to stop sliding on the plastic tray. I cranked the hold down bracket but it still slipped all over the place. Plastic case is a slippery little bastard. I borrowed a piece of anti-slip liner from my old Craftsman toolbox and all was right in the world.



Cleaning up the old terminal connectors using CRC spray. First time using it and it works great. All fresh and clean again. Should have less corrosion now too.



Initial installation completed. I splurged and got some SDHQ terminals and an OGE battery hold down (need to trim those j-hooks later). Added an SDHQ premade ground cable to the factory one because it's so wimpy - figure can't hurt until I get around to doing the "big 3" cables next.



Bluetooth voltage monitor came with a 3M adhesive already on the back. Stuck it right on top of the OGE battery hold down. I went with the OGE offering because it's big, flat, wide, and relatively inexpensive. (Honorable mention to the hold down bracket from TW member Coupe - I wanted to get one but at the time I think he was out of stock on everything due to the pandemic).



My plan was to do the diode voltage booster mod (see this thread for details; see this other thread too, both have LOTS of information). Decided to use the 10A slot from "AIR PMP HTR" but might switch later to another circuit like the dome light. Needs more testing. Made with (2) Bussman HHLP ATM-LP low profile taps because that's what the local store had and I wanted a reputable brand.



Littlefuse 1A diode (part number 02400113XP) installed in the other fuse tap with arrow pointing to the right. Verified the hot leads with my meter, pretty simple solution on the face of it.



Fully installed. You can see everything fits nice & neat. Diode clearance to that taller fuse is close but it works. I used low-profile fuse taps and kept the factory low profile fuses. The ALT-S side with the diode doesn't really matter which one you choose - regular or low profile both work.



Played around a bit with my bluetooth voltage tool and it seems pretty accurate. Screenshot at 14.40v. A nice app feature is that is also has an ambient temperature sensor (though you can't see it later on the history graph, would be nice to have it).



Notice my Pioneer W4660/Maestro RR is only reading 14.0v. I tested this more and I have absolutely no idea how this thing is getting the numbers. 100% cannot trust anything it tells me about voltage. Tire pressures are bang on though.



Confirmed with my meter seconds after using the bluetooth tool. Meter says 14.41v which is close enough for me. This means I can generally trust the bluetooth tool (for now).



One nice thing about the bluetooth tool is the history graph. It works a little bit janky to pinpoint a specific spot on the chart but here you can see voltage is going above 14.9 (actually went up closer to 15 volts). I know that voltage will rise due to cold temperatures but I didn't feel comfortable with it on the initial tests so I removed the diode.



Here's another screenshot of voltage peaks before I installed the diode (I forgot to take screenshot later but it's the same). Screenshot shows 14.23v but it peaked at 14.3v no diode at the same ambient temperatures. So while the diode mod is supposed to give 0.5v boost I am getting higher.



Take all this with a grain of salt - I need to replace my serpentine belt system because its lightly squealing. I want to fix that first before doing more tests so I know all my numbers are the most accurate they can be. I don't really want to buy the HKB adjustable unit for $170 so for now running without it and doing some more thinking.

 

Not sure what prompted me to do it but I ordered a set of @MESO v2 dual color LED map lights last week and they got here quick! Weather has prevented me from doing much wrenching and I'm waiting on a slew of other parts to arrive so this is exciting because it's a quick swap to keep me motivated.



Installation is easy - pop off the clear plastic stock lenses with a screwdriver, pull out these little reflector bowls by pring them off those standoffs, pull stock bulb, and install the MESO lights in their place.



Here's the most faithful reproduction of actual lighting that I could do with my smartphone camera (iPhone 13 Pro - had to manually set exposure, came out pretty dang close). As many other people have said before no photos can do justice to how bright these are in real life. But that's not to say they are bad, quite the opposite. I often need to preserve my vision during night adventures and these should work out great for that purpose.



