SRT Chat HERE on September 17th!

[SRT Engineers]

Why did the 08 fly by wire not allow a more linear "throtle up" or acceration. No low end power then at about 2300 rpm it breaks the tires loose. Very aggravating and dangerous in my opinion? Was this addressed in the 09 model?


What changes were made between the 08 and 09 coupes? If any?


Oh by the Way it is an AWESUM car THANK YOU!

Drive by wire - There is obviously a lot of varying opinions on this subject out there. My simple take on it is this - The throttle feel of the 2008/2009 is much different than any previous generation of Viper. For those of you who were used to the cable feel, it may feel faster or slower (depending on your frame of reference), for those with other drive by wire cars, remember this is a 600 HP V-10 and it probably won't feel like your everyday driver or your Corvette for that matter. This is the first American production car to have dual ETC's so it will probably be different from anything else you have ever driven. The simple answer on this is...it is different! As you drive the car and get used to it, it will become less and less noticeable to you, give it time!

Currently, the 2009 calibration cannot be flashed into a 2008 car since it has not been certified for 2008 vehicles. The 2009 cal will be somewhat better for feel than the 2008 but it will be individually subjective. The Mopar Performance cal for the 2008/2009 Viper is based on the 2009 software and will have a much improved feel compared to either (2008 or 2009) but it is for Off-Road use only.

 

[ABADASP]

This doesn`t look good anybody hear a heart beat.

There you are

 

[SRT Engineers]

At one of the seminars during VOIX, a detailed presentation was given on the Gen 4 engine. Is there any chance that VCA members can get an electronic copy of that presentation?

We will need to look into it to see if there is any information we do not necessarily want out on the web. There was some interest in getting copies of the historical presentation, and the ACR presentation, as well, and some discussion took place with the VCA to post a document link to the presentations. Stay tuned.

 

[SRT Engineers]

D. Can the '08 ACR brakes be used on the regular '08? If so, what is involved in the change over?

The brake rotors are the only difference on the ACR brakes. You can install these assemblies, however, you will need to either remove the wear "squeal" clip on the pad or install a set of new pads with these located on the inboard side of the rotor face. If you do not change this, the "squeal" clip will contact the aluminum hat and cause damage.

 

[SRT Engineers]

Any advice on modifying Gen III cylinder heads for more power?

Send the heads to one of the reputable aftermarket guys if you are not sure! The heads can benefit from blending the short side radius of the port and bowls. De-shrouding the intake valve in the chamber out to the head gasket bead is good. I don't recommend dramatically increasing the port cross sections, the loss in velocity generally does not help (same with the intake manifold runners).

 

[SRT Engineers]

Prospective owner here...was curious if the suspension on pre 08 vehicles (mainly 05 and up) can be simply adjusted to 08 spec for improved performance, or were different parts used to achieve the more aggressive camber/ caster angles? I know the damping rates and spring rates are slightly different, but my main concern is geometry.

Thanks,

The alignment changes can be achieved within the current frame and suspension design. The chassis was retuned specifically for the PS2 tires. Unless you are switching to these tires, there is no performance improvement by changing springs, dampers, or alignment to 2008 specs.

 

[Bobpantax]

D. Can the '08 ACR brakes be used on the regular '08? If so, what is involved in the change over?

The brake rotors are the only difference on the ACR brakes. You can install these assemblies, however, you will need to either remove the wear "squeal" clip on the pad or install a set of new pads with these located on the inboard side of the rotor face. If you do not change this, the "squeal" clip will contact the aluminum hat and cause damage.

Thank you. Next question. Does the same answer apply to using the '08 ACR rotors on an '06 coupe?

 

[SRT Engineers]

That was a great survey...especially since I HAVE the paddle-shifting Vette...one thing about it: Wish the paddles were on the STEERING COLUMN, not the steering wheel, when turning and shifting, you have to 'follow' the steering wheel~! Okay, back to questions for the SRT people!

