48RE Sprag Clutch 1990, remanufactured and ready to install. Fits the 48RE. Ships fast from the USA.
Searching for a fix for a Dodge Ram that slips in third and reverse, or building a 48RE to live behind a Cummins pulling a gooseneck? This listing carries a sprag clutch name, but what you receive is a remanufactured 5-clutch direct drum package, the front clutch retainer that holds the pack Chrysler calls both the front clutch and the direct clutch. It starts life as an original 3-clutch drum that is machined and cut to hold five clutches, with the piston and pressure plate machined to match and a new bushing installed. The 1990 date reflects the A518 family the 48RE descends from, not a single model year.
Frictions are not included. You add five new direct clutch frictions sized for the 5-clutch pack, plus the piston seals from your overhaul kit.
The front clutch is one of the busiest elements in the transmission. Chrysler's road-test chart has the front and rear clutches applied together only in third and fourth, and the front clutch also carries reverse. Torque from a diesel in third gear and in reverse with a trailer all passes through this pack. The factory manual lists only 3 front clutch discs in a 46RE and 4 in a 47RE, so a cut-down 5-clutch drum gains friction surface without changing the outside of the drum or the band it rides in.
Use the factory method: if the transmission slips in third and also slips in reverse, the front clutch is the problem; a third-gear slip with a firm reverse points to the rear clutch. Check fluid condition and line pressure before you blame hard parts, because a weak pump or worn valve body starves every clutch at once. Our 48RE Ram 3500 Cummins common problems guide covers the failures this drum is built for, and 48RE Ram 2500 Cummins shift problems helps separate a hydraulic shift complaint from a worn clutch.
Listed for the 48RE with an A518 reference and a 1990 start year. The 48RE itself was built for 2003-2007 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks with the 5.9L Cummins. Before installing, compare it with your old drum: overall height, lug slot pattern, bushing bore and the band surface. If you are unsure which transmission is in your truck, send us the year and VIN. Browse everything we carry for this unit on the 48RE collection page.
| Fits | 48RE 1990 |
| Part type | Sprag Clutch |
| 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.
No. Despite the listing name, this is a remanufactured 5-clutch direct (front) drum with piston, pressure plate, five thin steels and a snap ring. If you need the overdrive one-way clutch, look at the new 48RE overdrive roller clutch instead.
No. Buy five direct clutch frictions to suit a 5-clutch pack, along with the seals in an overhaul kit.
It is listed against the A518 family, which includes those units, but check height, lug pattern, bushing bore and band surface against your old drum, or send your year and VIN before ordering.
Road test it. A slip in third that also shows up in reverse points to the front clutch. A slip in third with good reverse points to the rear clutch.
ATF+4, which Chrysler specifies for the 48RE. Non-specified fluids can cause poor shift quality and converter shudder.
