If you are shopping for the best floor jack for Chevy Silverado work in your own driveway, the honest answer is probably not the jack you have been looking at. Almost every roundup I read before writing this one pushes “low profile” as the deciding feature and then recommends a 2-ton jack. On a crew cab 1500 that is wrong twice over: the truck has around 8 inches of ground clearance, so getting under it is trivial, and a 2-ton jack is undersized the moment you factor in a loaded bed. The constraint here is maximum lift height and capacity, not minimum saddle height. My top pick is the Performance Tool W1645 3.5-ton low-profile service jack, which clears 20.5 inches and has the reach to get to the frame rail from outside the rocker. Below are six picks, the real jack points, and what to do differently on a 2500HD or a lifted Trail Boss.
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Silverado floor jack comparison: capacity, lift height and price
| Jack | Best for | Key spec | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Tool W1645 | Best Overall | 3.5 ton, 3.5″–20.5″, dual piston | $$ | View on Amazon |
| BIG RED T83006 Torin | Best Budget | 3 ton, up to 20.9″, two saddles | $$ | View on Amazon |
| Arcan A20019 (ALJ3T) | Best Premium | 3 ton, 3.75″–18.1″, 58 lb aluminum | $$$ | View on Amazon |
| BIG RED AT84007R | Best for 2500HD / 3500HD | 4 ton, 3.9″–20″, dual piston | $$ | View on Amazon |
| Powerbuilt 620471 Unijack | Best for lifted trucks | 3 ton, ~11″–21″, jack + locking stand | $ | View on Amazon |
| BIG RED T46002A stands | Essential companion | 6 ton pair, 15.4″–23.8″ | $ | View on Amazon |
Where the Silverado jack points actually are
This is the part every competing article skips, and it is the part that stops you putting a saddle through a control arm. On an independent-front-suspension Silverado 1500:
- Front, one wheel at a time: the boxed main frame rail just behind the front wheel well. There is a flat section of rail there that takes a rubber saddle pad cleanly.
- Front, both wheels: the front crossmember. Do not use the lower control arms or the steering linkage — the arms take the weight, but they swing through an arc as the truck rises and the saddle walks.
- Rear: the solid rear axle tube, as close as you can practically get to the leaf spring perch on the side you are lifting. Stay off the differential cover and the driveshaft; a stamped cover weeps gear oil long before it fails outright.
- Jack stands: on the frame rails — behind the front wheels and ahead of the rear wheels, inboard of the rocker panel. Never leave the truck on the differential.
Worth knowing: the factory scissor jack and tool roll live under the rear passenger-side seat cushion on Crew Cab and Double Cab trucks (flip the cushion, release the wing-nut retainer), and behind the front passenger seatback on a Regular Cab. It is a roadside tool, not a garage tool, and on 2019–2024 trucks the bumper key guide sleeve for the spare hoist is a notorious dirt trap — clear it before you need it in the rain.
What size is the best floor jack for Chevy Silverado trucks?
A 2025 Silverado 1500 crew cab 4WD is around 4,950 lb curb with a 7,000 lb GVWR. The shop guideline is to size a jack for at least 75% of gross weight — roughly 5,250 lb on a 1500, above a 2-ton (4,000 lb) jack and comfortably inside a 3-ton. A 2500HD runs 6,100–7,300 lb curb against a GVWR near 10,000 lb, which is why the HD trucks get a 4-ton below.
1. Performance Tool W1645 — Best Overall
A 3.5-ton dual-piston service jack running 3.5 to 20.5 inches, with a chassis reach of roughly 28 inches. That combination is why it wins: you can stand beside the truck, slide the saddle past the rocker to the frame rail, and still have lift left when the suspension droops and the tire comes clear.
Pros
- 20.5-inch max lift clears a stock or lightly levelled 1500 with margin to spare.
- Dual-piston pump gets to the load in a handful of strokes instead of fifteen.
- 3.5-ton rating leaves headroom for a loaded bed.
Cons
- Published specs disagree on the minimum height (3-1/2 vs 3-5/8 inches) — immaterial on a truck, annoying on a lowered car.
- Steel, so it is heavy to drag out and heavy to put away.
Buy it if you want one jack for a Silverado 1500 and you are not interested in buying a second one later. Check the current price on Amazon.
2. BIG RED T83006 Torin 3-Ton — Best Budget
The T83006 is the jack in half the Silverado forum photos, and it earns the spot for one reason: it ships with a long-neck saddle extension that takes maximum lift to just under 21 inches — more usable height than jacks costing twice as much.
