5R55E Clutch Module 1985-1989, new and ready to install. Fits the 5R55E. Ships fast from the USA.
If you own a late-1980s Ranger, Bronco II or Aerostar that slips on the take-off, flares into third or has started to smell burnt, you have probably seen this friction set turn up under a 5R55E search. That is because the part, A56119A (industry 041752A), is catalogued across the whole Ford family it belongs to: A4LD, 4R44E, 4R55E, 5R44E and 5R55E. The year range is the part that matters. This module is the 1985-1989 version, which means it was built for the first-generation A4LD, the transmission every later unit in that list grew out of.
No truck left the factory with a 5R55E in 1985. Sonnax dates the electronic 4R44E to 1995, the 4R55E to 1996 and the five-speed 5R44E and 5R55E to 1997. Before that, the same case family was the A4LD, which The Ranger Station describes as Ford's French-built C3 three-speed with an overdrive section added to the front. Parts catalogs group all of them together, so a friction set for a 1987 A4LD carries the 5R55E name in its interchange. If your vehicle really is a 1997-or-later five-speed, this is not your set; look at the 1997 5R55E clutch module instead.
The A4LD gets its four ratios from a planetary geartrain controlled by three bands (overdrive, intermediate and reverse) and three clutch packs: the coast clutch in the overdrive unit, then the forward clutch and the reverse-high clutch behind it. Every clutch pack alternates lined friction discs with plain steels. When the lining wears or glazes, the pack cannot hold torque and the engine flares while the gear slips. This module supplies the lined discs for those packs; the photo shows both internal-spline and external-tooth styles plus a dark-faced disc.
The Ranger Station calls heat the main killer of the A4LD: cooked fluid wears the packs and bands fast. Before you pull the transmission, check fluid level and smell, look for ATF in the modulator vacuum hose, and adjust the bands, since a worn band can mimic a clutch slip. Our harsh or delayed shift walkthrough lays out a pressure-first diagnostic order that applies to this family, and the slipping causes guide covers how to tell a clutch slip from a band slip.
Listed for 1985-1989 A4LD-family units. By The Ranger Station's application list, that window covers the 1985-1989 Ranger and Bronco II, the 1986-1989 Aerostar, the 1987-1989 Mustang with the 2.3L four and the 1987-1988 Thunderbird with the 2.3L. Ford changed the A4LD during these years: the original single-solenoid unit (lock-up only, 2-pin connector) gained a second solenoid for electronic 3-4 shift control in mid-1988 (3-pin connector). Because of that running change, count your old discs and compare tooth style and outside diameter before installing, or send us your year and VIN to check. The 1990-1996 module covers later A4LD, 4R44E and 4R55E units, and the full family is on the 5R55 parts page.
| Fits | 5R55E 1985-1989 |
| Part type | Clutch Module |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Reference | A56119A |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
No. A 1988 Ranger automatic is an A4LD. The 5R55E name did not appear until 1997, but this 1985-1989 friction module was built for the A4LD and is catalogued under the family name.
Look at the electrical connector on the driver side of the case. A 2-pin connector is the single-solenoid unit with lock-up only; a 3-pin connector is the dual-solenoid unit with electronic 3-4 shift control.
It is the friction disc set. Plan on piston seals from an overhaul kit, and replace any steels that are warped or heat-blued.
The A4LD was filled with Mercon from the factory; Mercon V is the recommended replacement. Flush the cooler and lines first so old debris does not reach the new frictions.
Not always. On the A4LD a missing fourth gear is often the overdrive sprag locking and tearing the forward clutch spring pack, which needs those parts replaced as well.
