Same with the tilt motion, I like a slight stiffness to the operation. Although it's nice to use the D1 for instant results, always shoot film when setting this in the beginning to confirm that you're capturing sharp images with the settings you like. Some folks make setting up the tripod with the Wimberley attached into a big deal. The purpose of leveling is to make panning easier, more productive, etc. Now I've never bothered to level my tripod for panning as I just use the leveling feature of the lens and a grid screen in the camera.
Long lenses have a tripod collar in which they can rotate.
This permits the photographer to easily turn the camera and adjust the horizon while shooting. Using this feature and a grid screen in the camera as a reference makes correcting for any horizon problems quick and simple. I should mention that once I set up the camera I do look through it and view the horizon to see if I am off a whole lot. I do this at the same time as I check out backgrounds and other photographic compositional considerations for the image before the action begins. If I don't do this, then I can't attach the lens until I do, which just slows down my getting out and shooting.