Familiarity with a rail consolette will enable the drummer to position the tom in many places relative to the bass drum. It's possible to use the rail over to your left, and position the tom in the center of the bass drum. Slide the upright piece toward the right side of the rail, and turn the flat blade of the spade in a different direction. A longer rod with a spade end also allows you many aditional positioning options. The grip issue can be remedied by one of a few different ways that have been discussed previously in this forum. If the threads you reference are on the bolt and nut to adjust the tilter, take the old nut and bolt to a good hardware store to shop for replacements that will work better.
The simplest fix for you might be to remove the bolt(s) and nut(s) that attach the rail to the bass drum at the far left of you. Swing the free end around to attach it closer to the center of your bass drum. If the empty hole(s) bother you, fill those holes with carriage bolts and the nust inside the bass drum.
