In my experience, specifically regarding the gears and the case, it feels more durable. The hardened steel gears have held up perfectly to months of bashing abuse that utterly destroyed the stock plastic gears. The aluminum case is obviously far more resistant to cracking on impacts than the stock plastic. However, durability is relative – I haven\’t grenaded a stock input shaft since installing it, but I wouldn\’t expect the Traxx kit to magically prevent breaks elsewhere in the drivetrain.

Yes, it adds weight. Aluminum is denser than plastic. Is it a huge amount? On my Rustler 4×4 VXL, I feel like the rear sits a fraction lower, and the truck might feel slightly less flickable in the air. But honestly? It\’s subtle. The massive improvement in diff durability massively outweighs (pun slightly intended) any minor handling shift for bashing. For ultra-competitive racing where grams matter, maybe stick with plastic. For bashing? The weight penalty is negligible compared to the reliability gain.

Absolutely not. This is crucial. They make kits for specific differentials. I used the one for the Traxxas Standard Differential (like in the Rustler 4×4, Stampede 4×4, some Slash models). They also make kits for the Heavy Duty diff (found in the Maxx, X-Maxx, some Sledge models) and the Slim diff (like in the UDR). You MUST get the kit specifically designed for the differential your model uses. Putting the wrong kit in will not work and could cause serious damage. Double, triple-check your truck\’s specific diff type before ordering!

Yes, absolutely. The kit includes shims (thin metal spacers), and getting the shimming right is critical for proper gear mesh and long diff life, just like with the stock diff. Don\’t skip this step! Too loose and the gears will strip prematurely; too tight and you\’ll cause binding and overheating. Follow a good shimming guide for your specific Traxxas model – the process is identical whether you\’re using stock or Traxx parts.

It\’s complete for rebuilding the differential itself. The kit includes the aluminum case halves, the steel sun gears, planetary gears, the cross pins, bearings, seals, and shims – everything inside the diff bulkhead. It does NOT include: The bulkhead housing, the input gear (the one that connects to the driveshaft), the output drive cups (axles connect here), or the ring gear (if applicable to your diff type). If any of those parts are broken, you\’ll still need to source them separately. The kit solves the most common diff failure points (gears and plastic case), but not the entire drivetrain assembly.