Here's the best I could do to capture a direct view of the lights, again adjusting exposure on my phone camera. Inner "horseshoe" of LEDs is red, outer is the white lights. Interestingly I thought it would be the other way around but dang those red LEDs are bright!



Here's how it looks with the white lights. I'd call them a warm white temperature but it's much less yellow than anything else, almost a neutral white which is good. I hate the cooler/blue white for this application so glad they aren't on that part of the scale. Again adjusted exposure on camera so this is pretty close to what you can expect. Notice I also have the dome light off - these suckers are bright! Will be getting the MESO dome light once back in stock to match them.

 

Today was unseasonably warm in the 70s so it's time to jump on a few quick projects. First up was installing this Extang MaxSeal tailgate seal I picked up over a year ago. Main purpose is keeping out dust from the SW US deserts - that stuff gets everywhere.



There is a photo of a Tacoma install on the included literature. I installed mine in a similar fashion with some tweaks for my camper shell and drawers.



Photos aren't very good today (sun is heckin' bright). You get the idea though. It's a bulb-type seal with adhesive backing which is why I needed a day with warmer temperatures. Installing it on a straight line is trickier than it would seem but I don't really care. More about functionality than anything else.



Here's a small view from inside with the tailgate closed. It works, tailgate seems to seal very well, maybe even too tightly. Small gaps from the camper shell window but I can live with it. No more dust clouds all over my sleeping platform.

 

Another project I've been waiting all winter to finish is adding some protection to my door sills. Driver door was already worn through to bare metal when I bought the truck, other doors are super clean. There is some surface rust formed and it's like the only rust on the truck. NO BUENO, IT HAS TO GO!!



Cleaned gently with combination of Simple Green, a red 3M scrub pad (carefully only on the rust), and finished with some denatured alcohol. All rust is gone but need to treat that bare metal before covering it up so I don't get surprised with a big rust hole down the road.



Still have a good amount of Toyota 1D6 touch-up lacquer paint from when I installed the Spiker hood struts. Since it's warm and relatively dry today the paint went on smooth and flashed over super quick. Not the prettiest application but it's just getting covered up anyways.



Final step was installing @TUFSKINZ door sill protectors. I oringally wanted to go with the ones from TW member @G Tek Fab (see this thread) but appears they have gone M.I.A. or no longer selling them. Tufskinz have many good reviews and now I see why. These things seem very high quality and durable. Only time will tell how they hold up but initial impression very good.



Installed the Tufskinz on all four doors. Super easy to apply, takes no time at all. Again very impressed on the initial install, and even if they don't last I'd reckon some protection is better than no protection.

 

Met up with some local TW members for the Mall Crawl and Java gathering at Streets of Woodfield in Schaumburg, IL today. Rain wasn't too bad (at least until we were already inside Chipotle eating burritos). Nice meeting everyone and now I have too many ideas for upgrades to pummel my bank account into oblivion.







Let's be real we all wanted to buy one of these GSI Pro two burner stoves after seeing this guy's sick trailer rig. Such a slim little stove, so much more compact than old Colemans. Must...resist...online...shopping...

 

TRD shift knob came apart. Used the tiniest amount of Crazy Glue to keep that plastic cap on and it crazed all over the place, even spreading where I didn't put any glue. Tried cleaning/removing the glue with several different solvents but no luck. It's toast, what a giant waste of money. Time to go find something else.

Update 5/24/22: After almost buying several other shift knobs I tried cleaning again. Most of the "crazing" has come off and I can live with it for now. Need money for other projects and while annoying this is small potatoes on my list.

 

Rough Country seat covers installed today. I followed instructions and washed them first using dish soap & water. Took 3-4 days to dry out since temperatures and rain have been back and forth lately. Started with the rear seats which were pretty easy. No instructions for how to affix the clips/straps underneath but it ain't rocket science.



