Piggermortis:
I figured using a servo would be ruined by being moved up/down when controlled manually.
That is probably correct.
However stepper motors are very difficult to move if they are powered and the Arduino will lose track of their position if they are depowered. Actually the Arduino will also lose track of the position if they are forcefully moved when powered.
I think DC motors would be more suitable - especially if the purpose is just to provide force-feedback.
A diagram of the machine you want to build would be a big help.
...R