All About Challenger Shock Tower and Strut Braces

Strut bars or strut tower braces can come in many different names, but they all have the same function. A strut tower brace is a simple tubular or flat metal bar that connects to the top of the strut towers. The job of the strut bar is to prevent strut tower flex. 

In monocoque or unibody vehicles equipped with MacPherson strut front suspension, the strut towers are a part of the body structure of the vehicle. In this kind of set-up, the strut towers (and the body of the car) are part of the chassis. Upon entering a tight corner, the strut towers have a tendency to flex since the suspension is now essentially connected to the chassis. The sway bar will absorb the cornering load by connecting the left and right front suspension.

Installing a strut tower bar will basically link the top of both strut towers to prevent chassis flex. This in turn will ensure the front tires will maintain a direct contact with the ground, which means sharper handling, faster steering response, and a sportier driving feel.

That’s a good question considering the fact the Dodge Challenger is NOT equipped with MacPherson front suspension. On the other hand, all models of the Dodge Challenger are equipped with independent SLA (short long arm) double wishbones with high upper A-arms on both the front and rear of the vehicle. 

SLA is also referred to as unequal length double wishbone suspension. This type of set-up is better for handling since the design will enable the vehicle to have a lower drive height. This also allows the Dodge engineers to dial-in the optimized suspension geometry. This means the camber, caster, and scrub radius on each wheel can be aligned individually so the tires maintain a flat contact patch, even during hard cornering. 

But even though the Challenger is equipped with SLA suspension, installing a strut tower brace will further reinforce the rigidity and stability of the chassis. This will hold especially true with triangular strut tower braces, which are one of the best kinds for vintage and modern muscle cars. Triangular strut braces will have additional mounting points to connect the strut towers to the firewall. More on this later. 

Strut bars are designed to prevent chassis flex when cornering and are mounted on top of the suspension. Sway bars (or stabilizer bar, anti-sway bar, anti-roll bars) connects the bottom part of the suspension to the chassis of the vehicle to prevent body roll.

Strut bars and sway bars are located in different parts of the car, but they are both designed to increase chassis rigidity and eliminate body roll and suspension flex. A stiffer set of aftermarket performance sway bars will significantly reduce body roll compared to the stock units.

Regular two-point strut bars are designed to connect both the strut towers in the front end. This alone is enough to improve the handling characteristics of your Dodge Challenger. But if you demand more stiffness for virtually zero flex when cornering, triangular strut tower braces are a better option. 

Triangulated strut tower braces will provide more mounting points to further improve chassis and body rigidity. The triangular design will also connect the front tower braces to the firewall of the vehicle. This is regarded as a stronger and more rigid set-up compared a single strut tower bar. 

However, triangular strut bars are more expensive and may require professional installation depending on the year model of your Challenger. In most cases, triangular shock tower braces are ideal for older or classic muscle cars.

It will all depend on the design and construction of the strut bar. Since strut bars are designed to resist torsional or twisting forces, the material in the center of the strut bar will have little to no effect in resisting torsional forces. What this simply means is you can expect the same rigidity when using either a hollow or solid tube strut brace.

That said, there are differences between the two. Hollow strut bars are many times lighter than a solid strut bar while still maintaining torsional rigidity. In order to compensate for the lack of weight, hollow strut braces will have an increased diameter and wall thickness compared to solid designs. With that in mind, a 1-3/8” hollow strut bar may be equivalent to a solid strut bar with a diameter of 1-1/4”. However, due to the unique construction of hollow bars, the same 1-3/8” strut bar will be 43% to 50% lighter while still being 6% to 10% stiffer than a solid strut bar.

Having a difficult time choosing between the two? Our suggestion is to consider the cross-section and the distance between the end links of the strut bar. The material utilized in the construction of the strut brace should be factored in as well. The best shock tower braces for the Dodge Challenger are crafted from the high-quality 4130 Chrome-moly steel. The more expensive variety of strut bars are crafted from titanium, carbon fiber, or a mixture of steel and other alloys.

Adding a strut tower brace is ideal for stock and modified Dodge Challengers. Even though the benefits of a strut tower bar are only noticeable during hard cornering at higher speeds, you will also notice the difference when driving over bumpy roads. Your muscle car will feel more planted and settled and the front wheels will be more responsive to steering inputs.

In the case of 2009 to 2018 Dodge Challengers, installing a front strut tower brace will only require basic hand tools. Depending on the design of the strut bar (such as when installing a triangular strut bar), minor drilling might be necessary to complete the installation. In most cases, installing a front strut brace in a Dodge Challenger is a complete bolt-on affair. 

Things are a bit more complex in the rear. If you want to install a strut tower brace in the Challenger’s rear suspension, you must be prepared to cut the carpets in the rear to make room for the strut bar. Other than that, there are no complex modifications required.