THANK YOU for these q & a sessions, they are greatly appreciated!
Question: Does the 2008 computer have to 'learn' the idle program? We've had issues with the car dying out completely with clutch engaged and in first gear twice now in stop-n-go traffic. We were stopped at the time. Haven't run it much since the last time it happened, and kinda spooked, as we don't wanna get rear-ended! Any tips on this? THANK YOU...juli

Idle torque adaption should take place pretty quickly so I would not expect that is the problem however it won't hurt to let the car idle for a while so that it can learn. How many miles does your car have? It is possible that your engine is not yet fully run-in and additional friction is resulting? This is especially evident if you lug the engine in gear to a lower than normal engine speed. One thing that could be done to improve this situation would be to run the engine! You could take it on a nice long drive or just let it idle but additional run time will help. A higher viscosity oil (I'd suggest Mobil 1 15W-50 for the Viper in this case) can also help until the engine is fully broken-in or if you are in very hot conditions.

 

[SRT Engineers]

How many SRT staff are crowded around that one computer??

Robert

About a dozen... it will fall when the pizza runs out.

 

[black08]

The Mopar Performance cal for the 2008/2009 Viper is based on the 2009 software and will have a much improved feel compared to either (2008 or 2009) but it is for Off-Road use only.

Can you give us some more details on this please?

 

[SRT Engineers]

I have the 09 VOI silver coupe on order I think. I was unable to attend VOI-10 so I did not see or here anything about the car fisrt hand. I have tried calling Kim several times but still have not spoken with her ,I have been contacted by sales as to which dealer I wished to use. My question is what can I expect with the car besides silver paint (options) and can we pick wheels or other options. Thanks for all the great vipers over the years.I hope more are in the future and good luck.

VOI 10 Special Edition (Sales Code ALL) - One build configuration.Exclusive Bright Silver Metallic PaintBlack InteriorSidewinder 5 -Spoke Wheels Stop Tech 2-Piece Light Weight Slotted Brake Rotors VOI 10 Exterior Embossed BadgeVOI 10 Console Serialized Badge - 01/100Dual Body "Fang" Stripe (Black)Protection Package - VOI 10 Embroidered Car Cover - Embroidered Floor MatsNavigation Radio

 

[SRT Engineers]

The record at the Ring was accomplished with an assist by an engineer to adjust the suspension for that track. The ACR manual has the factory settings and then some suggestions for track use. Could we get the information you have about suspension adjustments with a description of what kind of track each is best suited for. It would save us some time to have a better idea of which settings work best for certain track applications instead of each of us having to experiment on our own. Thanks again to all of you for sending the ACR over to the the Ring to set the record straight for our beloved Viper! YEA, YEA, YEA! Long live the King of the Ring!

Every track is different, so its very difficult to provide recommendations for many tracks. To define the ACR Manual Settings:

Smooth Track: Relatively flat track with little to no elevation change. Good surface condition with minor bumps and small FIA style curbing. For us, this would be tracks similar to Gingerman Raceway or Putnam Park Road Course. Our setup for say Gingerman would be:

Ride Heights: Front: 102mm Rear: 136mm
Splitter: 6mm deflection
Rear Wing: Pos 2
Damping: Front C6, R6 Rear C5 R5

Rough Track: Rough surface conditions with aggressive bumps or curbing. Large elevation changes that result in large compression of the suspension through dips. Local to us, this would be Nelson Ledges Road Course.

The Nurburgring is a little different than anything we have experienced in the USA. The surface is in good condition for most of the track, but the elevation changes and large compression dips are very ******* the suspension. Therefore, you need more control in the dampers and more travel at the suspension. Most of the turns are very high speed as well, so its nice to have more understeer at high speed. Our setup for the Nurburgring was:

Ride Heights: Front: 112mm Rear: 150mm
Splitter: 0mm deflection
Rear Wing: Pos 3
Damping: Front C4, R5 Rear C3 R6

If we were going to a track that was new to us, we would first look at the roughness and elevation. If it was smooth and flat, the car would be set at smooth track heights and smooth track damping. If it was rough or had large dips that would compress the suspension, we would raise the car to a rough track height first and likely set the damping at the smooth track positions. From here we would decide if the suspension needed more control for large compression movements or if the suspension was too stiff for smaller, shaper bumps. At the end of the day, each driver is different and you are really setting the car up for his/her comfort. Keep this in mind as our preferences may not match yours. The ACR was designed with this in mind and allows you to find your own "best setting."

 

[JonB]

Dirty Dozen: (Pizza-stained digits)

How are 2009 Orders going, ACR vs non ACR ? I got the impression at VOI that SRT is VERY happy with the ACR sales....

 

[SRT Engineers]

Can you share some ACR lap times at various tracks, so that we can determine if we are close to a proper setup? (and settle some bets...LOL) For comparison, if you have 08 SRT10 times, that would be good.

