Dodge Challenger and Charger Manual Clutch Replacement Guide

If your Challenger shifts through a Tremec six-speed and the clutch has started to slip, flare, or chatter, you are looking at one of the bigger drivetrain jobs on the car. This guide covers what the factory clutch is, how to recognize wear, what the replacement involves, which parts to pair with it, and what to do about the Charger, which is a different story.

What the Challenger Runs

Modern Challengers use the Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual. According to AmericanMuscle, the 5.7L V8 uses a ZF-Sachs 240 mm twin-disc clutch, and 6.2L cars get a larger 258 mm twin-disc unit (AmericanMuscle: Challenger clutches). The same source notes that factory clutches show "premature clutch wear and release bearing problems even at stock power levels," and that a slipping clutch brings a high-revving engine, little forward motion and a burning smell.

What About the Charger?

The modern Charger was not offered with a manual transmission from the factory. Mopar Connection's report on a Tremec six-speed conversion for a Charger R/T says the shop set out to build a Tremec swap kit and notes that there were several reasons Dodge did not offer the option (Mopar Connection: Charger R/T Tremec project). That means there is no factory-fit modern Charger clutch to buy off the shelf: a manual Charger is a swap, and the right clutch depends on how the swap was built. The Charger clutch kits in our store are listed for older cars, for example the 1972-1978 400ci and the 1981-1986 front-wheel-drive Charger, and the titles say so. The kits linked in this article are Challenger kits. We are not claiming Charger fitment for them.

Signs the Clutch Is Done

• Engine speed rises without matching acceleration, especially in higher gears.
• A burning smell after hard pulls.
• Engagement point creeping to the top of the pedal travel.
• Noise or roughness when the pedal is pushed in, a classic release bearing symptom.

Check the hydraulics first. Air or a leak in the system can cause incomplete release that feels like a worn clutch (American Powertrain clutch diagnostics guide).

Single Disc or Twin Disc

AmericanMuscle describes twin-disc systems as delivering high holding capacity without hurting drivability, and as costing more than single-disc kits. Its single-disc ladder runs from Stage 1 at roughly 15 percent over OEM capacity, through Stage 2 at about 750 hp with organic friction, to Stage 3 at about 1000 hp with ceramic friction and abrupt engagement, and Stage 4 as race-only. The store kits we list for the Challenger are twin-disc kits from ACT, Clutch Masters, McLeod and SPEC, so check each listing's description for what is included.

Replacement Procedure Overview

A published walkthrough of a Ram Clutches twin-disc installation on a 2010 Challenger lays out the sequence (Challenger clutch replacement walkthrough):

1. Remove the driveshaft, exhaust, starter, slave assembly and shifter components.
2. Support the Tremec 6060 with a transmission jack, disconnect the crossmember (6 fasteners) and the bellhousing (8 fasteners), and remove the transmission.
3. Install a new pilot bearing in the crankshaft and remove the original flywheel.
4. Fit the new flywheel, then center the discs with an alignment tool and install the cover, following the kit's alignment marks.
5. Reconnect the hydraulic feed line, raise the transmission and reinstall the linkage, crossmember, driveshaft and exhaust.

That article lists 85 ft-lb for the flywheel bolts and 35 ft-lb for the floater plate, but those figures are for that specific aftermarket kit. Use the torque values in the instructions for your own kit.

Flywheel and Replace-While-In-There List

AmericanMuscle advises replacing the pressure plate and release bearing at the same time as the disc and at least resurfacing the flywheel, with some manufacturers recommending full replacement. For a twin-disc car that is also the moment to consider an aluminum flywheel, since McLeod and Clutch Masters both list aluminum flywheel packages for the Challenger.

Many aftermarket clutch kits also include a concentric slave and release bearing. A Phoenix Friction listing for a 2011 Challenger R/T 5.7L and SRT8 6.4L clutch kit (woven organic friction) includes the pressure plate, disc, concentric slave and release bearing and pilot bearing, and warns buyers to pull the existing clutch and measure the disc diameter before ordering (Phoenix Friction 05-095 listing). That is good advice for any application: confirm what is installed first.

Break-In, Effort and Cost Framing

AmericanMuscle recommends 200 to 500 miles of normal driving before aggressive use so the friction surface does not glaze. Labor is the main cost: transmission removal on this car is an advanced DIY job, so plan a full weekend with a lift and a transmission jack, or book a shop. Because of that, buy the clutch, flywheel work and hydraulic parts together. Related reading: Camaro SS clutch upgrade and when to replace the flywheel during a clutch job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the Charger come with a manual?

Per the Mopar Connection report, a Tremec manual in a modern Charger is a swap project, since Dodge did not offer the option. Verify any Charger clutch listing carefully.

What clutch does a stock Challenger use?

AmericanMuscle reports a ZF-Sachs 240 mm twin disc on the 5.7L and a 258 mm twin disc on the 6.2L, behind a Tremec TR-6060.

Should I replace the flywheel?

At minimum resurface it. Some makers recommend replacement, and many twin-disc kits are sold with an aluminum flywheel.

Sources

• AmericanMuscle: Challenger clutches
• Mopar Connection: Charger R/T Tremec project
• Challenger clutch replacement walkthrough
• Phoenix Friction: 05-095 Challenger clutch kit
• American Powertrain: clutch diagnostics guide