Mirage Drive steel rod slippage

[smithers]

Beginning with my third trip out and now for several in a row, after using the mirage drive I find that the round steel rod that runs down the horizontal shaft slips forward, causing the drive to be stuck in place.

Now to remove it after a trip I have to drag the thing up on the sand, flip it on its side, and bang the rod back so it's flush with the plastic and then remove as normal.

Has anyone else had this trouble?
Is my drive already damaged?

Thanks in advance.