46RE Clutch Drum 1990, remanufactured and ready to install. Fits the 46RE. Ships fast from the USA.
If your Dodge Ram, Dakota, Durango or Jeep with an A518 family automatic slips in third and in Reverse, or you are building a 46RE or 47RE to tow and want more clutch capacity than the factory gave it, this is the drum that addresses it. It is a remanufactured front clutch drum, called the direct drum by many rebuilders, listed for the A518, A618, 46RH, 46RE, 47RH and 47RE from 1990 up and sold as a 48RE-style 5-clutch drum. The rebuilder starts with an original drum, machines it along with its piston and pressure plate so the pack holds five clutches, and installs a new bushing. It comes with five thin direct steels, the machined piston, the pressure plate and the snap ring. You supply five new friction discs.
The front clutch retainer rides on the reaction shaft support hub behind the pump. When its piston applies the pack, it drives the front sun gear through the driving shell. The Chrysler service manual shows the front and rear clutches applied together only in third and fourth, and the front clutch also working with the rear band in Reverse. That is why the manual's road test logic says that if the unit slips in third and also slips in Reverse, the front clutch is the one slipping. From the factory the 46RE front clutch used only 3 discs and the heavier 47RE used 4, so on a truck that tows, the front pack is often the first to burn. Fitting five clutches in the same drum spreads the load over more friction surface.
Use the factory process of elimination: note which ranges slip, then compare against the clutch and band chart. Slip in third but not Reverse points to the rear clutch, and slip only in fourth points to the overdrive clutch, so do not buy this drum for a fourth-gear complaint. With the pan and valve body off, the front clutch can be air checked through its apply passage to listen for a leaking piston seal or cracked retainer. Low line pressure from a worn pump or a sticking valve also burns front clutches, so check pressures before you rebuild. Our 46RE diagnostic guide covers the pressure tests, and the valve body testing guide covers the bores that cause low apply pressure.
The listing is titled for 1990 but the drum itself is described as fitting the A518 and A618 family from 1990 up: 46RH, 46RE, 47RH and 47RE. Because this is a modified drum with a machined piston and pressure plate, compare your old front clutch retainer with the photo, check the bushing bore and lug pattern, and confirm your reaction shaft support hub before ordering. If you are not sure which unit you have, send us the year, engine and VIN. See all 46RE parts on our 46RE transmission page.
Soak the five new frictions in ATF+4 before assembly. Install new inner and outer piston seals with the lips facing into the retainer, and seat the piston with a twisting motion; Chrysler warns that pushing it straight in folds the seals. Stack the steels and frictions, install the pressure plate and snap ring, then measure clearance between the pressure plate and snap ring with a feeler gauge. The factory 46/47RE figure is 0.070 to 0.129 in.; with a non-factory disc count, follow the clearance the drum builder or your friction supplier gives, and change the snap ring or plates to reach it. Air check the piston before installing the drum. Replace the front clutch thrust washer on the support, and pair the drum with a fresh 46RE banner rebuild kit for seals and frictions. On a 1990-1995 unit with a worn valve body, a Sonnax-updated 46RH valve body addresses the pressure loss that burned the original clutches.
| Fits | 46RE 1990 |
| Part type | Clutch Drum |
| Condition | Remanufactured |
| Brand | OEM |
| Reference | A518 |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
It is the front clutch drum, which many rebuilders call the direct drum. It is the retainer behind the pump that applies in third, fourth and Reverse. The overdrive unit's direct clutch is a separate assembly at the rear of the case.
The remanufactured drum machined for five clutches, a new bushing, the machined piston, the pressure plate, the snap ring and five thin direct steels. Friction discs are not included, so order five new frictions with it.
It is listed for the A518 and A618 family from 1990 up, including the 46RH, 46RE, 47RH and 47RE. Compare it with your old front clutch retainer and send us your year, engine and VIN if you want us to check before ordering.
The Chrysler factory front clutch clearance for the 46/47RE is 0.070 to 0.129 in. between the pressure plate and snap ring. Because this drum runs five clutches instead of the factory three or four, use the figure supplied with your frictions or by the drum builder and adjust with the snap ring or plates.
No. Slip only in fourth gear points to the overdrive clutch in the overdrive unit. The front clutch is suspect when the unit slips in third and also in Reverse.
