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Leon - I don't do my clutches up very tight at all - even when guiding. I set them so that they grip and hold their position without moving, but that's it. The clutches will still transfer rotational force to both axes without them needing to be tight if the scope is properly in balance. I can move the scope against them with hardly any effort at all - but then again I don't run a Gemini system so I won't lose alignment if they are moved after alignment.
I can't answer you question directly because I haven't pulled my clutches apart to look at them - the mount is still brand new - so I'n not sure of the materials involved. I guess the clutches should be Ok if left tight - but tight is a relative term. Does your G11 slip badly or something if you don't really tighten your clutches?
If you haven't already, you can fit your mount with a set of Losmandy encoders and you can plug these into the Gemini - then even if you do push-slew the mount in either axis the encoders will tell the Gemini what's going on - so you'll never lose star alignment or position.
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