I think they were caught out, Deejay. Calculation would tell them that the ring gear didn't have to transmit much torque, and nylon gears are very quiet as well as not needing lubrication. The problem is, sooner or later someone will find a way to put a much higher load on that gear than anyone expected - either trying to climb a kerb, or during a service operation. If you have a weak gear, the normal approach is to ensure the drivetrain can't transmit enough torque to harm it, and I'm not sure they did that. Nevertheless I'm a bit sympathetic to Scott Bonnar, in this situation. However I do think they should have published a manual telling people how to dismantle that mechanism, and made the manual widely available. The combination of not enough information, and a fairly vulnerable gear, was bound to end badly in a lot of cases.
