the problem with aluminum is once it bends, it get weak. more bends = weaker until it breaks. I dont think CF is the best choice for that location, but its definitely not aluminum.
the rpm stuff is the best option in my opinion, flexes, but doesn't bend or break.
yeah, we're arguing a bit of a moot point here (especially with the beefed up V.2 SC10 chassis on it's way out!), but you're apparantly assuming that all alu. chassis braces are made equal. Which they are NOT!
That one pictured in the first page of this thread is one that may suffer from the weakness you explain, due to the fact that it appears to be very thin sheet aluminum, and also extend up onto the factory skid plate which is designed to flex, but the alu. is not so much.
On the other hand, I've got one that is water-jet cut out of of some rather thick aluminum that will DEFINITELY NOT bend in the RC application, and if you do manage to bend it, you're going to have much bigger problems than simply that. It also does not extend up beyond the area of the bulkhead, so skid and bumper can remain flexible.
That said, I have also been running the RPM chassis brace and skid, but with a hybrid bumper using part of the SC10 "tube" style bumper for a bit more realism over the cow-pusher brush guard looking RPM Slash bumper.
Here is a few quick shots of it:
I've since removed those light canisters, but I've also been switching back and forth between that creation and my OE bumper with the fjsell brace. I like both, and weights are very similar on a gram scale (added 7g to both)
