I totally agree with this, algorithm is not reliable enough to auto-detect contact in very complex problems without creating convergence issues, so start restricting contact possibilities is always a way to go forward.
Also, the simpler the surface selected for contact the better the stress distribution, so avoiding surfaces made of several pieces is always better. If one believes may be wrong when selecting contact areas then increase the contact possibilities gradually until convergence issues appear. For example this thread: Contact pressure on hyperelastic material - #34 by JuanP74
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