Front seats are slightly more difficult only because of the straps running underneath. I tucked them the best I could under the side plastics for a clean look. Didn't take the seats out so not all of the elastic straps are connected but it's fine for now. Fitment is okay - better than cheap junk at local parts store, not as good as premium offerings from companies like Clazzio or Wet Okole but for the price hard to beat. One less thing that is the ugly light grey (and instead now I have 10 different shades of black/dark grey).



Interior a little more stealth now with the red MESO map lights but the neoprene still gives a little "shine" versus the stock cloth. Definitely an improvement.



Weight gain statistics for gram weenies: Shipping box says 32lbs. I didn't weigh them without the box but estimate 25-30lbs additional weight.

 

Suspension order arrived! Perfect timing because I have no time to actually install everything for a few weeks (turkey hunting next week and I need to drive a few hundred miles). Will come soon but not soon enough. Leaf springs = Deaver U402 Stage 2.



Front = Fox 2.5 Performance Elite new series with full aluminum bodies ("extended" travel variant). Also note the new aluminum solid reservoir clamps. Sexy. I turned the adjuster knobs to make sure they rotate and all seems good. A few small scratches from the assembly process that I need to touch up but mostly looking good.



Gratuitous shot with packaging removed. These things have just enough bling from the reservoirs to be noticeable, otherwise they will mach the grayscale theme of my truck perfectly.



Rear = Fox 2.5 Performance Elite series that match the fronts. I might be nearly the first person with these so needless to say I feel like a big baller right now (at least until my credit card statement comes through).



Another gratuitous shot with packaging removed. These make my existing Bilstein 5160's look like toys. Excited to see how they ride with the new Deaver leafs and Archive hammer hangers (no crossbar though, keeping spare in stock location).

 

RCI skid trilogy also delivered but I possibly got the wrong trans skid and missing catalytic guards. Emailed RCI to help get it sorted out, probably just got mixed up during shipping. Quality seems top notch though, really want to install them right now but I need to get exhaust re-route done first.

Update 4/29: Turns out the "new" trans skid plate with pre-drilled holes aren't available yet. No way to know that from website. Contacted RCI and working it out. I'm still waiting for the catalytic guards to go through production anyways so it's going to be a while until trans & t-case skids get installed.

Update #2 5/4: Returned the trans skid plate without pre-drilled holes and RCI will send me the new one once they go through production (mentioned next run of steel parts is +3 weeks out). No biggie I can wait, still need to do my exhaust re-route.

Update #3 5/8: Cat guards arrived (not pictured here yet). Looking to set appointment with muffler shop for next week to do the exhaust re-route. Going to be a close call to get this ready for upcoming WI Pipeline meet-up in about a month but not sweating it.

Update #4 5/22: New trans skid plate arrived with the pre-drilled holes and now I have all the pieces.

Update #5 5/23: Exhaust re-route completed. Will be installing all the skids very soon.

 

Realized I have way too many mods & upgrades to do and not enough time to get it all done. Also I need a 2nd vehicle so I can do things like get the Taco aligned and an exhaust re-route done at local shops and also still get to work. So whats the solution? Well naturally when you have no time to work on one vehicle you find a 2nd vehicle to work on!

So yeah I created a build thread for my 2001 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) that has been sitting dead in my garage since 2017. It's time to get it running again so I have a beater to drive while I do fun things to the Taco. Will take some work, might be a stupid decision but only time will tell.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/wi_tacos-2001-jeep-cherokee-xj-lack-of-build-thread.766053/

 

05/16/22: Picked up a

$25 Radioddity GM-30 GMRS Radio Handheld 5W Long Range Two Way Radio for Adults, GMRS Repeater Capable, with NOAA Scanning & Receiving, Display SYNC, for Off Road Overlanding Family Use, 1 Pack

Radioddity GM-30 radio for some upcoming trips. Just haven't had time to properly figure out a hard-mounted mobile radio so this has to do for now. Will see how it works, should be fine. Planning to mount on some type of RAM-ball on the dash but needs more tinkering.

