Here's my guess as to what happened.
This is from my experience of pulling out my "compression" post in order to replace the rotted plywood backer piece that surrounds the mast. That plywood is what the wood trim pieces around the mast at the headliner screw into, but seems to hold little other purpose - maybe it once held some long-since rusted away headliner staples.
First - that post was wedged in there tight and was not easy to get out. It took me a lot of "tapping" on it hard with a mallet and wood blocked to get it to budge. Trying not to tear the headliner on the top end was an additional concern. I think that could explain the deformation at the post base. They may have tried prying up to get some clearance. Guessing they pulled the post out when the flooring was redone?
When they put it back in, they may have omitted the plywood up top, and/or decided to shim both top and bottom to make it easier to go back in? Your headliner doesn't look severely deflected upwards, so I'm guessing there is still some sort of spacer at the top? Plywood, puck, or both?
I'd say as long as the post is anchored both top and bottom - through bolted to deck and bolted/screwed to mast plate - it shouldn't matter which end it's shimmed on, so long as it's tight.
This is from my experience of pulling out my "compression" post in order to replace the rotted plywood backer piece that surrounds the mast. That plywood is what the wood trim pieces around the mast at the headliner screw into, but seems to hold little other purpose - maybe it once held some long-since rusted away headliner staples.
First - that post was wedged in there tight and was not easy to get out. It took me a lot of "tapping" on it hard with a mallet and wood blocked to get it to budge. Trying not to tear the headliner on the top end was an additional concern. I think that could explain the deformation at the post base. They may have tried prying up to get some clearance. Guessing they pulled the post out when the flooring was redone?
When they put it back in, they may have omitted the plywood up top, and/or decided to shim both top and bottom to make it easier to go back in? Your headliner doesn't look severely deflected upwards, so I'm guessing there is still some sort of spacer at the top? Plywood, puck, or both?
I'd say as long as the post is anchored both top and bottom - through bolted to deck and bolted/screwed to mast plate - it shouldn't matter which end it's shimmed on, so long as it's tight.