46 Columbia into 41?

[drolston]

There is a complete rebuilt Columbia two speed rear end on eBay for $5,500. It is listed to fit '46 to '48. Will it or can it be easily modified to fit in my early '41 coupe? Is $5,500 crazy?

[Flathead]

I may be wrong but I think the 41 rear end is slightly narrower than a 46 thru 48.

[41LINC]

YES The housing is 7/8" shorter on a '41 ; the spring perch is also different. Same guts though.

[jimTN]

If you are running stock tires (16s) it will work. I have actually run the late version in a 40 with 750 15s which did rub some on a hard corner. Torque tube is same length so it will work. You should not have a problem with the spring, as I remember the difference is that the later housings had a swaybar mount. If you do not get a spring with the rear end, since it is straight, you should be able to find one that will work by length and number of leaves. The rest of what you will need to make it work can be expensive, the valve, speedometer gear changer, clutch link hardware and so on.

[Displayman]

$5500 sound a little high to me.
More like $2200- $2600.

Just my 2 cents.
Bob-Hampshire, Ill.

[19Fordy]

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Some say:
"If the Columbia won't fit, you must omit."

[RobR'35]

Seems a bit high in price. Has it been bullit proofed?
I've a '46-'48 Columbia in my Roadster and it works fine.
The mod was done long before I owned the car.
John Connelly in AZ. can answer any questions u may have.He runs a business servicing and parts for these rear ends. He's the guru. 951-719-4077

[Kube]

Originally Posted by drolston

There is a complete rebuilt Columbia two speed rear end on eBay for $5,500. It is listed to fit '46 to '48. Will it or can it be easily modified to fit in my early '41 coupe? Is $5,500 crazy?

If this has been professional rebuilt and comes with ALL of the controls and is highly detailed, then the price is about right from my personal experience selling them.
However, at that price, I'd wait to find an "exact fit" for your car. they're out there...

The one you refer to will fit in your car but will be a bit wide. You'd need to shim the radius rods out about 3/8" per side as I recall.
Spring perches will be different as well and as such require some modification at the pins.

Bottom line, to reiterate... wait and find an "exact fit".

[32phil]

I have about $4500, give or take a few $$, in a 40 Columbia. It started out as a 46-48 complete core for $1250 in Texas. I had it shipped to Cliff Helling (I think he is in Minn?) That shipping was about $350 Then I shipped another ring and pinion and an axle bell to him, another $100 shipping bill. Cliff bullet proofed it along with a conversion from 46-48 to 1940, a complete rebuild/parts and reassembly, about $2400. Another $350 to ship it to me in New York. That was in 2009, today $5000 for a completely rebuilt, bullet proofed unit is not out of line. Earlier units, 34 and 35 36, can be a little more $$

[blucar]

I have a '46-48 Columbia under my '36. I switched the car over from early to late in 1955. It was a direct bolt in application using the '36 drive line,center section, '47 axle housings and housings, later model spring/shocks and sway bar. I used '37-38 stablizer bars that had to be shimmed out 3/8" on each side where they connect to the torque tube behind the trans. I used two 3/8" nuts, one on each side for shims.
From my opinion, I would buy the unit, the '46-48 units were the best that Columbia made, the later model controls, electric over vacuum are very trouble free and user friendly.
You might wait a long time before you find a '41 Columbia, in the mean time you can enjoy all of the benefits therein.
A second thought would be to call John Connelly for his opinion.
I have attached two pix showing the Columbia under my '36.

[drolston]

The seller claims it complete with all hard-to-find parts. I will verify that and "bullet proof" before proceeding. My fat-fender should handle the extra tread width.

One more question.
I like my Houdaille shocks better than tube shocks. The unit offered has the bracket for tube shocks, but I see a hole in the spring perch bracket where the old style shock mount bolt would go. Is it safe to assume that I can get the shock mount bolts that go in that hole.

Ancient history: When in college I bought a '37 Packard sedan for $100 to get the Columbia rear end out of it. I put it in my '48 coupe. The torque tube and drive shaft had to be shortened, but it worked. All of the other valves, tubes and switches were already gone, so whenever I was going drag racing, I pulled off the vacuum housing and shifted it to low by hand.

[richard crow]

unless he has proof of the rebuild that can be verafied do not buy a columbia that is in a complet rear. you must be able to see all the parts. there are some parts that cant be repaired or replaced. be careful.

[jimTN]

Another option is to have the spring end of the housing cut off and a 39-41 end put on. I am having a late housing converted to a 34 now and will use 34 axles, that will make everything fit.

[Ray in La Mesa]

Not a V8 but a 1928 Model A roadster pickup. I traded a stock Model A rear end & $100 for a 46-48 Columbia----in 1973. It has a shortened torque tube & drive shaft & welded on "A" spring hangers to fit a Model A. I'm still running it with a manual shifter rod as I never had the vacuum controls. Had it rebuilt & bullet proofed by John Deats in Long Beach, Ca. It widened my rear track 4" so the wheels sit just at the edge of the fender, not notable unless you are looking for it. I've since lengthened the pickup 24", bed & chassis, by removing the rear cross member and adding the back 1/2 of another frame and installing a stock '46-'48 torque tube & drive shaft.

[blucar]

Originally Posted by drolston

The seller claims it complete with all hard-to-find parts. I will verify that and "bullet proof" before proceeding. My fat-fender should handle the extra tread width.

One more question.
I like my Houdaille shocks better than tube shocks. The unit offered has the bracket for tube shocks, but I see a hole in the spring perch bracket where the old style shock mount bolt would go. Is it safe to assume that I can get the shock mount bolts that go in that hole.

If you review the pix I posted of the '46-'48 Columbia under my '36 you will note that I have the Houdaille and tube shocks hooked up, You can also see the anti-sway bar which the '47-48's had.. Makes the car handle a not better.
Here again no alterations to the frame or differential, just a couple of holes drilled into the frame cross member for the sway bar mount.
I have 600x16 tires on my '36 on stock wheels. I have never, in over 64 years of diving the car had anybody comment about my tires being to far out in the fender wells.
I added to the stability of my '36 by using a '41 front axle that is dropped 2" and has tube shocks. The car also has '40 steering gears..

[uncle buck]

Originally Posted by jimTN

Another option is to have the spring end of the housing cut off and a 39-41 end put on. I am having a late housing converted to a 34 now and will use 34 axles, that will make everything fit.

Who do you have converting the housing?

[jimTN]

Johnny Stooksbury here in Knoxville, TN does the 34 conversion.