When doing a cam swap do i need to replace the whole timing set or can i get away with just replacing the chain if there is no abnormal wear? Car has 57k mi

What is the best option for the whole set? the LT4 XDuty is 200 from gmpartsdirect. Is there something quality aftermarket for less? I don't want to switch to the vented opti.

 

You don't have to replace the timing chain, but you will be better off if you do. A heavy duty timing chain will give you the peace of mind at higher RPMs. With a heavy duty timing chain, it is more about reliability than it is about performance. I don't know about any other aftermarket timing chains, but my LT4 XDuty Timing Chain works damn good.