in cold weather plastic is more brittle....this is why I dont run in under 50 deg weather.....by adding aluim parts to your truck your going to make it break in other places (usually more expensive and or harder to fix)....the aluim is also expensive, and when it bends (and it will) your gonna be out that much more money....places for aluim on rc's....hubs, towers, toe blocks (hinge pin retainers or whatever else you want to call em) and chassis braces as well as the chassis ofcourse.