Update 6/29/22: Radio worked well on recent trip with the Wisconsin crew. Originally the spare batteries were sent without belt clips. Kind of a pain considering I want to mount on a dash bracket in the future that requires one. Emailed Radioddity and they sent me a couple free of charge and said sometime soon they will start selling them with clips.

 

05/21/22: Suspension upgrade day(s) commences! Garage is as tidy as it has been in a long time but just for reference this is what I'm working with. It's like the surface of the moon. I'm thankful I have a roof over my head and secure storage but that's about where my love for the garage ends. 80 year old garage needs a rebuild but the Tacoma also needs funds so...



Rear Suspension

Part numbers:
FOX-883-26-113, Fox 2.5 Performance Elite Series, 2-3″ Lift, DSC
DEV-U402-2, Deaver Expedition Series 2″ Lift Springs U402
UBF-001, Archive Garage Stealth HD Toyota U-bolt flip kit with Option 3 bumps from @ARCHIVE
Previously installed 24" extended rear brake lines are needed

Weights:
Old Bilstein 5160 shocks = ~8 lbs each
Old leaf springs = ~54 lbs each
Old U bolts and plates = ~10 lbs each
New Fox 2.5 shocks = ??? heavier but still not all that heavy
New Deaver leaf springs = ~75 lbs each
New Archive U bolt flip kit = ??? considerably heavier
(EDIT: I forgot to include the weights of each component to give a net weight gain/loss. I'll come back later and add this for the data wonks.)

OK on to the show. It's time to yank the existing setup: Bilstein 5160 shocks which I have to say worked pretty great albeit maybe a little soft, saggy OEM leaf springs (from 2015 so they are the 3+1 "TSB" improved version), and OEM U-bolts. Looks like crap because most of it is covered in Woolwax. Time to go!



One last peek at the axle paint from underneath the old U bolt plates. Paint is perfectly preserved. For comparison, and for anyone doubting how well Woolwax does, I rubbed off a spot of the coating (right) and it is also perfect with no rust.



Aaaaaand...ABRA CADABRA! Through the magic of time travel here is the finished install. Deaver U402 Stage 2 leaf springs and still using stock shackles (for now), Archive U bolt flip kit with Archive bump stops, and Fox's new Performance Elite 2.5 DSC shocks. I ran into some problems which I will explain below and it took me over a day to get this done. Normally it would have only been a couple hours. Next time I could do it in a flash. I need to paint those ugly rusted brake drums, they are an eye-sore.

Regarding grease for the polyurethane leaf bushings: I have done more research on this than I care to admit. Most people say Prothane's special grease is the best. I called Prothane and they denied to give me a data sheet with grease properties (likely their claim is this would give away the "secret recipe"). Many others have used Super Lube with PTFE which is much more common. I couldn't get my hands on the Prothane fast enough so I went with Super Lube for now. Time will tell how that works but ater initial install there are zero squeaks.



One of the problems I ran into was the stock lower shock mounts needed to be "persuaded" for the 2.5 shocks to fit. I've highlighted the part that needed to be adjusted with a hammer.



Second problem was the lower bushing on the driver side shock. Once again I used the hammer and beat the shock mount wide apart but for some reason the bushing kept getting a tiny flap of rubber rolling up. Super Lube silicone grease for lube was no help either, it just would not go. I couldn't figure out why other than seeing what seemed to be a little bit of extra material from the manufacture process. I shaved off a paper-thin slice off the back face of the bushing and it fit. Took me hours to do this becaue the last thing I wanted to do was take a razor blade to my new beautiful shocks.



Third problem and this one still needs to be addressed. While mounting the shocks at full droop the rod end contacts the axle shock mount. I need to call Fox about this, it's supposed to fit the OE mount points but this doesn't seem right. I think I recall other shock models having a smaller rod end option, need to look into it.



