Summary
- Upgrading the Dodge Challenger's gear shifter with an aftermarket one can greatly improve the driving experience, as the stock shifter is loose and sloppy compared to competitors like the Chevy Camaro.
- The 'Skip Shift-Eliminator' is an accessory that can remove the gear-blocking feature in the transmission, allowing the driver to have more control and enjoy a better driving experience.
- Changing the rear gearing in the differential from '390' to '410' can significantly improve acceleration while slightly lowering top speed.
RacerX on YouTube is a loyal muscle car owner and a Mopar fan. In a recent update, the twin-turbo Mustang driver covers the subject of the Dodge Challenger. Specifically, its shortcomings and upgrades that can improve the driving experience of the Mopar muscle car.
At the start of the video, the automotive YouTuber finds himself at Courtesy Dodge in Tampa, Florida. Using the Dodge Challenger Shakedown as an example, he cites the first possible upgrade for the Challenger: the gearbox.
The Shakedown was the first ‘Last Call’ special edition Dodge Challenger, based on the Challenger R/T Scat Pack and widebody variant in 500 examples each. This widebody Challenger has the manual transmission shifter, which RacerX says is a weak point.
You Can Upgrade The Dodge Challenger Gear Shifter For An Aftermarket One
It’s the manual transmission that lets down an otherwise excellent muscle car-driving experience – RacerX points out the gear shifter is loose and sloppy. He illustrates the shifting motion and points out the excessive play in the stick even when a gear gets engaged. Comparing it to the Chevy Camaro’s shift feel, it seems obviously inferior.
An aftermarket shifter and linkage assembly from Barton, Hurst or other manufacturers can make the car seem like a completely different machine on the road when shifting gears. RacerX compares the upgrade to making the shifter feel more like a ‘bolt-action rifle’, rather than stirring soup.
The cost doesn’t get discussed, but for those spending big money on a new or even used Challenger, a good shifter feel could make a difference.
Another upgrade is the ‘Skip Shift-Eliminator’: a workaround to avoid the car skipping or ‘blocking’ gears as it tries to improve fuel economy.
How To Upgrade The Dodge Challenger’s Driving Experience
In order to meet CAFE regulations, the transmission will ‘block’ certain gears to lower rpm and improve fuel consumption, but this messes with the driving experience says RacerX. An accessory can remove the feature and enable the driver to drive as he or she wishes.
The third main upgrade RacerX discusses is the rear gearing in the differential up back. Briefly, changing the rear gearing from ‘390’ to ‘410’ improves acceleration, and slightly lowers top speed as a tradeoff. He says that along with the upgraded shifter, this is the optimum combination for the Dodge muscle car.
A snappy shifter, gear-blocker eliminator and different gearing up back could turn the Challenger into a different beast, even with the Challenger R/T’s 375 hp / 410 lb-ft, all the way up to the Hellcat’s 717 hp / 656 lb-ft. Since power and torque are in abundance even in the car's entry-level R/T and Scat Pack forms, the actual driving feel and gear shift seem well worthy of some attention.