Two questions about VPI peripheral ring

Thanks for responses. It seemed like the washer should be removed. Still my peripheral ring moves up and down some with repositioning. Seems like the platter is stable so it must be the record underneath the ring making it do that. A little unnerving, but if the general consensus is it is normal then I am breathing a bit easier.

I don't usually see the periphery ring moving up and down. A record would have to be severely warped to resist the weight of the ring.

The one time I DO see the ring move up and down is when I play some old records that are ever so slightly smaller in diameter. In this case the ring doesn't sit ON the lip of the record at all points of the circumference of the lp. I play these records without the clamp, because a) it probably does more harm than good sonically, and b) i don't want the ring to drop during playback. Some records are in fact small enough to not hold the ring at all. Usually old records.

Check the underside of the ring, too (where it makes contact with the record). Make sure there's not some substance on it that's causing the wobble.

Do you have the correct acrylic platter that is used with the peripheral ring clamp? Or is it the standard one without the cut away edge? I could not tell from your system pics.

I have the acrylic platter with cut away edge.