Fourth area of concern is mounting the driver side reservoir. Instrucions detail how & where to drill two 7/32" holes in the frame (which in itself isn't my favorite thing to do). Passenger side is no problem. Driver side you can't see the back part of the chassis and you can clearly see some hoses/lines through an access hole. I had to contort my arm up in between the fuel tank and still not 100% sure I wasn't going to hit something. It came out OK but you have to exercise some extreme caution on this step. Not what I'd call a "fun time".



After getting over my fears the rear driver res is mounted and looking good. Not perfectly parallel to the chassis bottom but it does line up to the top better visually. My calibrated eyeballs still got it. Also the hydraulic line doesn't allow for much movement here so it fits where it sits.



Passenger side reservoir has much more room to access from the front and back. It's also a straight part of the chassis making it much easier to perfectly align.



I was able to use the existing parking brake cable mounts on the Deaver U402 leaf pack with some small modifications. Needed to drill out the OEM bracket hole one size larger with a step-bit. Large pair of channel-lock pliers made short work of bending the rear most cable mount. This was at full droop and I flexed it to make sure there is no interference. Done.



Gratuitous photo of the rear passenger side done. This is about as clean as it will ever be again.



Edit: Here's what it looks like after reinstalling the wheel/tire. Damn it feels good to be a gangsta.

 

Front Suspension

Part numbers:
FOX-883-06-178, Fox 2.5 Performance Elite Series Coilovers, 0-3″ Lift, DSC
90105-A0095, Toyota Upper Control Arm Bolt (only needed because I'm cutting)
CMS861197, Mevotech (re-boxed SPC) Left upper control arm from @RockAuto
CMS861196, Mevotech (re-boxed SPC) Right upper control arm from @RockAuto
Previously installed +1" extended brake lines not required but doesn't hurt
Diablo 9 in. 8 TPI Steel Demon Carbide Reciprocating Saw Blade for Thick Metal Cutting ($15 at Home Depot)

Weights:
Old Bilstein 6112 coilover assembly = ~22 lbs each
Old OEM upper control arm = ???
New Fox 2.5 coilover assembly = ~22 lbs each (wow surprising)
New Fox 2.5 reservoir mount = Forgot to weigh, est. a couple pounds / negligible
New SPC upper control arm = ???
(EDIT: I forgot to include the weights of each component to give a net weight gain/loss. I'll come back later and add this for the data wonks.)

Moving on to the front. I've had most of the apart before so it should have been easier but I'll talk more about that later. Started by removing the old Bilstein 6112 assembly, supporting the knuckle with a strap, and then busting out the Sawzall with a 9" Diablo carbide thick metal blade. Some people bend the sheet metal, some cut the bolt out. I chose the cut method because a) Toyota themselves said it's OK to flip that top bolt (or so I've read), and b) I've seen what it looks like when the sheet metal starts tearing itself apart and I'm not doing anything to encourage that to begin. Also the way my truck rolled off the assembly line it's extremely far off so there's no other realistic option rather than cutting.

Regarding the decision to cut the bolt: Read this thread, also read this thread. Understand the risks/concerns and make your own decision.



Here's a look at the passenger side. So much more room here to reinstall the flipped bolt, driver side is a little more work/persuasion. Notice where the bolt lines up on the inner fender at the top right of the picture - I would have to bend the entire inner fender past the part where it goes horizontal. No chance whatsoever, cutting is the only option.



I didn't get many photos of installation because I was busy working (and also ran into more issues) but here is what the finished install looks like. SPC UCAs and Fox 2.5 Performance Elite with DSC remote reservoirs.



Somewhere on TacomaWorld I saw people using this stuff called Dykem Cross Check to mark bolts after torquing. Since I flipped the UCA bolts backwards I want to make sure they don't move. Bolts are lubed inside the shock tower with lots of anti-seize. blue Loctite on the nut (should help with any water ingress), and Crosscheck on the nut. I also put it on the lower and upper shock mount bolts because all this stuff is new. Overkill? Maybe. Cheap piece of mind? Definitely.



