Question: CAM upgrade

[Robz02Z]

Hello Folks... forgive me ahead of time but i'm a complete novice to moding cars. I have a 2002 z28 that i beleive is all stock. I am wanting to put a new CAM into the engine being i have to replace the rods..

i need to know the following:

What Size and Brand cam to get?:

Rods are probably bent (rattling noise coming from head), replacing those, should i get new rocker roller arms?:

Should i replace springs as well?:

please add anything i might be missing that i'm unaware of:

I'm replacing stock wheels (rims) what sizes would you folks recommend for a beefy muscle car look? i was thinking the sizes taht come on stock vette looks pretty good but dont remember exact size. and tire style and size.

Thanks ahead of time for anyone who takes the time to assist me my venture to having a kick a$$ Z

[Frost]

read for two months here and other ls1 sites before you spend ANY money. This question is larger than a single thread.

[Bottesini]

read for two months here and other ls1 sites before you spend ANY money. This question is larger than a single thread.

Agreed, just try to take in as much information before you commit to anything. Even though I have been involved with cars for years I spent a good amount of time reading, calling, and talking with every possible resource to make sure I made a good choice.

[Midnight02]

I was COMPLETELY dumb to all of this when I was trying to make decisions about my cam swap. It really will be important for you to take some time to research this further to get a good feel of what's out there and the factors that effect performance.

First and foremost, give us an idea of what you're looking to accomplish with your car.

Do you have a HP and or speed-related goal (i.e. 12.20 sec quarter mile, etc.)? Do you rely on your car as a daily driver? Do you spend most of your time on the street or at the track? What type of transmission does your car have and do you still have stock gears? Do you want a smooth idle, a lopey idle or somewhere in between? Would you prefer to make most of your power down low or up high in the rpm band? What other mods do you have right now? What mods do you plan to install in the future?

All of the questions above play a VERY important part in helping you select the right cam for your application. Check out my signature for the my cam specs....my criteria were as follows:

1. I wanted a car that was as reliable as a daily driver (even though I don't drive it that much).
2. I was looking to ultimately build a 450 rwhp N/A street car. The cam selection represents only a piece of the puzzle (and I'm still a couple choice mods away from my goal).
3. I would prefer to make good power under the curve and would sacrafice making gaudy peak numbers for better power down low and in the midrange.
4. I wanted a NOTICEABLY lopey idle.
5. My car is a M6 with a 3.90 rear.
6. I already had a number of bolt ons installed and (at the time) I planned to add heads, FAST 92 mm intake and 100 - 150 rwhp shot of N2O in the future.
7. Finally, I wasn't looking to jump on the bandwagon of the hottest thing out today....I was more interested in time-tested, proven performance.

At the end of the day, I ended up going with the Trick Flow cam listed in my signature and I have been pleased as it fulfills each of my criteria above.

[SSwt00SS]

i agree w/Frost...

i suggest reading this for starters:

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=327734

[ThisisYourDaddy]

3. I would prefer to make good power under the curve and would sacrafice making gaudy peak numbers for better power down low and in the midrange.

Did your TrickFlow cam provide a big difference in the low to mid power range? Did it hurt your top end power?

Thanks