Challenger Demon Gets Drag Mode, Drag Suspension

This new Demon is going to leave the line in a hurry.

The next teaser video for the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon went live this morning on IfYouKnowYouKnow.com and this time, we are focusing on the suspension setup of the new Mopar muscle car.

To be more specific, this week brings us a new computerized look at the front and rear suspension setup of the new Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and this video is accompanied by a press release detailing some of the features of the new drag race-ready suspension setup.

First up, we have the newest teaser video, showing the computerized Challenger Demon launching after the system highlights some front and rear suspension components. It doesn’t really reveal anything, but it sets the tone for the information in the newest press release – while also giving us a chance to hear the Demon roar on launch once again.

In the press release, Dodge explains that the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon will have new front and rear springs, new drag-tuned Bilstein active dampers and new front and rear sway bars. The front springs have a 35% lower rate while the rear spring rate drops to 28%. The front sway bar of the Demon has a 75% lower rate and the rear bar is 44% softer when compared to the Hellcat Challenger, and when paired with the new springs and the new Bilstein dampers – this system should offer significantly better launch traction through ideal weight transfer.

These new components work with a new version of the Hellcat Challenger’s Drive Mode system, which now includes Drag Mode in the 2018 Challenger Demon. Drag Mode adjusts the front and rear dampers to allow the best weight transfer, while disabling traction control, but electronic stability control remains on to help with traction on launch. Next, Drag Mode will likely soften the front dampers, allowing the nose of the car to rise and launch, which in turn puts more weight on the rear wheels while firm rear dampers help to keep the wheels against the pavement. However, thanks to the active damping system, this ideal suspension setting for a hard drag strip launch will only function this way at wide open throttle – allowing the car to handle far better when the Demon isn’t being pushed to its limits.

Finally, along with the new suspension information, Dodge has offered up some new information which creates more questions than it answers. The Software portion likely relates to how the electronic suspension bits adjust under different driving situations, but the “Result” numbers are a complete mystery – so feel free to offer up any ideas in the forum by clicking here.

Hardware:
35 percent lower rate front springs/28 percent lower rate rear springs
75 percent lower rate hollow front sway bar/44 percent lower rate rear sway bar
Drag-tuned Bilstein Adaptive Damping Shocks

Software:
Rear = F/F and Front = F/S
F/F – F/S maintained @ wide open throttle (WOT)
F/F – F/F < WOT
Traction control disabled/ESC maintained

Result:
13.5=575@500

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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