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This may make me an A$$ O but stop what you are doing and get some help locally. The advice you have been given so far is spot on but you don’t seem to understand what the ladder bars are trying do much less the physics involved.
I know we all have to learn some time but this is one you need hands on advice.
By today’s standards it is taboo to cut and splice the cross member (especially to clear an exhaust) the ramification of you efforts so far are going to cost you additional $$$ and potentially harm yourself, your car or others.
I do appreciate your desire to do it yourself and aplaud your initiative. But get some local help and do it right.

I have been watching this post and I have to agree with you,,,while I applaud the op's intentions to do things on hs own I will have to say it's one thing to read a post on a forum than have someone with prior experience give a helping hand in sorting it all out,,,too bad I dont live closer as I would love to help out and get it as right as I know how, if nothing else than to save a lot of aggrivation in the future.

Light travels faster than the speed of sound,,,this is why some people seem bright untill you hear them speak.