Cam Kit Basics
What's Actually In A Complete GM Cam Swap Kit?
A cam swap kit is more than a camshaft in a box. On GM's Gen III LS, Gen IV LS, and Gen V EcoTec3/L83/L86 engines, the camshaft is only one part of a job that also touches lifters, valley covers, timing components, gaskets, and — on most trucks and SUVs built after 2006 — the factory Displacement on Demand (DOD) or Active Fuel Management (AFM) system. A complete cam kit is built so every one of those parts is correct for your specific engine before it ever reaches your driveway, instead of leaving you to piece together part numbers from five different listings and hope they're compatible.
This matters because GM changed hardware significantly across generations. A 1999–2006 LS cam kit for an LM7 or L59 can, in some cases, be a cam-only swap if the factory lifters are healthy and the new cam is designed for factory springs. A 2007–2013 GM cam kit almost always requires a full DOD-delete build — new non-DOD lifters and trays, a converted valley cover or block-off hardware, head gaskets, head bolts, and a complete gasket and seal set. A 2014–2018 Gen V performance cam kit is its own animal again: AFM-delete lifters, a Gen V-specific valley cover, and in many cases a VVT lockout, none of which cross over with Gen III or Gen IV part numbers. Buying a camshaft package that was actually engineered for your generation — not just "an LS cam kit" — is what keeps a cam swap from turning into a comeback.
That's why we don't sell loose parts and hope you get the combination right. Every cam swap parts list on this page is matched: the correct valve springs for the lift you're running, the correct pushrod length and material, the correct lifters for a DOD delete or AFM delete, the timing components rated for the application, an OEM or upgraded oil pump, and the full gasket set the job actually calls for. If your engine needs a VVT delete to run a non-VVT cam, that's flagged automatically. If it doesn't, you're not sold a part you don't need.
The Cam Kit Builder above does the compatibility work for you. Pick your generation, engine, and job type — cam-only swap, DOD delete, AFM delete, or a full valvetrain upgrade — and it filters the catalog down to parts that are actually compatible with your combination, with live pricing and stock status pulled straight from the store. You can build a kit piece by piece, start from one of the popular builds below, or buy a complete matched kit outright. All three paths use the same underlying compatibility logic, so however you get there, the parts list is correct for a Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, or any other truck or SUV built on these engine families.