Welded steel cage that holds the overdrive direct clutch spring down on Chrysler 47RE, 46RE, 48RE and 42RE units so the snap ring can come out safely.
If your Ram 2500 or 3500 with the 47RE has lost fourth gear, flares on the 3-4 shift, or came out of a towing job with a burnt overdrive, the repair runs straight through the overdrive direct clutch. That clutch is held together by one very stiff spring, and you cannot get the clutch pack or the hub out until that spring is compressed under control. This is a plain welded steel cage made for that one job. It sits on the direct clutch hub so a shop press can push the hub and spring down squarely while you remove and later reinstall the retaining rings. It also works on the 46RE, 48RE and the lighter 42RE, because the overdrive section shares the same basic layout.
The 47RE bolts a separate overdrive unit behind the three-speed main case. Inside it are a planetary set, an overrunning clutch, the overdrive clutch and the direct clutch. The direct clutch is applied by spring force, not hydraulic pressure, which is why the spring is so strong: Chrysler's 1998 Ram service manual puts it at roughly 830 lb. With the spring clamping the direct clutch, the overdrive planetary turns as one piece and the unit passes power straight through in first, second, third and reverse. For fourth, the overdrive piston pushes back against that spring to release the direct clutch, and the overdrive clutch holds the sun gear so the output overdrives.
Because the spring is always loaded, the direct clutch pack snap ring and the clutch hub retaining ring are trapped under it. The factory procedure calls for a compressor cage and a hydraulic press to take that load off the rings. This cage has a solid round plate on one end for the press ram and an open ring on the other that seats on the hub, with four flat steel straps between them. The straps leave wide windows on all sides, so the rings stay in view and within reach of your pliers while the press holds the load.
Plenty of no-fourth complaints are not inside the overdrive at all. Start with our 47RE won't shift into overdrive guide, which covers the overdrive switch, temperature lockouts and solenoid faults that block the shift. If the shift happens but slips, the 47RE 3-4 clutch failure guide walks through the slip pattern and the overdrive clutch pressure test. Only commit to pulling the unit once the hydraulic and electrical causes are ruled out.
The cage is built to the pattern of the Miller T-1302 compressor, which corresponds to the tool the 1998 factory manual lists as 6227-1. It is listed for the 42RE (A500) from 1989 on, the 46RE and 47RE (A518 and A618) from 1991 on, and the 48RE from 2003 on, which takes in Dodge Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 trucks plus Jeep and Dakota models with the RE overdrive. Overdrive hubs were revised over the years, so set the cage on your hub before loading it and make sure the ring end sits flat on the hub and not on the rings themselves. If you want us to check your unit, send the year and VIN. The rest of the overdrive parts are on our 47RE parts page.
The tool weighs about 2.5 lb and comes with a corrosion-inhibitor coating. Wipe it down before it touches clean clutch parts.
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Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
The factory procedure is written around a hydraulic press with at least 5 to 6 inches of ram travel. The spring is rated around 830 lb, so a bench vise or pry bar is not a safe way to hold it.
It is a welded steel cage built to the T-1302 pattern. The 1998 Ram service manual calls the same compressor job tool 6227-1.
It is listed for the 42RE from 1989, the 46RE and 47RE from 1991, and the 48RE from 2003. Seat it on your hub before pressing to confirm the ring end sits flat on the hub.
At minimum the direct and overdrive clutch frictions, steels if they are heat marked, and the seals. A master rebuild kit covers those, and the spline alignment tool keeps the planetary and overrunning clutch lined up during reassembly.
ATF+4 for the 46RE, 47RE and 48RE. Check the level hot in neutral after the first drive.
