545RFE Clutch Drum, new and ready to install. Fits the 545RFE. Ships fast from the USA.
This listing is filed under clutch drum, but the part in the photo is the round, double-sided return spring assembly that lives inside the 545RFE input clutch retainer: a steel cage carrying a ring of coil springs, the piece Mopar catalogs as the underdrive piston spring and rebuild suppliers call the underdrive/overdrive clutch return spring. It is listed as new. If your Ram 1500, Durango, Dakota, Grand Cherokee or Commander has a 545RFE or 45RFE that binds up, drags in neutral, or burned the underdrive clutch after a rebuild, a fatigued or broken return spring is one of the cheap parts worth replacing before the unit goes back together.
The 545RFE builds every gear by applying two clutches at once, and the underdrive, overdrive and reverse clutches all sit in the input clutch retainer that spins with the input shaft. Oil pressure pushes a piston to clamp a clutch pack. The return spring does the opposite job: the instant the solenoid exhausts that circuit, the springs push the piston back off the plates so the pack releases cleanly. Chrysler's 545RFE application chart has the underdrive clutch applied in first, second, second prime and third, so this spring cycles every time the truck pulls away and on every shift through the low gears.
A spring cage that has lost tension, has a collapsed coil, or has a cracked retainer lip lets the piston hang on the plates. The clutch it should be releasing keeps dragging while the next clutch applies. That is a tie-up, and in an RFE the computer sees it as a ratio problem before the driver feels anything more than a harsh or sluggish shift.
Most RFE shift complaints start in the solenoid pack, the line pressure sensor or the valve body, so rule those out first with a scan tool and a pressure check. Our 45RFE and 545RFE valve body testing guide covers that side. If the unit is already apart, set the return spring on a flat bench and look for coils that sit lower than their neighbors, springs that have popped out of their pockets, and a cage that rocks. The 3-4 clutch failure guide explains how to air-check the underdrive, overdrive and reverse circuits so you know whether the problem is a seal, a piston or the spring.
The title names only the 545RFE, and the same input clutch retainer design is shared with the 45RFE, so this style of spring is used across 1999-up Dodge Ram 1500, Durango and Dakota and Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander and Liberty applications. Chrysler did revise parts inside the retainer over the years, and the later 68RFE is cataloged with the same spring by some suppliers, but we cannot promise interchange by photo alone. Before ordering, compare the coil count, outside diameter and cage shape with the spring you removed, or check against Mopar 4799101 / 04799101AB, the number Mopar lists for the underdrive piston spring. If you are not sure, send us your year and VIN and we will check it. Every other part we stock for these units is on our 545RFE parts page.
If the frictions are burned, the whole unit usually needs to come apart. Our 45RFE / 545RFE master rebuild kit covers the seals, gaskets and frictions you will need with this spring.
| Fits | 545RFE |
| Part type | Clutch Drum |
| 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.
No. It is the return spring assembly that sits inside the input clutch retainer and pushes the underdrive piston off the clutch pack. It is listed under clutch drum because builders often shop for it while rebuilding the drum.
The 45RFE and 545RFE share the input clutch retainer design, and Mopar lists the same underdrive piston spring for both. Compare it with your old spring or send us your year and VIN to be sure.
The piston can hang on the plates after release, so the clutch drags while the next one applies. That causes harsh or tied-up shifts, heat and burned frictions, often soon after a rebuild.
Use Mopar ATF+4 or an approved ATF+4 fluid, then run the quick learn procedure with a capable scan tool so the controller relearns clutch fill volumes.
Replace the piston seals and sealing rings in the retainer, check the underdrive piston for tears or cracks, and fit new frictions and steels if the pack shows heat.
