48RE Clutch Drum 1971, remanufactured and ready to install. Fits the 48RE. Ships fast from the USA.
This is a remanufactured clutch drum carrying a 1971 date and an A727 reference, the TorqueFlite three-speed that Chrysler's later overdrive automatics grew out of. It is aimed at builders restoring a 727-based transmission or hunting for a drum that matches one in their RE-family unit. To be clear up front: the 48RE did not exist in 1971. It arrived in 2003 for heavy-duty Ram trucks, so treat this as an A727-pattern drum and confirm it against the part you are replacing.
The three-speed TorqueFlite uses two rotating clutch packs, a front clutch and a rear clutch, plus bands and a one-way clutch, to give three forward ratios and reverse. The drum is the housing for one of those packs. Its lugs drive the steel plates, its piston bore takes the apply piston, and the fluid feed comes through the bushing and the sealing ring lands on the hub. Chrysler's own patent for its add-on overdrive describes placing a single planetary overdrive unit behind an existing three-speed automatic. That is the layout of the 46RE, 47RE and 48RE, and why their front section still looks so familiar to anyone who has rebuilt a 727.
Familiar is not identical, though. When the 48RE replaced the 46RE and 47RE in 2003, Transmission Digest reports that Chrysler raised the torque capacity of the clutch drums. A drum from an early 727 can share the basic shape and still differ in lug design, plate count or hub details.
Inspect your old drum with the unit on the bench. Look closely at the lugs for cracks and stepped wear, check the bushing for scoring and play, and run a fingernail across the sealing ring lands. Air-check the assembled pack to see whether pressure leaks past the drum. On a later RE-family truck, our 48RE 3-4 clutch failure guide explains how to tell an overdrive-section failure from a front-section drum problem, and Ram 2500 Cummins shift problems covers the diagnostic steps before teardown.
The listing reference is A727 with a 1971 date, and the drum is remanufactured. It is not a dated 48RE part. Before installing it, compare it side by side with your original: lug count and width, overall height, hub spline, bushing diameter, ring land count and piston bore size. If those match, the drum will run with your clutch pack. If you are unsure, send us your transmission tag number or the year and VIN of the vehicle and we will tell you what we can confirm. For late-model drums and the rest of the hard parts, browse our 48RE parts page.
| Fits | 48RE 1971 |
| Part type | Clutch Drum |
| Condition | Remanufactured |
| Brand | OEM |
| Reference | A727 |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
No. The 48RE was introduced in 2003. This drum is listed with a 1971 date and an A727 reference, the TorqueFlite three-speed that the RE family evolved from. Match it physically to your old drum before installing it.
Do not assume it will. Chrysler increased clutch drum torque capacity when the 48RE replaced the 46RE and 47RE in 2003. Compare lug count, plate count, hub spline, bushing and ring lands, or send us your VIN or transmission tag.
A used core that has been cleaned and restored to service. You should still inspect the bushing, lugs and sealing surfaces yourself and air-check the pack after assembly.
The clutch plates and steels for that pack, the piston seals and the drum sealing rings. Flush the cooler and lines too, so debris from the old failure does not return.
Use the fluid specified for your transmission. RE-family units, including the 48RE, are specified for ATF+4.
