While not everything the factory does is a bad thing, not everything they do is good either. Who wants to spend the time to put RTV gasket sealer on every rearend the comes down the assembly line? Those washers were quick, easy, and cheap, and no one cared how much of a PITA it would be for the next guy to remove them. They just plain suck, and a little Permatex RTV on the gasket surfaces completely eliminates the need for them.
