Thanks for the photo, Jen.
Is the way it is in the photo exactly how you use it all the time? Because I notice you don't have a counterweight on it to balance the OTA... Without the counterweight, the weight of the tube would be transferred entirely to the RA gear when you point the scope up. Using a counterweight takes this weight off the RA gear.
Given that some mounts have plastic gears in them, if you are using it without a counterweight then that could cause accelerated wear...
Al.