HP 560 sounds a little grindy

[JBurton]

Haven't had any quality problems out of it, but she's groaning and grinding on material advances/preheat time, and creaking slowly on regular printing. It sounds like it's coming out of the black bar material breaks across as it enters the printer. If I free spin the bar, it pushes the material forward and backwards visibly, as if it's bent. Looking at the left end, the plastic endcap will separate slightly and then return to flush as it advances. I could have bent this bar trying to drag banner material out after a crash, but if that was the case it was a while back and I haven't noticed until recently.
Any ideas what this noise could be?

 

[balstestrat]

The cap and tube wears out and it gets too loose. Lift it out, you will figure out what's happening.
Put something between them and back together.

 

[JBurton]

The cap and tube wears out and it gets too loose. Lift it out, you will figure out what's happening.
Put something between them and back together.

I guess I'll see if the rod is bent or not when I pull it, but if it somehow is, how critical is that part? I realize it provides some tension for the media, but I'd figure between the pinch rollers and roll motor, tension is maintained fairly consistently.

 

[balstestrat]

It's not bent, just loose cap. Try without, you probably see why it's there. Vinyl doesn't slide great on steel.