46RE Planetary 1997-02, new and ready to install. Fits the 46RE. Ships fast from the USA.
If you have a 1997-2002 Dodge Ram, Dakota, Durango or Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 46RE (A518) torn down and found a front planet with blued pinions, chipped teeth or loose pinion pins, this is the replacement. It is a brand-new heavy-duty front planetary with five pinion gears in an all-steel carrier, not a used core. It comes with a new thrust washer and the lube dam spacer, so the parts that sit against the carrier are fresh too.
The 46RE builds first, second and third in the main case with two planetary gearsets that share one sun gear, then adds fourth with a separate overdrive unit at the back. The front planet carrier is splined to the intermediate shaft, so every pound of torque that leaves the main case in the first three gears goes through its pinions. In second gear the front gearset is the only one doing the work while the kickdown band holds the sun. That is why this carrier takes a beating behind a 5.9L that tows, and why a five-pinion steel design is the upgrade rebuilders reach for: the load is spread across five gears instead of four.
A planetary can only be judged with the unit apart. Before you pull it, rule out the cheaper causes of noise and slip covered in our 46RE common problems and fixes guide: fluid level and condition, a restricted cooler, and band adjustment. A whine that follows engine speed in Park belongs to the pump, not the gear train; our 46RE pump failure guide covers that test. Once it is on the bench, spin each pinion, check for side play on the pins, and look for heat color. Sonnax notes that a poorly sealing overdrive piston retainer and missing or oversized intermediate shaft plugs starve the planetaries of lube, so inspect both before you install a new carrier, or the new one will burn the same way.
This planet is made for the 1997-2002 intermediate shaft spline and fits the A518, 46RE, 46RH and 518 four-speed units of those years. It will not fit the 48RE. It can go into an earlier unit only if the matching 1997-2002 style intermediate shaft is installed with it. Because the 46RE was updated several times, count the splines on your old carrier and intermediate shaft and compare before ordering, or send us your year and VIN and we will check it. Browse the rest of our 46RE parts collection for the other pieces of the gear train.
| Fits | 46RE 1997-02 |
| Part type | Planetary |
| Condition | New |
| 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.
Only if you also install a 1997-2002 style intermediate shaft. The planet is splined for the 1997-2002 shaft, so on an earlier unit you must match the shaft to the carrier. Count the splines on both or send us your year and VIN.
No. This carrier does not fit the 48RE. It is for the A518, 46RE, 46RH and 518 four-speed units of 1997-2002.
One new five-pinion front planetary with a steel carrier, a new thrust washer and the lube dam spacer. Mounting hardware and the ring gear are not included.
On the 46RE family the most common cause is lack of lube, not a weak gear. A leaking overdrive piston retainer or missing or oversized intermediate shaft plugs cut oil to the planetaries. Fix those during the rebuild so the new carrier is not starved.
ATF+4. Check the level hot in Neutral and readjust the front and rear bands to factory spec before driving.
