yes hp diffs are worth it for sure. gets your driveline up out of harms way. you will land on your leaf springs or links before hitting the driveshaft when you have a hp setup. also if you are running leaf springs, it is nice to have a hp diff to keep your driveshaft angle from being so steep and wanting to pull apart when you flex the suspension. As for bearings going bad, that is an issue with installation, there is no reason for that to happen unless he was running it in the rear axle. hp diffs are no good in the rear!