Wood fixed axle and response is still a bit of a mystery to me, see
My best current guess based on what I’ve experienced in play is that you need some string tension / twist (not a ton, just “some”) for things to work properly on wood fixed axles. But even then, sometimes… it just acts weird.
I’d also add that I think it’s almost universally better when there is a formal response system of some kind (drilled holes, friction stickers, homemade cut starburst) even on wood fixed axles…