4L60E Sprag Clutch, new and ready to install. Fits the 4L60E. Ships fast from the USA.
A Chevy Silverado, Tahoe, S10 or Camaro, or a GMC Sierra or Yukon, with the 4L60E that revs in Drive but will not move, yet pulls fine when you pull the shifter down to manual 1, almost always has a failed forward sprag. This is a new Borg Warner sprag clutch for the 4L60E, the caged element assembly that sits between the forward clutch and the input sun gear. It is priced as a hard part to replace the one piece that failed, comes with a 1-year warranty and ships from the USA.
The 4L60E has two one-way clutches. The low roller clutch at the rear holds the reaction carrier in first gear. The sprag this listing replaces sits up front inside the input housing, where it is often called the input or forward sprag. The forward clutch drives its outer race, and its inner race turns the input sun gear. In Drive the sprag elements wedge and carry engine torque through first, second and third. On the 3-4 upshift, or any time you lift off the throttle, the sun gear overruns the forward clutch and the elements tilt the other way and freewheel. In manual ranges the overrun clutch bypasses the sprag and locks the sun gear to the housing for engine braking, which is why a truck with a dead sprag can still crawl in manual 1 or 2.
Sprag failures often follow other problems. Sonnax points out that the input sprag takes the full launch torque, and on hard-launched or modified trucks it lives a short life. A cracked forward accumulator piston or worn abuse valve bore can also starve the forward clutch, so the clutch slips, the sprag takes shock loads, and both end up in the pan together.
Do a range test with the brakes held: Drive, manual 3, manual 2, manual 1. A no-Drive with good manual 1 points at the sprag. No forward gear at all points at the forward clutch, its piston or the input housing seals. A slip only in first in every range points at the low roller clutch instead, sold as our GM 24217231 low roller clutch. Our guide to 4L60E forward clutch and sprag wear walks through the full teardown inspection. On the bench, hold the input housing and turn the sun gear shaft: it should spin freely one way and lock solid the other.
This sprag is listed for the 4L60E, the electronic four-speed used from 1993 to about 2013 behind the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe, Suburban, S10, Blazer, Camaro and Corvette and the GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon and Sonoma. The listing does not state an element count, and 4L60E forward sprags have been built with different element counts and race sizes, including the 29-element design many rebuilders use. Count the elements on your old sprag and measure the races, then compare. If you are unsure, send us your year and VIN or the transmission tag. The full range of parts is on our 4L60E parts page.
| Fits | 4L60E |
| Part type | Sprag Clutch |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | Borg Warner |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
This is the sprag clutch element assembly that rides in the input housing between the forward clutch and the input sun gear. The low roller clutch at the rear of the unit is a different part.
In manual 1 and 2 the overrun clutch bypasses the sprag and drives the sun gear directly. If those ranges pull and Drive does not, the sprag or its races are the most likely failure.
The listing is for the sprag clutch itself. Inspect your inner and outer races, and replace them if they are pitted, flattened or heat discolored.
Use Dexron VI. It is the current GM specification for the 4L60E and replaces the older Dexron III fills.
Forward clutch frictions and steels, the input housing seals, and a cracked forward accumulator piston if you find one. A master rebuild kit covers most of these.