We are always cautious when comparing laptimes. Track conditions, drivers, vehicle condition, etc. play a large roll in laptimes and can cause variation of several seconds. With that in mind, here are some laptimes during various stages of our development - most are likely slower than the final configuration we arrived with the ACR:

Gingerman: 1:28.0
Grattan Raceway: 1:22.7
Nelson Ledges: 1:08.9
No Problem: 1:16.9
Putnam Park: 1:12.6
Texas Motorsport Ranch: 2:19.0
Willow Springs: 1:26.0

 

[mike & juli]

Idle torque adaption should take place pretty quickly so I would not expect that is the problem however it won't hurt to let the car idle for a while so that it can learn. How many miles does your car have? It is possible that your engine is not yet fully run-in and additional friction is resulting? This is especially evident if you lug the engine in gear to a lower than normal engine speed. One thing that could be done to improve this situation would be to run the engine! You could take it on a nice long drive or just let it idle but additional run time will help. A higher viscosity oil (I'd suggest Mobil 1 15W-50 for the Viper in this case) can also help until the engine is fully broken-in or if you are in very hot conditions.

Thank you most kindly for your response~! The car has 950miles on it, and it has gone for many a VERY long drive. We DID have very hot conditions up to now. We're due for an oil change, so will change the oil viscosity this time around, as per your suggestion, thank you. I don't believe we lug the engine in gear...at a stop, we engage the clutch, and keep the tranny in first gear (that's when we had the stall/die-out problems twice). We'll definitely keep an eye on it, and had Herb/GrailKeeper in on this as well. THANK YOU~~~juli

 

[VIPER 93]

The gas door on my 08 coupe is broken, I have bee waiting a couple of months and now the dealer is telling me maybe the end of october. can one be pulled off line and sent to my dealer ?

 

[SRT Engineers]

Thank you. Next question. Does the same answer apply to using the '08 ACR rotors on an '06 coupe?

Yes. The Viper brake system was not changed for 2008 with the exception of ACR.

 

[F8L SNK]

This has been asked already, but I have not seen a response. Can we get suggested alignment setting on the ACR for the various tracks that you guys tested at?

 

[Bobpantax]

Yes. The Viper brake system was not changed for 2008 with the exception of ACR.

Outstanding.

 

[SRT Engineers]

Thanks once again for taking the time to chat with us. My questions are:

1. Some have posted that the 2009 model will receive upgraded/modified drive by wire throttle programming and that such programming can be retrofitted to the 2008 Vipers by an ECU reflash? Is this true and if so, what will be the timeline for availability of the reflash for 2008 owners?

2. Can you post the weights of the various SRT rims, specifically the 10-spoke that was standard on the 2003-2006 cars, the ACR/Copperhead Sidewinder, the Razor, H-spoke, 5-spoke (standard rim on the 2008s) and the new for 2009 six-spoke rim? I have a set of the Sidewinders on my 2008 and before I had them mounted and balanced with tires I weighed the rims alone as 17.5 lbs front and 25 lbs rear. This was done with a highly precise, 10-year old bathroom scale so I am hoping you have more accurate numbers.

3. Any word yet on Mopar performance parts for the 2008+ Vipers such as cold air intake/filters, etc?

Thanks again for a great car.

/Rich

1. See the answer in post #31
2. The wheel weights (Front/Rear) are as follows...
'03-'06 10-Spoke 27.0/30.8
'06+ 5-Spoke 26.4/31.7
'06+ H-Spoke 26.7/33.5
'08+ Razor 28.1/33.2
'08+ ACR/Sidewinder 18.0/25.1
'09+ 6-Spoke Almost exactly same as ACR wheels
3. The Mopar performance guys are working on an off-road calibration flash as well as a few other performance upgrades. We don't have a finalized eta yet.

 

[SRT Engineers]

Thank you for addressing our concerns and I hope these chats will last very far into the future.

My question is regarding seat lowering on the '09 cars, both the standard car and the ACR. At one of the VOI Tech talks, it was stated that perhaps there is a "work around" that would allow seat lowering on the new cars after all. Can you speak to this at all or are us tall folks just out of luck on ordering/driving/tracking a new car? ( I already have my colors picked out)

When can we find out what the color build sequence will be for the '09 colors? Jim the color guy gave us the color choices a few months back, but not the build color sequence.

