mcdickson, I have not been on archery talk for quite a while, but am here today and saw your posts......you are right there are several spring tension holes, and I like to have the spring in the hole that gives a pretty stiff feel, we do have a full lifetime warranty on these rests and would be happy to repair/replace or send you parts if needed. I agree it is not fun to lose confidence in any piece of your equipment! I'm sure we can get you fixed up right away. If you want to get ahold of me directly I am happy to walk you through my preferred settings on the rest. You can e-mail me on my "week-end" e-mail @
[email protected]..... or call my cell @ (406) 242-0088. I live in spotty cell service, but I will return your call.
I do prefer to adjust the cord tension so the launcher is slightly "squishing" the silencing nipples. Having the spring in the right tension hole can make a big difference also, when putting the rest back together it can be a little tricky to get the spring in the right hole. Also, as you mentioned, how tight you slide the pivot arm against the body of the rest will affect the freedom of the launcher to move. If you feel any light grinding when you rotate the launcher, we are fine with the use of some dry graphite lube in the spring housing. If you feel any heavier grinding then we may need to fix something.
Sorry for the issues on your rest! We have had very few problems with this rest model, so I'm sure we can get you fixed up and you won't have any further issues.
Thanks for your time,
Dan Evans