Sheesh, sorry to hear man. That's a lot of mess to go through just to realize it didn't solve the issue.
Sounds though like you've got something hot getting grounded. I could see that causing KR issues too so maybe related? Be curious to know what your volts were doing at the same time your KR increases. If it were me I'd be looking over the alt to fuse to battery to starter wires first. Look for anything rubbed through/suspicious. Maybe even have someone start the car in the dark while you look sparks jumping anywhere.
