45RFE / 545RFE / 65RFE Master Rebuild Kit with 4WD Filter

This is a one-box soft-parts overhaul for the Chrysler RFE family, sold for the 45RFE, 545RFE and 65RFE across 1999-2018 Ram 1500, Ram 2500/3500, Dakota, Durango, Aspen, Grand Cherokee, Commander, Liberty and Wrangler. If your truck or SUV slips on the upshifts, drops into its failsafe gear, smells burnt or is leaking from the pan and front seal, and a teardown is already on the bench, the kit carries the friction plates, steel plates, gaskets, lip seals, O-rings, sealing rings, bushings and a 4WD-length sump filter so you are not ordering seals one at a time halfway through the job.

What a master kit replaces in an RFE transmission

RFE units shift entirely with clutches. There are six packs (underdrive, overdrive, reverse, 2C, 4C and low/reverse) and no bands, and the controller adapts the fill of each clutch as it learns. That design shifts well when new, but it means every pack and every seal ring that feeds it matters. A leaking sealing ring on a clutch drum shows up as a slip on whichever shift uses that clutch, and the adaptive learning hides it until the pack is burnt. Replacing all the frictions and steels together with every ring, seal and bushing resets the whole hydraulic circuit, which is what a single-drum repair cannot do.

Symptoms that call for the full kit

• Flare or slip on the 2-3 and 3-4 shifts from overdrive clutch wear, often logged as P0733 or P0734
• Slipping or no reverse after the low/reverse or reverse clutch burns
• Default to the failsafe gear with a pan full of friction material
• Delayed engagement when cold from worn sealing rings and bushings
• Leaks from the pan gasket, front pump seal, output seal and selector shaft

Check before you tear it down

A worn solenoid switch valve bore, a weak pressure control solenoid or a bad line pressure sensor can all make an RFE shift badly with healthy clutches. Codes such as P0868, P0869 and P0871 point to pressure control rather than worn frictions. Run through the RFE valve body testing guide and the pressure control solenoid guide first. If the fluid is burnt and the magnet is coated in clutch material, the kit is the right call, and the valve body should be serviced in the same job.

Fitment

Listed vehicles: Chrysler Aspen 2007-2009, Dodge Dakota 2000-2011, Durango 1999-2018, Ram 1500 2002-2018, Ram 2500/3500 2002-2016, Jeep Cherokee, Commander, Grand Cherokee 1999-2013, Liberty and Wrangler, and the Mitsubishi Raider, in RWD, 4WD and AWD form. That is a wide span. Chrysler changed the valve body in 2009 when the overdrive solenoid and number 6 check ball were dropped, and clutch counts differ between the four-speed 45RFE, the five-speed 545RFE and later builds. The included filter is the 4WD length; on a 2WD truck, compare it with the filter you remove before reuse. Match the plates and seals in the kit against your teardown, or send us your year and VIN to confirm. See the rest of the family in our 45RFE and 545RFE collection.

Install notes

• Soak the frictions in ATF+4, size the sealing rings on the drums and pump before the units go together, and lube every lip seal.
• Inspect drums, the pump and the one-way clutch; the kit covers soft parts only, not hard parts.
• Set clutch clearances and input shaft end play to spec as you stack each unit, and confirm the 4C retaining ring is seated.
• Replace the pan gasket and use a new pan and filter set if your pan is bent or rusted; our 545RFE pan and filter kit is an easy add-on when the pan is already off.
• If the valve body tests worn, install a rebuilt unit such as the heavy duty 7-ball valve body on 2009-and-earlier transmissions.
• Fill with ATF+4 and run the Quick Learn with a scan tool so the controller relearns clutch fill.

Which transmissions does this kit cover?

It is sold for the Chrysler 45RFE, 545RFE and 65RFE used from 1999 through 2018 in Ram, Dodge, Chrysler Aspen, Jeep and Mitsubishi Raider applications, in RWD, 4WD and AWD form. Confirm against your teardown or send your year and VIN.

Does it come with pistons or hard parts?

No. The listed contents are friction plates, steel plates, gaskets, lip seals, O-rings, sealing rings, bushings, a 4WD filter and a pan gasket. Drums, pistons, the pump and the planetary gears are not included.

My truck is 2WD. Can I use the 4WD filter?

The filter in this kit is the 4WD length. Compare it with the filter you remove; if your 2WD unit uses a different pickup, buy the matching filter separately.

What fluid and how much after a rebuild?

Use ATF+4 only. Chrysler lists a 14 to 16 liter overhaul fill for this family depending on cooler and line size, so fill, run the engine and check the level hot.

Do I need anything else for the job?

Plan on a valve body inspection or replacement, a cooler flush, and a scan tool to run the Quick Learn. Inspect the pump and one-way clutch, since worn hard parts will shorten the life of new clutches.

• 45RFE / 545RFE Valve Body Problems: Symptoms, How to Test, and Replacement
• 45RFE Pressure Control Solenoid Symptoms, Line Pressure Codes and Testing
• 45RFE Rebuild Cost and What Drives It
• Chrysler 45RFE and 545RFE Transmission Problems and Fixes