What is up with this air deflector and pedal upgrade stuff?

[Magnified]

So, in the well of the trunk when I bought the Challenger Red Eye a few months back were two boxes (I may have mentioned, I don't recall): air deflectors for the front brakes, and the accelerator and brake pedal covers (shiny black rubber knobs over apparently polished steel). I purchased 305 R888Rs for the rears, 11 x 20 rears for them to go on, and went to my buddies tire shop. Put the Challenger up jacks (to leave the lifts free) and pulled all the wheels. Cleaned all the mating surfaces and inspect the wheel wells, etc.... Installed the air deflectors up front with no problem. Hardest part was converting nM to inch pounds, lol. Mounted the tires, swapped the TPMS sensors, and put the rears on. With my torn rotator cuff and all the hardware in my leg, my friend got down on the floor under the car and inspected the clearances on those rears (my old 2017 Hellcat Charger had zero modifications required to throw 20x11s and 305s on it). Not so this Challenger. We had to cut the thin wheel well liner on both sides and reinstall - not a big deal, but just odd as I've read on here and elsewhere that folks had no problems throwing things like this on. So, put it back on the ground, open the drivers side and David slides into try and install the pedals. Background - he (and his wife) are Corvette fans, they each have one, and are great car people. When I was really regretting selling the Charger HC he went out and bought a brand new Durango Hellcat (which I was aware of). What I was not aware of, was his struggle with this pedal cover issue (his were in a box in the back when he bought it too). He is no stranger to working on cars, so this was not just someone not knowing what they're doing. The brake pedal cut his hand badly; bled all over the foot well and tossed the pedal covers back in the box (covered in blood) and left them there until he traded the DHC in. So we're taking it easy on these pedals, and using gloves. Long story short, he could not get that brake pedal on. So, two questions:

1. (and most important) - Is there some secret to putting these on? My 2017 had it on from the dealer.

2. Why in the Hell are Dodge dealers not installing this equipment when the cars arrive? And, even more so, why is Dodge not putting them on at the factory? Having the pedal arm out of the car and on a bench would make it far more easy to install?

So, in the end, we left them off, put the old break pedal back on as well as we could get it, and thought I'd come here to ask you guys for your thoughts.

 

[BULL]

Hot water

You may not want the increased drag and/or slightly reduced ground clearance

 

[Magnified]

The instructions note to use soapy water, which we did (both times). I think I'll get down myself and try it with hot. Maybe today.

Otherwise, though I do not care for our Dodge dealer here, I will head over and see if they would be willing to take responsibility for putting the brake pedal cover on.

 

[BULL]

If it wasn't clear, soak them in the hot water to soften them up so they're more pliable

 

[Unholy707]

Yeah, brake pedal is a bear to get on. Hot soapy after like @BULL said. I think the air deflectors are a gimmick. The oil and aux intercooler exit at the tire and I’m sure some of that air goes to the brakes

 

[Unholy707]

They’re a pain in the butt to install lol. But if you can’t get it I’d see if they would be willing to do it. My 2017 scat pack had them in a box and a trunk

 

[SilverBillet]

Try prying the corners over the pedal with a flat screw driver. Just don’t rip the rubber

 

[2ndAmend]

Point your car toward the noon day sun and put them on the dash with the windows closed. In about 1/2hr they should be 160deg or so and should be nice and soft.

 

[Bobo]

Mine were on when I picked it up

 

[Jimmy N.]

Why in the Hell are Dodge dealers not installing this equipment when the cars arrive? And, even more so, why is Dodge not putting them on at the factory? Having the pedal arm out of the car and on a bench would make it far more easy to install?.

I'm glad they usually don't. Saves me from removing those covers and adding them to the growing collection of needless extras.

 

[2ndAmend]

My 2020 had them installed. The '22 did not.

Another tool that might help, a paint can opener, the one with the wide short hook on one end and the other end has a beer bottle opener! I use that thing for a lot of things, especially when I need to remove vinyl siding.

 

[stonewall]

My salesman asked if I wanted them installed, I told him that I did as it was ordered for a reason. So, they were on when i picked it up.

 

[Jimmy N.]

I asked my salesman to leave my latest ordered vehicle alone, so they did.

Perfect.

 

[Magnified]

I actually dig it that way too, if I'm buying new.

 

[stonewall]

I also told him to save all the papers and tags, They were in the glove box along with the stretch on steering wheel protector. I let them keep the plastic wrap. They put the plan rubber peddle in the box the stainless trimmed came in, and it was in the trunk. A bygone era, no more Hellcats to be ordered. I so enjoyed the ordering and getting feedback from Resumespeed and others from the factory on the build out and shipping. Dodge did not ever recognize how great and how much this experience added to the whole Hellcat purchase excitement. They had Gold and instead of expanding it and building on that experience, they shut it down and punished those that did it. The best in history of Dodge and they muffed it.

 

[Jimmy N.]

Yeah, some of that leftover paperwork is pretty interesting.

That car was the only one I ever got with all the plastic still in place, but more importantly, it was also the only one (out of at least a dozen) that all the fluid levels were correct in.

For whatever reason, especially the rear diffs has had less in them than they should have. As I've mentioned in the past, there's a reason our vehicles go directly from the trailer to the lift - then the painful break-in period can begin.