Dodge are keeping us busy each Thursday morning by releasing teasers of their upcoming Challenger SRT Demon.
Detailed in the eighth installment of the campaign is the Launch Assist system designed to reduce ‘wheel hop’. This phenomenon happens when tires slip and regain traction and launch, thus storing up and releasing energy in the driveline, which can damage components.
Not anymore, as the Launch Assist uses wheel speed sensors to watch for signs of tire-slipping/sticking, and if this is detected, then the control module reduces torque to maximize traction, almost instantly, with no necessary lift from the driver. The system is said to reduce loads in the driveline by more than 15-20 percent.
Compared to the Challenger SRT Hellcat, Dodge’s Demon also has an upgraded prop shaft that increases torque capacity by 15 percent, upgraded differential housing with 30 percent increased torque capacity, and tweaked ’41-spline halfshafts’, which deliver 20 percent more torque capacity.
We also learn that the Demon gets a new four-point harness bar for use on the track. Being that the rear seats were removed, the mounting points are easily accessible, without cutting or drilling anything inside the car..
Compared with the Challenger Hellcat, critical driveline updates include:
• Upgraded prop shaft increases torque capacity by 15 percent: Accomplished through the use of high-strength steel, a 20-percent increase in tube thickness and heat treated stub-shafts.
• Upgraded differential housing, with 30 percent increased torque capacity: Accomplished through the use of heat-treated A383 aluminum alloy and a higher strength gear set material that has been shot-peened to increase durability and reduce residual stresses.
• Upgraded 41-spline half shafts that deliver 20 percent increased torque capacity: Accomplished through the use of increased diameter high-strength low alloy steel and 8-ball joints that improve torque capacity while reducing operating temperatures by more than 86 degrees Fahrenheit.