4R70W Planetary 2004, remanufactured and ready to install. Fits the 4R70W. Ships fast from the USA.
2004 is the odd year in the 4R70W story, and that matters when you are replacing the planetary. A 2004 F-150 Heritage, Expedition, E-Series van, V6 Mustang, Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis or Town Car that has started to howl at cruise, lost a gear, or left steel on the pan magnet needs a gearset that matches the parts Ford changed that year. This remanufactured 4R70W planetary is listed specifically for 2004 builds.
The 4R70W, like the AOD it grew from, gets four forward speeds and Reverse out of one Ravigneaux-style compound gearset. A forward sun gear and a reverse sun gear drive short and long pinions that share one carrier, and the ring gear around them turns the output shaft. The forward, direct, reverse and overdrive clutches, the intermediate clutch and the bands simply choose which member is driven and which is held. Ford's 4R70W ratios are 2.84 first, 1.55 second, 1.00 third, 0.70 overdrive and 2.32 Reverse, and every one of them passes through this gearset, so worn pinion needles or thrust surfaces are felt and heard in every gear.
ATRA's 4R70W/4R75E interchange notes list several hard-part changes that landed for 2004. The ring gear went from six machined holes read by the output speed sensor to a 24-lug exciter on the parking pawl ring, and ATRA states that early and late ring gears cannot be swapped: an early ring gear in a late unit cuts the OSS signal by about 75 percent and leaves the truck stuck in first, while a late ring gear in an early unit reads four times too fast. The sun shell was also strengthened for 2004, and the electronic 4R70E/4R75E versions need a non-magnetic shell so the turbine speed sensor can read the forward drum. The planet carrier itself kept the same ratio and dimensions, with a welded rear cover replacing rivets.
Drive it and note whether the noise follows road speed or engine rpm; noise in Park and Neutral points to the pump or converter, not the gearset. Pull the pan and read the magnet. Scan for ratio and OSS codes and check the sensor before blaming hard parts. Our 4R70W F-150 common problems guide walks through the noise and debris faults, and the Expedition guide covers the 5.4L trucks. On the bench, check pinion end play, roll each pinion for roughness, and look for heat-blued gears or chipped teeth.
This listing is for the 2004 model year only. In 2004 Ford ran the 4R70W, 4R75W, 4R70E and 4R75E side by side depending on engine and vehicle, so read the transmission tag before ordering. Count the output speed sensor lugs on your ring gear (24 on late units, six holes on early ones) and compare the shell and carrier with the photo. If anything does not line up, send us your year and VIN and we will confirm. Earlier trucks and cars should look at the 1992-2003 4R70W planetary, and the full parts range is on the 4R70W collection page.
| Fits | 4R70W 2004 |
| Part type | Planetary |
| Condition | Remanufactured |
| 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.
Not as a plug-in. Ford changed the ring gear output speed sensor pattern for 2004, and ATRA says early and late ring gears do not interchange. For a 2002 look at our 1992-2003 4R70W planetary, or send us your VIN.
Early ring gears have six machined holes for the output speed sensor. The 2004-up design reads 24 lugs on the parking pawl ring. Count them on your old part before ordering.
The planet carrier ratio and size are shared, but the electronic units need a non-magnetic sun shell for the turbine speed sensor. Match the tag on your transmission and keep the 2004 sun shell set together.
Thrust washers and bearings around the gearset, worn bushings, the filter, and the clutch frictions if steel debris got into them. Flush the cooler so old metal does not come back.
MERCON V. Ford moved some later Panther cars to MERCON LV starting with 2009, so a 2004 stays on MERCON V.
