44RE Shift Kit, new and ready to install. Fits the 44RE. Ships fast from the USA.
If your Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler or Dodge Dakota with the 42RE/44RE four-speed is shifting lazy, flaring between gears when you pull a trailer up a grade, or just came out of a rebuild and you want the new clutches to last, a shift kit is the cheapest insurance you can put in the valve body. This is the Superior (Fairbanks) 10518 TransAction kit, new, made for the whole A500/A518/A618 family: 42RE and 44RE, plus the 46RE and 47RE in full-size Ram trucks. The photo shows the actual kit: replacement valves, springs, check balls, plugs and the pan gasket you need to close it back up.
The 44RE is a hydraulic four-speed with electronic help. First through third are decided by the valve body, where throttle pressure from the TV cable and governor pressure set by the computer push the 1-2 and 2-3 shift valves back and forth. The front clutch, rear clutch, kickdown (front) band and low-reverse band are all applied by oil that passes through that valve body, and the overdrive unit behind them adds fourth gear. Every apply has a short slip window while pressure builds. Stock calibration is tuned for a quiet shift, which means a longer slip, and a longer slip means heat in the clutches and band.
The TransAction kit recalibrates that circuit so the clutches and band apply quicker and with more pressure. Its standout piece is a rapid-fill manual valve, which per Superior lets the torque converter charge while the selector is in Park, so the unit is full and ready the moment you pull into gear. The kit is built to be installed at one of three levels, so you choose how firm you want it:
A shift kit fixes calibration, not broken parts or electrical faults. Pull codes first: a governor pressure sensor or solenoid fault in a 1996-and-later unit will make it start in the wrong gear or refuse to upshift, and no shift kit will fix that. Check fluid level and smell, then verify the throttle valve cable adjustment, because a misadjusted TV cable alone gives late, soft or slipping shifts. Our RE-series slipping guide walks through those checks in order; the 44RE shares the same hydraulic layout. If shifts are erratic or missing altogether, work through the valve body testing guide before you order parts.
The 10518 is listed for 1989-2003 A500 (42RE/44RE) and A518/A618 (46RE/47RE) units, gas or diesel. That covers the 42RE and 44RE behind six-cylinder engines in Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler and Liberty and in the Dodge Dakota and Durango, plus the bigger RE units in Ram trucks. Valve bodies were revised during that run, including the late-1990s change to the governor pressure sensor, so lay the kit instructions next to your own valve body before you start. If you are not sure what you have, send us the year and VIN and we will check it. Everything we stock for this unit is on the 44RE parts page.
Before you buy, confirm which RE unit you have with the RE identification guide.
| Fits | 44RE |
| Part type | Shift Kit |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Reference | A500 |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
The 10518 is listed for 1989-2003 A500/42RE-44RE units, which includes the 4.0L Grand Cherokee. Valve bodies changed during that run, so compare the instructions to your valve body or send us the year and VIN before you install.
Heavy Duty for a daily driver that tows or goes off-road, Hi-Performance Street if you want quick shifts with normal shift points, and Full Competition only for a race vehicle. Most 42RE and 44RE Jeeps and Dakotas should use Heavy Duty.
Usually not. On 1996-and-later units that behavior is most often a governor pressure solenoid, sensor or wiring fault. Scan for codes and fix the electrical side first; the shift kit only changes hydraulic calibration.
No. The valve body comes out from under the vehicle with the pan off. Most people install it during a rebuild or valve body service, because worn clutches or bands will not be fixed by the kit.
ATF+4. Refill, check the level hot in Neutral, then adjust the bands and throttle valve cable before road testing.
A new filter and pan gasket at minimum. If the governor pressure solenoid or TCC solenoid is suspect, replace it while the pan is down, and use a master rebuild kit if the clutches or bands are burnt.
