47RE Clutch Drum 1990, remanufactured and ready to install. Fits the 47RE. Ships fast from the USA.
A Ram 2500 or 3500 with the Cummins or the V10 puts more torque through its A618 than the front clutch was ever sized for, and the usual result is a truck that flares on the 2-3 shift with a trailer behind it and then starts slipping in Reverse too. This listing is a remanufactured front clutch drum, the part many shops call the direct drum, for the 47RH and 47RE (A618) and the rest of the A518 family from 1990 up. It began life as an original 3-clutch retainer. The rebuilder machines the drum, the piston and the pressure plate so the pack holds five clutches, the same count Chrysler later used in the 48RE, and presses in a new bushing. In the box you get the drum, five thin direct steels, the machined piston, the pressure plate and the snap ring. Friction discs are not included.
The front clutch retainer sits directly behind the pump on the reaction shaft support. When its piston applies, the pack locks input torque to the driving shell and the front sun gear. The factory clutch and band chart has it applied in third and fourth together with the rear clutch, and in Reverse together with the rear band. From the factory the 47RE got four front clutch discs, one more than the 46RE, and the 48RE moved to a 5-clutch drum. Going to five clutches in a 47RE adds friction area to a pack that carries full engine torque every time the truck is in third, fourth or Reverse, which is exactly where diesel and V10 trucks wear them out.
Chrysler's road test logic sorts this out. If the unit slips in third and also in Reverse, the front clutch is the suspect. Slip in third without a Reverse problem points to the rear clutch, and slip only in fourth is the overdrive clutch, which this drum will not fix. Our 47RE 3-4 clutch failure guide walks through the fourth-gear side of that split. Before you rebuild, check line pressure: a worn pump or a sticking valve body bore burns a new front pack just as fast as the old one. The 47RE pump failure guide and the 47RE common problems guide cover those tests.
The listing is titled 1990 because the drum is described for the A518 and A618 family from 1990 up: 46RH, 46RE, 47RH and 47RE. In a 47RE that covers the 1993-2003 Ram 2500 and 3500 with the 5.9L Cummins or 8.0L V10, plus earlier 47RH trucks. Since the piston and pressure plate are machined to match this drum, use them as a set rather than mixing them with your old parts. Compare your old front clutch retainer with the photo, check the bushing bore and the hub on your reaction shaft support, and send us your year, engine and VIN if you want a second check. All 47RE parts are on our 47RE transmission page.
| Fits | 47RE 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 retainer that sits behind the pump in the main case, often called the direct drum. It applies in third, fourth and Reverse. The overdrive direct clutch is a separate assembly in the overdrive housing at the back of the case.
No. It includes the remanufactured 5-clutch drum with a new bushing, five thin direct steels, the machined piston, the pressure plate and the snap ring. Order five new frictions, or a rebuild kit that has them, at the same time.
The factory 47RE front clutch used four discs. Five discs in the same drum add friction area to a pack that carries full torque in third, fourth and Reverse, which helps a Cummins or V10 truck that tows. The 48RE came from the factory with a 5-clutch drum.
The factory 47RE 4-clutch spec is 0.070 to 0.129 in. between the pressure plate and snap ring, and the published 48RE 5-clutch figure is 0.098 to 0.161 in. Use the drum builder's figure if supplied, and adjust with the snap ring or plate selection.
No. Slip only in fourth gear points to the overdrive clutch, its spring or the overdrive piston retainer. The front clutch is the suspect when the transmission slips in third and also in Reverse.
ATF+4. Soak the new frictions in it before assembly and refill with ATF+4 after the rebuild.
