Best camshaft for 5.3 LS1
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: Minnesota
Best camshaft for 5.3 LS1 hi i got an 5.3 ls1 out of a 2001 tahoe.. im swapping it into an s10 and would like to know what the best cam choice is for the street.. i was hoping to be around 350 to the wheels if not more... i will be using the stock heads and intake..im curious to also know the best supporting parts/mods to do with the best cam.. thanks!!
Everyone's idea of "best" is different. There is no best for any motor, only the best for YOU and YOUR usage of it and your expectations. The best cam is the one that suits your usage of the engine with all details of the build/vehicle included, that also meets your expectations, and is custom tailored to that.
Call on your favorite cam shop and tell them what you are doing with the cam and what you're putting it in, and they will design the best cam for YOU.
But if you want a good basic recommendation. Go with one of the sponsors on the left and get a off the shelf truck cam in whatever stage you want. As for supporting mods.. headers, intake, ported heads, and a stall converter that matches the cam if you're going auto, and also rear end gears to go with the setup... to maximize the cams potential.
The next guy may come in and recommend an MS4 as being the best for the street, and the cam I mentioned and the MS4 will give you very very different results.
Call on your favorite cam shop and tell them what you are doing with the cam and what you're putting it in, and they will design the best cam for YOU.
But if you want a good basic recommendation. Go with one of the sponsors on the left and get a off the shelf truck cam in whatever stage you want. As for supporting mods.. headers, intake, ported heads, and a stall converter that matches the cam if you're going auto, and also rear end gears to go with the setup... to maximize the cams potential.
The next guy may come in and recommend an MS4 as being the best for the street, and the cam I mentioned and the MS4 will give you very very different results.
TECH Addict
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,305
Likes: 126
From: Monroe,NY
The best all around cam i have read about and also had was the tried and true 212/218 cam. I went with a bigger cam after the 212/218 cam and i still liked the 212/218 better.If i wasn't upgrading to a 6.0 i would put the Lunati 212/218 113+3 .530 .530 cam back in.My truck weighs 3800lbs.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,306
Likes: 3,620
From: Central Cal.
There's got to be a reason that every cam grinder and his cousin makes a 212/218. It just flat works! Of course the lifts and LSA's vary between grinders, giving flexibility for different situations. Just a darn good grind!
This one will work well
Tsp stg2 high lift truck cam
We have the install kits to go with that as well for a great price as well as ported oil pump and anything else you need!!
Tsp stg2 high lift truck cam
We have the install kits to go with that as well for a great price as well as ported oil pump and anything else you need!!
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We have done a 215/225 for a 5.3 truck before and it was ok, lost a little bottom end but at towing mph etc it was great with 373 or 410. Did take a little more aggressive timing though vs a sub 220 exhaust.
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Verdad Gallardo Good to know. Thanks. It's tricky camming for torque. Overlap hurts low end and late IVC hurts low end. So there's a real fine line on how far you can push it. Duration capped on both ends
The cam recommendations are good as far as truck cams go, but that's usually a best cam for a full size truck and a stock stall or small stall.
OP what stall are you going to use? Do you want overall power or low end or max hp? Since you're dumping it in a S10 you can get away with a little more cam than a 4500-5000 lb full size truck since you don't need to be as concerned with low end grunt.
OP what stall are you going to use? Do you want overall power or low end or max hp? Since you're dumping it in a S10 you can get away with a little more cam than a 4500-5000 lb full size truck since you don't need to be as concerned with low end grunt.