toby,

You're going to break stuff, no matter what. As somebody else said, even the toughest will bend or break.

There are parts that I consistently break, they are the "flanges"...lower arms, body posts, bulkheads, and sometimes the shock shafts, etc. Fortunately I've left those things stock and cheap. I keep extras of each part w/ me at all times.

I evaluated the risk of purchasing a ~$200 chassis (carbon fiber, btw) and figured that w/ my practice of leaving cheap stock breakable parts in the exposed areas they will take (and break) the brunt of the energy. I shouldn't have a problem w/ the carbon servo plate breaking in most "normal" crashes.