Congrats on your DB-01 build. I've been racing one at a local club track for over a year now. It's a great car and can be super durable with the right parts..
The first recommendation I can make is not to lock your rear diff.. Locking a diff on a 4WD car is very bad for traction control.. All of the problems people have had with melting diffs has always been linked to an incorrect diff build (wrong grease, built it backwards, etc) or they ran their diff way too loose..
Me and several other members have been racing their DB-01's competitively for some time now, and we have not had any diff problems - even when we run 6.5T or 5.5T brushless..
The TRF501X diff parts you have been hearing about are the diff joints themselves.. The TRF501X aluminum diff joints are much more reliable and way easier to work with than the stock plastic/aluminum hybrid joints that come in the DB-01 kit.. I would imagine the 3Racing joints would work just fine since 3Racing uses billet aluminum for their parts.. I have only used the Tamiya diff joints so far, so I cannot confirm the quality of the 3Racing joints.. I bet someone else probably could though..
The diff joints will require the diff plates, although the kit ones should be just fine.. I would highly recommend ceramic diff balls for the diff assembly.. This eliminates a little heat and you won't have to worry about the balls becoming deformed under stress..
The TRF501X body will not fit the DB-01 chassis. Unfortunately we can only use the Durga or Baldre bodies for a proper fit.. Both of these bodies have enough space for your electrics etc.. Proper gearing will solve a lot of the heat problems you might have while running brushless.. It's also good to invest in the Hop-Up Tamiya motor mount, the Tamiya Heat Sink plate and the DB-01R chassis or the Carbon Reinforced chassis.. Both the DB-01R and Carbon Reinforced chassis can accommodate the Heat Sink plate which will further help with motor cooling.. The Hop-Up Tamiya motor mount is lighter and cools much better than the kit motor mount.. It is expensive, but excellent.
Hope this helps.. If you need more information on gearing etc, please let me know.
Dan
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