48RE Clutch Module 2003-2008, new and ready to install. Fits the 48RE. Ships fast from the USA.
If your Ram 2500 or 3500 with the 48RE automatic has started to hang on the shift into fourth, rev up on a grade with a trailer behind it, or back up lazily once the fluid is hot, the lining on the clutch frictions is usually what is giving out. This listing is a new set of 48RE friction discs and steel plates intended for the full 2003-2008 window, so one pack covers the whole time the 48RE was behind the heavy-duty Ram line. It is the right buy when the unit is already coming apart and the drums, pistons and pump check out, and you want fresh plates instead of re-stacking burnt ones.
The 48RE is a four-speed rear-wheel-drive unit built from two sections. The main case makes first through third with the front and rear clutches, two bands and a roller clutch. The overdrive unit bolted to the rear of the case makes fourth using two more clutch packs that share one piston: a direct clutch that a heavy coil spring holds on in first, second, third and reverse, and an overdrive clutch that applies when hydraulic pressure compresses that spring for the 3-4 shift. Every one of those packs is the same idea in a different size: lined friction discs splined to one member, plain steel plates lugged to another, squeezed together by a piston. Once the lining is glazed or worn thin the pack cannot hold the torque a Cummins or V10 sends through it, and the range that depends on it starts to slip.
Chrysler designed the 48RE as the heavy-duty replacement for the 46RE and 47RE beginning in 2003, and Transmission Digest notes the update raised the torque capacity of the clutch drums. Sonnax also documents a larger line pressure rise in fourth on the 48RE than on the earlier units, which exists to clamp the overdrive clutch. That extra clamping only helps if the frictions still have lining to grab with.
Write down exactly which ranges slip before the truck goes on the lift. Slip only in fourth points at the overdrive clutch. Weak reverse plus no coast braking, with a good fourth gear, points at the direct clutch and its spring. Slip in every forward range points at the rear clutch in the main case. Then put a pressure gauge on it: plates that burned because line pressure was low will burn again if you only replace the plates. Our 48RE 3-4 clutch failure guide walks through telling the overdrive clutch and direct clutch apart, and the 48RE pump failure guide covers the pressure checks that rule out a pump that cooked the plates.
The listing covers 48RE transmissions from 2003 through 2008. The 48RE went into 2003-2007 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks with the 5.9L Cummins, and Ram HD trucks with the 8.0L V10 also used it. If you have a 2007.5 or 2008 truck with the 6.7L Cummins, check the transmission tag before ordering, because those trucks were built with six-speed automatics rather than the 48RE. Plate counts and thicknesses can differ between diesel and gas overdrive units, so lay your old plates next to the new ones and match diameter, spline or lug count, and quantity per pack before you start stacking. If you are not sure, send us your year and VIN and we will check it before it ships. Every other part we carry for this unit is on the 48RE parts page.
| Fits | 48RE 2003-2008 |
| Part type | Clutch Module |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| 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 the truck has a 48RE. 2008 Ram HD trucks with the 6.7L Cummins were built with six-speed automatics, so check the tag on the transmission or send us your VIN before ordering.
Worn overdrive clutch frictions are the most common cause of slip in fourth, but low apply pressure from a worn pump or the wrong valve body can cause the same complaint. Check line pressure first so the new plates do not burn up the same way.
Replace the piston seals and gaskets for every pack you open, inspect the drums and hubs, and check the overdrive direct clutch spring. A master rebuild kit covers the soft parts.
ATF+4 only. Chrysler lists an overhaul fill of 29 to 33 pints for the 2006 Ram, and the level should be checked with the fluid hot and the selector in Neutral.
Yes. Soak each friction in ATF+4 for at least 30 minutes so the lining is saturated before the pack is assembled and clearance is set.
