[Cam Choice Guide And Question Post]

Year of truck: 2002

Model: 1500HD LQ4 6.0L

Trans: 4L80e

Converter: Stock (and I plan to keep it that way)

Gear: 4.10

Tires: 285/70 r17

List of current mods: Bassini Mid-Length Headers, Hooker AeroChamber Muffler

 

Possible future mods: 243 LS6 Heads to bump up the compression (should bring the compression to stock LQ9) this would be done at the same time as the cam swap

 

Goals for truck: Make my daily driver more fun to drive. I am really looking for idle to 6k power. Particularly more gain from idle to ~4500. I do not plan on revving it over 6k.

 

Uses of the truck: Mostly Daily Driver. Minor towing. Need whatever I do needs to last me another 100k+ miles.

 

I have considered the Comp XR265HR...212/218 .522/.529 114LSA 112ICL, however some comments I have read seem to suggest it is just a touch too big for a stock converter. Reference this thread. So, my next thought was to go smaller, Comp XR259HR...206/212 .515/.522 112LSA 110ICL. While this cam is bigger than the stock one, I wonder if it would be too small to warrant the upgrade. Whatever cam I choose, I would like to use the Yellow LS6 springs for drivetrain longevity. Should I be looking for a more aggressive ramp rate? Perhaps something like the TR Old Man Truck Cam 214/220 .600/.523 115LSA +2??

 

 

Thank you for your help Zippy,

Conrad

 

 

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If you really just undecided call comp cams, and try to get ahold of zippy

 

I take it from this comment that "Zippy" works for Comp Cams?? I saw his pinned post, I just did not see anything in it about him working for Comp.

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Actually just remembered i ran a 13.9 with the LT's cam n tune.

 

Driveabilitry... i drove it for 30K very streetable with no mods to the trans till after the blower and had blower maybe 2k of that 30k

 

It does bog a little bit off the line but mid range it really shines... a bit bigger stall and it would be awesome.

 

When i would take it to the strip i would stall it up to 2200 sometimes and my buddy said you could see the suspension go down before it went back up meaning i needed a bigger than stock stall to get int he power

 

 

Thank you, you have by far posted the most useful information for my application I have read thus far. Being that I really really want to keep the stock stall (dropping a tranny sucks, I want the good holding power of the stock converter, you know all those excuses), I will probably have to go for a smaller cam if anything.

 

How about the Comp XR259HR...206/212 .515/.522 112LSA 110 ICL ?? Should build power from idle to 6k. Anyone here with experience with that cam??

 

Have you considered the Comp XR275HR(222/224/.566/.568 @ 112...110 ICL)??

 

Going by Zippys cam thread that cam would be going the wrong way for what I want. I want to keep the power from idle to 6k, not move it up in the RPM range.

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I acutally was running the one u had decided on. Its not a bunch of power i ran 14.1 with lt's and tune with the blower i ran 13.3 and tranny install with TC i ran 12.4 after more tuning. Had a noticable lope but nothing crazy.

 

I assume that the cam was installed on an LQ9 (this is a SSS forum after all ).

 

How did you like the way it ran? Any major losses or gains in certain RPMs vs the stock cam? As you read above, I am looking to put most of my gains in the low RPMs. Driveability?

 

Thanks for the help.

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Hello gentlemen,

 

I have been looking into a cam for my 2002 1500HD w/ LQ4 and 4L80e for quite some time now. I though I had it narrowed down to one, then BAM , I start reading Zippy's pinned post and now I am not so sure about myself.

 

The LQ4 is a stock motor with a set of Bassani Mid-Length headers and a Hooker Aero Chamber muffler. When I swap the cam, I am hoping to also go w/ a set of 243(LS6) heads to bring up the compression ratio about 0.5 (should be about the same as a stock LQ9). I would also like to run a set of Yellow LS6 valve springs and would like to not have to change them out due to wear for the next 100k miles of the truck. (is that asking too much?)

 

For reference, what I am wanting out of a cam.

I run a stock torque converter and will be keeping it that way. While I do not tow much, I am looking for many of the same results, because moving this truck is like towing a house . Increased low end torque, better part throttle response, a hard pull from idle to ~6000 RPM.

 

The cam I have been looking at for quite some time

Comp XR265HR 212/218 .522/.529 114LSA 112ICL

 

The cam that I am debating switching to.

Comp XR265HR 212/218 .558/.563 115LSA 115ICL

 

I really like the extra lift of the second cam, but from what I have read, the wider LSA will move the power band up in the RPMs (which I do not want) and with the LSA=ICL means there is no cam advance which also moves the power band up in the RPMs (which I do not want). I assume that I would need a custom grind that would incorperate the lift of the second one with the LSA ICL of the first. Would there be any real gain to be had from the extra lift? With my hope for longevity, is the second cam going to be too much lift for the Yellow LS6 springs in the long term?

 

Thank you for the help,

Conrad