Nice to hear that the Rack is OK and you've got a replacement column.
I would suggest - in the strongest terms - that when you fit up your new column, you align the rack to it, this is most likely why it chewed out the column in the first place. It's easy enough to do, on the toe board you'll find 4 nuts, these will be for the 2 U bolts that hold the Rack to the car body, loosen them off but don't undo the all the way. Then fit your column up, the torque setting of the nut here is 8 - 9 ft / lb, then re-tighten the 4 nuts you loosened off on the toe board, when tightening them back up, I'd suggest doing each one 1/2 a turn then move on to the next until you get them all tight. They do need to be fairly firm. The factory quote a figure of 10 - 12 ft / lb for these, however, they are Nylocs (or should be) and while I don't use a Torque wrench on them, I'd say I do them up to around 20 ft / lb. I think you will find the 10 - 12 figure too low and the rack will almost certainly slip.
Edited by Moke Spider, 14 December 2018 - 05:00 PM.
added U bolt Nut Torque figures