b) Do not strike the steering column shaft end with a hammer. Striking shaft will damage the bearing or collapsible shaft.

The steering column is actually a telescoping rod within the black column jacket that runs from the steering wheel to the box. The column is not much more than a half-inch thick, and it's designed to collapse in the event of an accident. The two plastic rivets that keep the telescoping column at its full length will not break easily, but a hammer blow could be enough to render useless your new $565 steering box and column.

In the event that you do break the collapsible shaft, I've heard of a few remedies. One is to remove the steering box and shaft, and then tack weld the column to the correct length. Another suggestion that I've heard was to drill a hole through the shaft where the plastic rivets are, and replace them with nylon screws. (Aftermarket license plate screws are often made of nylon or plastic.)

The best suggestion that I've heard came from Dave Barniger at KD Rotary, and it can be done with the column and steering gear in place: turn the steering wheel so that the wheels are straight ahead and position the wheel so that you have the desired clearance between the wheel and the plastic steering column covers. From the floorboard, measure 7.5" up the column, and then drill a 1/2" hole into the bottom of the steel column jacket. Then, through that hole, drill a quarter or eighth inch hole through the collapsible shaft. Install a quarter or eighth inch ALUMINUM pop rivet into the hole and you're done! The idea behind using an aluminum rivet is to retain the safety factor of the collapsible shaft. I should note that I've never done tried this repair, but it sure sounds like a great tip. Dave says he's done it probably twenty times, and it only takes 15 minutes or so.