Parts Bin: Wake Up Your Gen. 3 Hemi with a Summit Racing Pro Hemi Camshaft

From Eagles to Apaches, the modern Gen. 3 Hemi engines are strong performers right out of the box. So much so, that you likely won’t find as many aftermarket camshaft options for the modern Hemi as you would, say, a GM LS engine.

Summit Racing however, is working to change that.

Its Pro Hemi Camshaft series contains dozens of individual cams—each one designed to meet certain performance and practicality goals. We spoke with one of Summit Racing’s main R&D guys (and OnAllCylinders contributor) Brian Nutter to learn more about these Hemi cams, and here’s what he had to say.

“These cams are billet steel with the highest-grade heat treatment and grinding finish on the market,”

“Summit Racing Pro Hemi automotive camshafts are easy on the valvetrain and stable at high rpm. They work well with superchargers and nitrous, and will require springs, a tune, phaser limiter, and an MDS (multi-displacement system) delete. The smaller cams in this group have a noticeable lope and good power across the range, while the larger cams have a serious lope with strong top-end. Choose the one that best fits your purpose.”

These camshafts are made in the USA and you can check out this article to get an in-depth look at Summit Racing’s camshaft manufacturing process.

You may also appreciate our Gen. 3 Hemi Engine Spec Guides.

Here’s a good breakdown of how Summit Racing categorizes its Pro Hemi cams:

• Stage 1 has a noticeable lope and works great in a 5.7L for a daily driver.
• Stage 2 has a mild lope and works great in a daily driver. It makes good power through the range, and a tune and phaser limiter are required.
• Stage 3 has a steady lope and is about the biggest cam to used in a daily driver. It makes great midrange and has good top end.
• Stage 4 has a strong lope and works good in weekend hot rods. It is the biggest cam Summit Racing recommends with a factory converter, and a tune and phaser limiter is required.
• Stage 5 (or Stage 4 supercharged) camshafts provide a serious lope, great power in the mid-range, and a strong top-end. These cams require a tune, phaser limiter, an MDS (multi-displacement system) delete, and valve springs capable of 0.625″ lift.
• Stage 6 (or Stage 5 supercharged) camshafts achieve the top stages in each of these groups, providing a serious lope, great power in the mid-range, and a strong top-end. Each of these special cams require a tune, a phaser limiter, an MDS (multi-displacement system) delete, and valve springs capable of 0.625″ lift. Careful attention to piston-to-valve clearance is required.

As you can probably tell by now, there are a lot(!) of cams in this Pro Hemi lineup, from daily-driver upgrades all the way up to boosted race engines. The good news is, Summit Racing is really, really good at describing each cam’s performance nuances and other recommended upgrades. That way, you’ll have no trouble picking the one that will work best in your particular engine application.

And if you want help, give the Summit Racing tech line a call and explain your project. Its Hemi engine experts will have no problem recommending a cam that’ll meet your performance expectations.

Click here to see all of the Summit Racing Pro Hemi Automotive Camshafts, or you can scroll the interactive tables below and click the part number of each cam for more details.

Summit Racing Pro Hemi Cams- 2009+ 5.7, 6.2 & 6.4L (Non-MDS )

Pro Hemi High-Lift Cams (Non-MDS) – VVT Limited or Delete , Valve Springs Required

Pro Hemi High Lift Supercharged Cams – VVT Delete, Valve Springs Required

Pro Hemi High Lift Turbo Cams – VVT Delete, Valve Springs Required

Pro Hemi Replacement Cams – MDS Delete