At another of the tech talks we heard there is an aluminum chassis "ready to go".
PLEASE DO IT! I'm sure the weight savings will be worth the increased price!

Again, thanks for ALL the things you guys/gals do. It sure does keep us happy!

PBR

The 09MY color build sequence will be available to the dealers by the end of this week. The website will be loaded and live by the end of the month. We will also get this info to the VCA.

 

[SRT Engineers]

Thank you for chatting with us! I have a ’09 roadster on order and have the following questions:

A. What are the differences between the ‘08 and ‘09s? A great deal of speculation surrounds the revised center console and frame revisions, any details? Any other engineering improvements and changes that are being incorporated into the ‘09s?

B. Is there any truth to the rumor that 1-to-4 skip shift may be eliminated on the ‘09s?

C. Has the throttle programming been revised for more linear response and minimized throttle delays on the ‘09?

D. Which protocol does the VENOM controller communicate over OBD-II: ISO/CAN, VPW or other? Is the VENOM controller J2534-1 compliant?

E. There are plenty of rumors from VOI-X of a MOPAR performance ECU for Gen IVs, any ETA on release? What range of performance targets are you shooting for with this ECU? Any other Gen IV performance parts in the works?

F. Can you walk through the procedure/technique used to achieve the claimed 3.7 sec 0-60 times for the '08?

Hopefully high-performance will still survive in today's uncertain climate. Thank you again for all of your constant Viper and SRT efforts!

A) The center console bezel has changed to accommodate the Federally mandated power window switch (recessed switch). There are some small frame and fuel tank assy changes to meet a new federal impact requirement. There is a new optional, lightweight 6 spoke wheel (same weight as ACR Sidewinder wheels), and some new colors.
B) 1 - 4 ship shift has not been eliminated. In fact, stricter ODB requirements are now in effect to prevent disabling this feature.
C) The throttle response has been changed for '09 and feel has been improved.
D) It is CAN and OBD compliant.
E) There is a MOPAR "off-road" performance ECU in the works. Some of the features include increased spark and reduced spark sensitivity to temperature, leaner mixtures at WOT, reduced sensitivity to modifications, Skip-Shift eliminated and a number of other drivability enhancements. Remember, good fuel (93 octane minimum) is a must! Other Gen IV performance upgrades are TBD.
F) Driving the 2008 Viper fast takes practice, it is very different than previous versions. The key to good 0-60 times are as always, keep tire spin to a minimum and feed it throttle as quickly as you can depending on the conditions. I like to "walk" it out just off idle (1200 - 1500 rpm) until it gets rolling with the stock tires, otherwise it just goes up in smoke!

 

[Bobpantax]

Have you experimented at all with an electronically activated dumper tube set up off of the headers? Do you think there would be any advantage to same in the naturally aspirated engine? In the supercharged engine?

 

[CitySnake]

Kindly address the seat lowering issue/concerns at some point.

 

[SRT Engineers]

Dirty Dozen: (Pizza-stained digits)

How are 2009 Orders going, ACR vs non ACR ? I got the impression at VOI that SRT is VERY happy with the ACR sales....

All we can say is we have been very pleased with the rate of ACR orders...

 

[Bobpantax]

What is the life expectancy of the tires on the '08 ACR if it is only driven on the street? Assume for the purpose of answering this question that traction is not lost enough to make a material difference in tire wear.

 

[SRT Engineers]

Are you still building CC's? Are there any current plans to put the 600+ HP motor in the CC? Will the 09 CC be different in any way? Congrats on the ACR 'Ring record! Awesome and well done!

Still available...get your order in soon. Try this number 888 960 3333 for additional information.

 

[EZ 2B Green]

1 - 4 ship shift has not been eliminated. In fact, stricter ODB requirements are now in effect to prevent disabling this feature.

Can you describe what was done to prevent the disabling of the skip shift? Is there still an electrical connection on the side of the transmission?

 

[SRT Engineers]

The 2008 and 2009 viper has an occupant classification system designed into the passenger seat and no modifications should be made to it. As for the driver seat ( Lowering), A track position sensor has also been added to minimize the deployment of the driver Airbag for 5th female occupants. It could vastly affect the performance if the driver seat is modified as well

 

[Bobpantax]

In case you missed it, is anything in the works to improve the function and reliability of the window regulator?