Have you called Duff's since your original contact? Just curious, sounds like you've given up on trying to get a resolution?
Looking at the picture from the rear the support brackets behind the mufflers are suspect to me. They appear to offer little vertical support which would place stress on the exhaust / headers and may have contributed to the rub?
I'd try calling Duff's & see if there is anything that can be done.
No, I haven't called them back since the initial problems during the installation. I just discovered the rub on the bell housing. I was wondering if anyone else is running these headers and was curious of the fit.
Those brackets are what is supplied with the Duff's exhaust kit. I installed them just like they said to do it. I talked to their support guy on the phone and we exchanged a few emails because initially I did not have them installed correctly. Their documentation left a bit to be desired. To hold the bracket I drilled and tapped 5/16" bolt holes in the frame. The bracket is pretty secure to the frame. I guess it can flex a little because it comes with rubber grommets for some flex. I spent a lot on this setup. I was looking for plug and play regarding the exhaust. Something I could install while the body was off. It is so hard regarding selecting aftermarket parts. There is a lot to choose from. And often you have no idea how it is going to work until you make the purchase. It can be frustrating and expensive.
Regarding sag, just FYI when I removed the flange that connects the header to the exhaust pipe the exhaust pipe did not sink down, so I don't think there is much downward pressure on the headers. And crap, in my case the header wasn't going to be sagging since the friggin thing is resting on the bell housing. But I don't think there is undo pressure from the exhaust pipe on the header. The whole system is all Duff's, so it is suppose to work, right?
One last note on the exhaust. The driver's side pipe runs right past the drain plug on the transfer case. I recently drained the gear oil and put in the correct weight oil. To get the plug out I had to use some vise grips on the plug. No way to get a square socket wrench on the plug. Luckily the plug sticks out a lot or I would have been taking apart the exhaust.
I might be sounding picky, but heck I spend good money and I expect quality. And look at my rig. I have spent a lot of time, sweat and blood (and money) on it, like the majority of people on this site.
