5R55E Clutch Module 1997-2011, new and ready to install. Fits the 5R55E. Ships fast from the USA.
A Ranger 4.0L, Mazda B4000 or early Explorer with the 5R55E that has started to slip in third, slide through the 2-3 shift, or wait before it takes Drive is usually telling you the clutch packs are glazed. This listing is named a clutch module, but the package pictured is much more than one pack: it shows a gasket and seal overhaul set, boxed clutch packs with friction discs and steel plates, two bands, two bushings and a filter. It is built for the 1997-2011 5R55E and is the right buy when the unit is already on the bench and you want to renew every wear surface in one pass.
The 5R55E is the five-speed version of Ford's small rear-drive automatic, the one that grew out of the 4R44E and 4R55E. It uses a mix of multi-plate clutches and bands. The forward, direct and coast clutches each stack friction discs between steel plates; a hydraulic piston squeezes the stack so a drum and its shaft turn together. The overdrive and intermediate bands wrap around drums and hold them still. Every shift is an overlap: one element lets go while another grabs. If one pack has lost lining, it cannot hold during that overlap, the engine flares, and the heat spreads to the steels and the band next to it. That is why a slipping 5R55E almost never has just one bad friction by the time it comes apart.
Pull the pan first. Friction material and dark fluid confirm the packs are worn. Clean fluid with the same complaints usually means a hydraulic leak, not worn clutches. Sonnax points to leakage in the EPC circuit of the 4R44E/5R55E valve body as a cause of delayed reverse, 1-2 and 2-3 flares and even broken bands, and to the coast clutch valve as a cause of missing fourth, fifth or engine braking. If you skip that check, new clutches can burn the same way. Our 5R55 harsh and delayed shift walkthrough lays out the order of tests, and the general transmission slipping diagnosis guide covers the line pressure checks.
The listing covers the 5R55E from 1997 through 2011. That unit was used behind the 4.0L V6 in the Ford Ranger and Mazda B4000 for that whole run, and in the late-1990s Explorer and the Explorer Sport and Sport Trac. It is not the same transmission as the 5R55W and 5R55S in the 2002-up Explorer, Mountaineer, Mustang and Lincoln LS, even though the names look alike; Sonnax notes those only share the label. Two-wheel and four-wheel drive trucks use different filters and extension housing bushings, so compare the pictured filter and bushings with your old parts, or send us your year and VIN before ordering. Every 5R55E part we carry is listed on our 5R55 transmission parts page.
A rebuild only lasts as long as the hydraulics behind it. If the valve body tested leaky, the Sonnax 4R44E/5R55E Zip Kit fixes the known wear points, or a complete 5R55E valve body replaces it outright. Adding the 5R55E shift kit while the unit is open firms up the overlaps and cuts the slip time that wore out the old packs.
| Fits | 5R55E 1997-2011 |
| Part type | Clutch Module |
| 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.
The package pictured is a full set: a gasket and seal overhaul kit, boxed clutch packs with frictions and steels, two bands, two bushings and a filter. It is meant for a complete soft-parts rebuild, not a one-clutch repair.
Only if your Explorer has the 5R55E, which was used in the Explorer Sport and Sport Trac. The four-door 2002-up Explorer uses the 5R55W, a different transmission. Check the tag on the case or send us your VIN.
The clutches and bands are shared, but the filter and extension housing bushing differ between 2WD and 4WD. Compare the pictured parts with yours, or give us your VIN and we will confirm.
Mercon V. Soak the new frictions in it before assembly and set the final level with the transmission at operating temperature.
If the old unit burned its clutches, test the valve body. Worn EPC and coast clutch circuits in this family cause flares and broken bands, and they will damage new clutches the same way.
