🔧 Challenger - Serpentine Belt Replacement

The serpentine belt drives the alternator, water pump, and other accessories. Replacing it when it’s cracked, noisy, glazed, or stretched prevents sudden loss of charging and overheating.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 0.5–1.5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a cold engine; the belt runs near hot parts.
• ⚠️ Keep fingers and tools away from pulleys; never work with the engine running.
• ⚠️ Support the car with jack stands if you lift it; never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Do not pry on the belt with a screwdriver; it can damage the belt or pulley ribs.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required, but keep the key away from the car so nobody starts it.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• 21mm socket
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 1/2" drive ratchet
• 15mm socket
• Serpentine belt tool (specialty)
• Trim clip removal tool
• Flashlight
• Mechanic’s gloves
• Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Serpentine belt (accessory drive belt) for 6.4L - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🧰 Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and place wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• 🧰 Open the hood and locate the belt routing diagram (usually on a sticker near the radiator support/under-hood area). If it’s missing, take a clear photo of the current routing before removing the belt.
• 🧰 Decide access method: many people find it easiest through the passenger-front wheel well by removing the splash shield clips.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the front-right corner (recommended access)

• Place wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the front-right jacking point.
• Set the car onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).

Step 2: Remove the front-right wheel

• Use a 21mm socket with a 1/2" drive breaker bar to loosen lug nuts, then remove them with a 1/2" drive ratchet.
• Remove the wheel and set it under the car as an extra safety backup.
• Reinstall torque later: Torque to 176 Nm (130 ft-lbs).

Step 3: Remove the passenger-side splash shield access

• Use a trim clip removal tool to remove the push-clips/fasteners holding the front section of the inner fender/splash shield.
• Use a flashlight to clearly see the belt, tensioner, and pulleys.
• Keep clips in a cup so none disappear.

Step 4: Relieve belt tension

• Locate the belt tensioner (spring-loaded arm that keeps the belt tight).
• Install a 15mm socket onto the tensioner’s hex, then use a serpentine belt tool (specialty) or 1/2" drive breaker bar to rotate the tensioner and release tension.
• A belt tool is a long, slim lever for tight spaces.

Step 5: Remove the old belt

• While holding the tensioner rotated with the serpentine belt tool (specialty) or 1/2" drive breaker bar, slip the belt off the easiest-to-reach smooth pulley (often an idler).
• Slowly let the tensioner return to its resting position—do not let it snap back.
• Pull the belt out fully and compare it to the new one for overall length and rib count.

Step 6: Inspect pulleys and tensioner

• Use a flashlight and spin each pulley by hand (alternator, idlers). They should spin smoothly and quietly.
• Check the tensioner pulley for wobble or roughness; if it feels gritty or loose, the tensioner may need replacement.
• Bad pulleys can destroy a new belt fast.

Step 7: Route the new belt correctly

• Use the under-hood routing diagram (or your photo) and route the new belt around all pulleys, leaving one easy pulley for last.
• Make sure the ribbed side sits fully into ribbed pulleys, and the smooth side runs on smooth pulleys.
• Use a flashlight to confirm the belt is centered on every pulley.

Step 8: Apply tension and seat the belt

• Rotate the tensioner again using the 15mm socket and serpentine belt tool (specialty) (or 1/2" drive breaker bar).
• Slip the belt onto the last pulley, then slowly release the tensioner.
• Re-check every pulley groove with the flashlight; one rib off-track will shred the belt.

Step 9: Reinstall splash shield and wheel

• Reposition the splash shield and reinstall clips using the trim clip removal tool as needed.
• Install the wheel and hand-start lug nuts.
• Snug lug nuts using a 21mm socket and 1/2" drive ratchet.
• Lower the car using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Final tighten in a star pattern: Torque to 176 Nm (130 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• 🧪 Start the engine and watch the belt for 15–30 seconds; it should run smooth with no hopping.
• 🧪 Listen for squeal or chirping. If you hear it, shut off and re-check belt alignment on every pulley.
• 🧪 After a short drive, do a quick re-check for proper tracking.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $150–$300 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $35–$90 (parts only)

You Save: $115–$210 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.7–1.2 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.