- Street Muscle - https://www.streetmusclemag.com -

Tech Install: Hurst Shifter for (2009-Current) Dodge Challenger

hurst-shifterleadart [1]

Modern musclecar owners enjoy all of the horsepower and performance they could want in a package that’s comfortable enough to take the family out to dinner, or even cruise cross-country. The interior is quiet, and filled with amenities that were only available in high-end luxury cars a few years back.

Hurst Billet/Plus 2 Shifter
Part #3916020
IMG_3017 [2]

  • CNC machined stainless steel stick
  • CNC machined aluminum carrier arm
  • PTFE lined spherical pivot bearing
  • Reduced shift throw
  • Smooth, positive shifting
  • Isolated mount assembly

Even though there’s often well over 400 HP on tap in our modern musclecars, the factory engineers still error on the side of caution with noise vibration and harshness. Evidence of this prudence can always be found in the shifter.

Factory shifters are cushy by performance standards. They’re designed for simple leverage and minimal noise, not necessarily for high performance. While today’s shifters are better than those on factory muscles of even just a few years ago, they still leave a lot to be desired in the performance department. 

A shifter upgrade is a smart choice for any musclecar owner. Missed shifts cost you time on the drag strip, around the cones at the autocross, and even mess with your day just trying to merge onto the interstate. A more accurate, better feeling shifter will not only improve your car’s performance, but it also improves the overall driving experience.

[3]

The shifter assembly features many precision CNC machined parts, as well as upgraded bushings, and a shorter throw for more precise shifting action and feel.

You may remember a few years ago, Hurst [4] teamed with Mopar to offer a special edition Hurst Challenger. Their Billet/Plus 2 shifter [5] was standard in that car, and it’s now available to manual transmission Challenger owners everywhere.

Designed with Hurst’s legendary precision in mind, it features CNC-machined parts such as the stainless steel stick assembly, the aluminum carrier arm, and the stick arm adapter. There’s also a teflon-lined spherical pivot bearing to keep shifts firm and precise.

Classic Looks for Modern Muscle

Hurst designed the shifter for use with the included classic chrome stick and white shift ball, or you can reuse the stock factory stick. You could also opt for the pistol-grip, completing the retro-feel of the shifter. This shifter promises to reduce shift throws, and gives drivers that crisp shifter feeling allowing them to quickly, and aggressively rip through every gear change with authority.

  • [6]
  • [7]

We installed the shifter on this 2010 Challenger RT. Dodge did a decent job making the factory shifter look classic and modern, but for aggressive driving its function leaves much to be desired.

We recently installed a Billet/Plus 2 shifter in a 2010 Dodge Challenger, part number 3916020 [8]. Upon inspection of the parts, the first thing we noticed is how much beefier the Hurst piece is compared to the stock unit. The bushings in the mounts were also heavy-duty, made from polyurethane rather than the stock rubber, further isolating the shifter from movement under hard shifts; this will also outlast the factory rubber bushings.

  • [9]
  • [10]

The console and accompanying covers must be removed to get to the stock shifter. The entire job requires only hand tools and should take about 2 hours. You can see the stock shifter (foreground) looks rather wimpy when compared to the Billet/Plus 2 shifter.

The shifter itself takes a couple of hours to install in the Challenger. The operation can be performed with basic hand tools, and unlike similar projects on the new Camaro [11] or Mustang, a lift is not required as all of the work is performed inside the car with the Challenger.

With Hurst’s new Billet/Plus 2 shifter installed, we took the Challenger out for a test spin. We immediately noticed improved shift feel on the first shift between first and second. We also found the new shifter offered much shorter throws, with a positive feel, giving us more confidence on the next shift, with little worry about missing a shift.

The Hurst shifter will provide the Challenger with years of reliable service, and a better driving experience. Check out the video [12] for the complete installation, and subscribe for notification of future tech installs. For more information about the Billet/Plus shifters, or any of Hurst’s other shifters, be sure to visit the Hurst web-site [4].

[13]

The Billet/Plus 2 shifter installs in the stock location utilizing the stock shifter boot. Not only does the shifter make a functional difference, but it’s also an improvement in appearance as well.