we had an older Ludwig kit (b/o badge so 70's I guess) with the same exact issues with the tom mounts in my high school... The drums sounded great, but the tom mounts were a serious PITA. I think we had brass shim in there at one point to give it a better grip.
We had a larger (I think it was a 15") second rack tom, and a 20" floor tom with this kit (plus a 16" FT and another rack tom, I guess it was a 13?) The 15 rested on the bass always. The mount did not have it in it to keep that drum up and withstand a teenager pounding on it.:(
That 20" floor tom was SICK...Excited
PS we had dark green vistalite triple toms for marching... My Jr. High school had red-white-blue striped vistalite triples!
By my graduation we got 'modern' Pearl marching drums, with quads in white...