RE: How bad are the diff problems on the savage??
I blew the stock diff in my Savage .25 doing donuts on pavement, no problems after switching to the aluminum diff case and "X" diff gears. I also believe shimming diff gears and ring and pinions are key to a long lasting diff. My son took outthe diff on his E-Savage by landing a jump full throttle, the most common way of trashing gears in my experience.