What are the chances of making the Charger handle?

So guys with the Charger sitting in my driveway I have to wonder. What are the chances of actually making this thing handle to where I could maybe take it to an autocross or just have just a little more fun on some twisty roads?

I mean I know that wrangling in 2 tons ( ) is going to not be the easiest task. Heck the thing weights a good deal more than even my Cutlass. In fact I would have to say it is the heaviest car that I have owned to date. Anyone here have experience trying to make an LX handle?

Move to Florida where the only curves are highway on ramps?

Apologies to those of you living in the land of my elderly family!

Lots of rubber and spring rate.

Or, the same thing you'd do to any car. Is it ever going to have the turn-in of a Miata or S2000? No. Can you still make it fun to hustle around the turns? Sure.

For example, I think the Vorshlag TT3 Mustang race weight (with driver) is somewhere north of 3800lbs and it MOVES.

Yeah I need to dig around and see if I can find a good combo. I have seen a couple videos of guys autocrossing their Chargers and doing decently and having a good time. As you said not like a Miata but heck a Miata doesn't have this kind of power either so a trade off.

Also going to dig up a set of the cop wheels to toss my winter tires on.

Right now I am kind of annoyed as it seems the paint on this thing is very thin and it just flat out has a ton of rock chips. One of the prices to pay for a place that gravels roads instead of spreading salt.

SRT parts?

Cop suspension?

Yeah I was initially thinking of just seeing if I could find a take off SRT suspension. Is the cop setup any different from the standard RT?

No idea, I just figure it must be good if the Michigan State Police use them.

Really good. My recipe for a better handling charger would be, hotchkis sway bars with energy suspension poly mounts /end links, front and rear. Bilsteins or Konis all the way around. Widest Ultra high performance summer tires you can fit. Hawk hp pads. Eibach or hotchkis springs 1"drop. Go have some fun.

First, I'd add camber bolts, not only do they increase grip but they'll make the tires last longer as well. Second, I' upgrade the sway bars, you get a big body roll reduction with only a small ride comfort penalty. Third, Michelin Pilot Super Sports on lightweight wheels, preferably OE diamater but wider. Fourth, straight pipes. Not only will it sound better, but this is a fairly cheap way to eliminate 20-30lbs. From the car. If you're chasing frog hairs, you could always go with a lithium battery so long as it stays above freezing.

was I the only one thinking of a late 60's b-body until the last sentence?

anyway, id go hotchkis springs/sway bears/shocks. they make great dual purpose stuff.

Berfore I had my Jeep, I had a 2011 Ram 1500. I put Hellwig sways on front and rear. I also put 22" SRT style wheels on. The tires went from 275/60R20 Goodyear Wrangler HPs to 305/40R22 Nexen Roadian HPs. The difference was like night and day. That 4800lb black beast would move!

I would start with bigger sways to control body roll, then stiffer springs. Tires also make a huge difference as OEM tires are pretty much garbage.

How is the Predator tuner working out?

Over 4000lbs. Woah

I'd follow the typical autoxer solution:

Wide wheels, wide sticky tires, stock (or eliminated) rear bar, enormous front bar, and crazy spring rates.

Will it be fun? Hell yeah. Competitive? Not a chance.

That said, the wheels & tires required to tame a >4000lb car would make my wallet cry.

Make it "Handle"? Not much of a chance. Stuff called "physics" gets in the way.

Make it "Go around a corner" Yeah, that can be done. Just give it the chassis dynamics of a go cart with the same rubber contact patch ratio and you should be fine. You will know the suspension is right when it actually hurts to drive around the block.

Tires for this trick are going to be the equivalent of buying a used Miata every time they wear out...which they will do often.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Cop suspension?

The pursuit car doesn't turn worth a damn either. Cops are trained to treat it as a straight-line gunner.

ProDarwin wrote: Over 4000lbs. Woah I'd follow the typical autoxer solution: Wide wheels, wide sticky tires, stock (or eliminated) rear bar, enormous front bar, and crazy spring rates. Will it be fun? Hell yeah. Competitive? Not a chance. That said, the wheels & tires required to tame a >4000lb car would make my wallet cry.

Yep, this formula works like everybody else has said.

I planned to do this to my E39 M5, which is similar in weight. It would have been fun if I completed it, but the cost of admission for fun was way too much for me.

does the Charger not handle better than the Panther platform cars right out of the box?

I autocrossed a stock suspension grand marquis, only mods the HPP rear swaybar (21mm vs stock 17mm) and 17x8 mustang wheels and 245 width tires. It was still a big heavy car with soft suspension but I felt it was at least reasonably predictable with its handling characteristics. I thought it was fun.

Having driven my father in laws 300C awd hemi several times, that car handles way tighter than my Marquis ever did. I see absolutely no reason why you cant make the Charger more fun to drive.

ProDarwin wrote: I'd follow the typical autoxer solution: Wide wheels, wide sticky tires, stock (or eliminated) rear bar, enormous front bar, and crazy spring rates.

It's pretty common in AutoX to remove the rear sway bar?

Well this morning before work I decided to go about oh 40 miles out of my way and follow a 20 mile twist filled road between towns with loads ups, downs, off camber corners and snaking corners. The car was certainly "fun" though not up to its potential. A bit more body roll than I would really like when pushed, wider (and far better) tires are going to be a must as well from what I experienced today.

I know the SRT got a fatter sway bar up front though I think uses the same rear. I am already planning on new tires for next year anyway, I will have to see about new wheels as well, maybe just wider factory ones someone took off. We will have to see what else I have the cash for here soon.

I don't really care so much about it being competitive as I do it being fun. It is not like I will have the chance to run in many events where I live anyway. I need to remind myself though I must keep the car comfortable enough to haul the family around in so I can't go to crazy with making things stiff

Dusterbd13 wrote: was I the only one thinking of a late 60's b-body until the last sentence?

If I happen to find one for a reasonable price it may take the Cutlass's place in the the shop. There is a '71 for sale about 3 hours from me that I have avoided contacting them about.

I still kick myself for not buying the '69 I found YEARS ago and almost picked up.

failboat wrote: does the Charger not handle better than the Panther platform cars right out of the box?

Our SCCA chapter used to do a charity event at which we invited local law enforcement agencies to compete in their own class. P71s always beat the Chargers, I think in part because the Charger's wheelbase (120") is 6" longer than the Ford's. The Charger is just a huge vehicle.

On a road course I have no idea if the outcome would have been the same.

Will wrote: On a road course I have no idea if the outcome would have been the same.

That would be very interesting to find out.

Oh on a side note SWMBO said I can basically do whatever I want to the Charger so long as it can still haul her and the kid around and we have the extra cash to do whatever mods I am planning...I even suggested the supercharger later on down the road and she was fine so long as the bills are payed, food is on the table, all the cars have gas and it doesn't come out of our monthly savings stash.

It helps that what she wants to do with the Invicta will take years and more than likely at least $30,000.

Cool_Hand_Luke wrote:

ProDarwin wrote: I'd follow the typical autoxer solution: Wide wheels, wide sticky tires, stock (or eliminated) rear bar, enormous front bar, and crazy spring rates.

It's pretty common in AutoX to remove the rear sway bar?

For RWD cars, its certainly not uncommon.

I only weighed my 2006 Magnum once.

It was about 100 lbs heavier than an e90 M3.

About 200 lbs heavier than a new Boss 302 Mustang.

So, given those huge differences, i would have to say it is IMPOSSIBLE to make an LX Mopar handle well.

Dang I didn't realize how portly it seems just about ALL new cars have gotten. Kinda hard to believe the newer Boss Mustang is only 200 lbs less.