Had mine on for 2 trips through the Rubicon and a week in Baja, some of it on the Baja 1000 course. The only rattles I got were from not doing the adjustments completely and from the Hi-Lift base-plate rattling. I'm going to fix the Hi-Lift rattle by filling the baseplace with silicone and stuffing the jack back in there per what I've heard from another wheeler. No prob with the finish except for what I scraped off on rocks and had to repaint. I carried 2 Jerry cans of fuel on the Baja trip and the weight didn't seem to bother it (took the driver's side bracket off for now until I need it again) My guess is that you had a bad powder-coat job and it would have been replaced if you would have asked; however I agree that it would be a major hassle getting it off and on again. Easier to just repaint it, which you would eventually have to do anyway. I like the way the Hi-Lift mounts, the good gas can mounts, the strong pivot with its wheel bearing, the provisions for CB antenna,the layout for the hitch and the clevis mounts. Also the provision for locking on the Hi-Lift using a trailer-hitch lock, which you can just see as a silver spot under the spare tire on the passenger-side shot. Since it's so strong, it's a little heavier than others. I installed some air bags in the springs to adjust the rear for varying loads, so no further problems there. Nothing is perfect, however based upon my experiences, I would get exactly the same setup next time.