Building solid power while retaining drivability, and also an aggressive sound, is the challenge for cam designers today. Howards Cams has its new Rattler lineup of hydraulic flat tappet and hydraulic roller camshafts designed to do exactly that.

“The Rattler line are street performance cams that are designed to give a nice aggressive-sounding idle without sacrificing throttle response and horsepower gains,” says Howards’ Robert Lou. “We spread the lobe centers out a little bit wider and use a more aggressive ramp rate to help with air velocity.”

All of the camshafts are ground on American-made cores on the latest CNC-driven cam grinders. There are grinds to fit all of today’s popular engine platforms from the LS to more traditional engines like the small- and big-block Chevrolet and Ford engines.

There are three different levels of Rattler camshafts: the Rattler, Big Mama Rattler, and Big Daddy Rattler — each with specific characteristics.

The Rattler line is designed for high-performance street use and can be used with a stock torque converter, although it’s best with a converter stalling above 1,800 rpm and a set of steeper rearend gears.

The Big Mama Rattler camshafts offer a lopier idle sound and are best fitted into performance street or street/strip applications that need at least 9.0:1 compression, a torque converter that stalls around 2,500 rpm, and a good performance intake and exhaust system.

Big Daddy Rattler camshafts are the top dog in this lineup, and as such they offer a rough idle, and are best used in Pro Street or street/strip applications. Compression needs to be at least 9.5:1, the torque converter needs to stall 2,800 rpm or higher, and a performance intake manifold, steeper gears, and free-flowing exhaust are required to take advantage of the camshaft’s capabilities.