45RFE Shift Kit 1999-18, new and ready to install. Fits the 45RFE. Ships fast from the USA.
The four-speed 45RFE in a Grand Cherokee, Dakota, Durango or Ram 1500 tends to wear out in the same few places: the converter clutch starts to bump or slide on lock-up, a converter slip code shows up, the truck sits a second or two before it moves after a night parked, and at teardown the underdrive snap ring is cracked or out of its groove. This is the TransGo SK 45RFE-A shift kit (manufacturer part number SK45RFE-A, also cataloged as T72165A), a new kit cataloged for 1999-2018 RFE units. On a 45RFE it is best thought of as a pump cover, accumulator and input drum repair package that you install during an overhaul, not a bolt-on for firmer shifts.
The 45RFE has no bands. Every shift is one clutch releasing while another applies, and the controller adapts those overlaps from what the speed sensors see, so the kit does not try to override the computer with stiff springs. It goes after the hydraulic wear that the computer cannot adapt around. The biggest one sits in the front pump cover: the torque converter limit valve bore wears oval, converter clutch feed stops being regulated, and lock-up turns harsh while cooler pressure rises. TransGo has you pull the original limit valve, identify it as Type 1 or Type 2, and install the matching new bushing with a gold check ball, orange spring and V-notch retainer. The bushing seats itself, so bore wear stops mattering. A slotted retainer and three new springs go into the converter clutch accumulator piston in the same pump cover, and a stronger accumulator cover plate replaces the factory plate.
In the valve body, the low/reverse switch valve and its end plug are replaced with a self-cleaning valve. On valve bodies that still use aluminum accumulator pistons, a wire expander and new ring go into the inner groove; plastic pistons skip that step. In the input drum, a flat .091 to .094 inch snap ring replaces the tapered underdrive ring that is known to break and let the pressure plate walk out.
Read codes before you spend money. Solenoid circuit codes and line pressure sensor codes are electrical first, and our 45RFE pressure control solenoid guide shows how to separate a bad pack from a hydraulic leak by watching duty cycle. If the complaint is harsh shifts rather than lock-up, the 45RFE harsh shift guide covers learned values and the software updates Chrysler issued for 2-3 and 4-5 shift quality. When the pan is off, look at the pump: TransGo notes that a leaking ball-check air bleed in some pump covers also causes overnight drain-back, and it can be plugged.
TransGo catalogs this kit for every 1999-2018 45RFE, 545RFE, 65RFE, 66RFE and 68RFE, gas or diesel, and it handles both the early and late pump designs. For a 45RFE the part that matters is the input drum. 1999-2006 units and 2007-up units use different underdrive/overdrive pressure plates (68009108AA early with about .021 inch offset, 68009902AC late with about .065 inch), and some early trucks were repaired with late drums. TransGo has you measure from the top of the drum to the top of the .061 inch flat snap ring: about 1.907 inch on 1999-06 drums and 1.960 inch on 2007-up. Match your transmission ID stamp on the left side of the case, or send us your year and VIN and we will check it. Everything else we carry for this unit is on the 45RFE parts page.
| Fits | 45RFE 1999-18 |
| Part type | Shift Kit |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | TransGo |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Yes. It is the TransGo SK 45RFE-A shift kit, manufacturer part number SK45RFE-A, also cross-referenced as T72165A. The same kit covers the 45RFE, 545RFE, 65RFE, 66RFE and 68RFE.
Yes, the kit is cataloged for all 1999-2018 RFE units. On a 2004 the thing to check is which input drum is in the case, because some early units were rebuilt with 2007-up drums. Measure the drum depth as described in the fitment section, or send us your year and VIN.
No. The kit is aimed at converter lock-up, pump cover wear, drain-back and the underdrive snap ring. Shift feel on a 45RFE is set by the controller and its learned clutch values, so after install you run a Quick Learn and the shifts are adapted from there.
Only part of it. The switch valve and accumulator pieces are in the valve body, but the converter limit valve is in the front pump cover and the snap ring is inside the input drum. Both require the transmission out and torn down, so most people install the kit during a rebuild.
Use Mopar ATF+4 or a fluid licensed to the ATF+4 spec. After the repair, Chrysler requires a Quick Learn with a scan tool, done with the brakes applied, the engine running, the throttle closed and the fluid between 60 and 200 F.