One mistake I made was not adjusting the front shock preload before installing. I half did this on purpose thinking they will settle a small bit. I did take a measurement on the bench and 1.25" of threads are showing so I think that means an expected 2.5" of preload/lift? I'll have more photos later showing how it sits but right off the bat it seems too high. I'm leaving it for now because I need to fix another problem with my LCAs soon and get another alignment so I'll adjust it then. (EDIT: Measuring the exposed threads is the wrong method. This page explains better how to adjust the preload/lift height.)



Not pictured here: me struggling mightily to mount the driver side remote reservoir due to partially stripped sway bar mount bolts. I was fixing this until 4AM the morning of the alignment. On the bright side I am still able to fit inside my garage underneath the very, very low overhead door with about 1" to spare (except the shark fin antenna which clears with only a hairs width).



Here's what it looks like after getting home from the alignment with wheel/tire reinstalled.



Some new problems that need to get fixed ASAP...during my installations I found the passenger side front LCA eccentric was frozen in the bushing. Because of that I couldn't adjust the alignment like I wanted to. Now with the UCA caster changes I'm getting bad rub on the passenger cab mount at full lock. Backing out of my driveway is death. I have new LCAs and eccentrics on order so hopefully this will get fixed in a week or two once parts arrive. Some other new vibes and quirks but I'm holding off on judgement until I fix the basics (also I am behind on tire rotations & re-balancing so part of that is on me).

 

Alignment done after the suspension upgrades. I set the SPC ball joints to position "C" on each side, however due to my one frozen LCA eccentric I was screwed before we began. Needed the truck back to drive to work so this will have to do for now. It's all in spec just not as much caster as I wanted due to the LCA issue which is now causing the cab mount rub in reverse. Will get fixed as soon as new LCAs come in the mail.

 

https://www.innovativebalancing.com/gallery1.php

I've been looking at dyna beads for wheel balancing. Read lots of good things, just be sure to use enough

 

I've seen those but my tires luckily have balanced quite well. I just need a re-balance because I'm OCD about some things. Most people would probably think mine are perfectly fine. Just more tinkering and trying to get it closer to perfect.

 

05/23/22: Did an exhaust re-route at the same shop appointment for the alignment. Short reaction: I am not happy. This was done at Paul's Bender Center in Kenosha, WI. This is known to be a good exhaust shop - not just an el-cheapo muffler shop. These guys are well-regarded.

I made a thread asking TW for feedback and have researched different routes quite a lot. I gave them a color printout of photos from this thread and was told it can't be done and would rattle. I gave them a second option like this thread and was told they would cut off the flange and make it a full one-piece meaning I lose the ability to keep the back half separate (i.e. it would all be one welded piece). I instructed them if option 1 and 2 can't be done then they should skip doing it and I will find somewhere else. I picked up the truck and this is what I got... Bottom view (not very good since I just crawled underneath on the ground). Here you can see how the pipe runs directly under the t-case actuator. That is a problem.



Side view of the re-route. Gives an idea of how far back it goes. They didn't go far enough past the T-case actuator. I told them go back further but apparently I know nothing...



Bad angle from the rear looking forward. You get the idea how it runs up & forward of the driveshaft U joint which is good, however it also dips back down low and becomes a headache for my skid plate clearance. It was supposed to fix that clearance issue, not make it the same or worse.



To top it all off it seems there is a leak from the welds that opened up today. Not huge, seems like just a pinhole. Now I get some more noise and a teeny tiny rattle/whistle at certain RPM. Time to find another shop. Blah.

Edit 06/01/22: Was crawling around under the rear end for other projects and took another photo from that angle to hopefully better show how the re-route was done. Notice again how it dips far down on the right side, honestly I'm not yet sure if that will clear the skids. Also more importantly you can better see how close this comes to the 4x4 actuator on the t-case. I can fit my hand in between there and not much more. Not happy, this is getting re-done. The work otherwise is clean so I'm baffled how they screwed it up this badly.