Ridiculous that we have to do this stuff for normal functionality!
I've got an appointment for next Saturday to get it checked out; I'll let y'all know the results... but ****, if I can save weight with your DIY, might look into that afterward... projects are beginning to mount though.
This is my first priority (for my Seattle-mandated 4WD, ugh):
H3 Hummer Drain Tubes - YouTube