Poor judgement ... I still have my chassis brace set up the same way from when I originally did it and it works very well... No flex at all.... I only have tow steering links cut down with du-bro ball ends at each end... simple and cheap to make and works great... The last time I stripped a spur gear was when the engine got loose, not the chassis...
Modder... Is there any reason your steering servo is upside down? Looks like a severe angle for the linkage to work... Just a thought..