Pros
- Nearly 21 inches of lift with the tall saddle fitted — enough for a 2-inch levelled truck.
- Around 4.5 stars from roughly 940 Amazon reviewers.
Cons
- Quality control on arrival is the recurring complaint — a minority report a unit that arrives weeping or low on fluid, and it rates around 3.9 stars on Torin’s own site.
- With the long-neck saddle fitted the minimum climbs to roughly 9 inches — fine under a frame rail, useless under a car.
Buy it if you want truck-grade lift height for close to $100 and you will check the unit for leaks the day it lands. Check the current price on Amazon.
3. Arcan A20019 (ALJ3T) 3-Ton Aluminum — Best Premium
The nicest thing on this list to actually use. At about 58 lb it is roughly half the weight of a comparable steel jack, the swivel saddle is properly machined, and the pump action is smooth. Expect around $200–230.
Pros
- Light enough to carry one-handed to the far corner of the truck, and it doubles as a car jack at a 3.75-inch minimum.
- Dual-pump design reaches the frame in very few strokes.
Cons
- 18.1-inch maximum lift is the lowest here — adequate on a stock 1500, but it runs out of travel on a Trail Boss or any 2-inch lift.
- Owners occasionally report hydraulics weeping after long periods under load.
Buy it if your Silverado is stock height and you also work on cars. Skip it if the truck is lifted. Check the current price on Amazon.
4. BIG RED AT84007R Torin 4-Ton — Best for the 2500HD and 3500HD
If your truck is a three-quarter-ton or a one-ton, stop looking at 3-ton jacks. The AT84007R is a 4-ton dual-piston low-profile unit running roughly 3.9 to 20 inches — the right bracket for a 10,000 lb GVWR truck.
Pros
- 8,000 lb capacity, so the 75% rule is satisfied on an HD truck.
- Frequently sold bundled with jack stands.
Cons
- Genuinely heavy — not a jack you will enjoy lifting into a truck bed.
- Same brand-level QC variance as the T83006 — inspect for seepage before you trust it.
Buy it if you own a 2500HD or 3500HD, or a 1500 that tows near its limit. Check the current price on Amazon.
5. Powerbuilt 620471 Unijack — Best for a lifted Silverado
A bottle jack and a locking jack stand in one casting, with a wide triangular base and a lift range of roughly 11 to 21 inches. On a Trail Boss, ZR2 or any truck on a levelling kit and 33s, that top-end height is what a trolley jack cannot give you — and it is the cheapest item here at around $90.
Pros
- 21 inches of lift reaches a lifted truck’s frame rail when a 3-ton trolley jack has already topped out.
- Mechanically locks at height, so it is a jack and a stand in one.
Cons
- The 11-inch minimum will not fit under a car, and listings contradict each other on that figure — measure first.
- Heavy for its size and awkward to position, since you lift and place it rather than roll it.
Buy it if your Silverado is lifted, or you want one tool that travels with the truck. Check the current price on Amazon.
6. BIG RED T46002A 6-Ton Jack Stands — buy these too
Most people pair 3-ton stands with a 3-ton jack. On a Silverado that is a mistake: 3-ton stands commonly top out near 16 inches, and a truck frame rail sits higher than that once a wheel is off the ground. The 6-ton T46002A pair adjusts from about 15.4 to 23.8 inches, which actually reaches a Silverado frame.
Pros
- Height range genuinely fits a truck frame rail, not just a car’s pinch weld, and 12,000 lb combined covers an HD truck.
- Double-locking: ratchet plus safety pin, and cheap relative to the consequences of not owning them.
Cons
- Heavy and bulky to store.
- The ~15-inch minimum is too tall for most cars.
Buy them if any part of you is going to go under the truck. Check the current price on Amazon.
Buying guide: what matters on a truck, and what does not
Maximum lift height is the real spec. A 1500 has roughly 8 inches of ground clearance, so almost any jack fits underneath. The problem is at the top of the stroke: body-on-frame suspension droops a long way, so the frame must rise 6 to 8 inches before the tire clears the floor. An 18-inch jack manages that on a stock truck and fails on a lifted one. Treat 20 inches as the target.
Capacity, using the 75% rule. Size the jack for at least three-quarters of gross vehicle weight, not curb weight, because you will eventually lift the truck loaded. That means 3 tons minimum on a 1500 and 4 tons on an HD. A 2-ton jack is undersized for every Silverado sold, whatever the product page says.
Saddle reach. You want to lift at the frame rail, which sits inboard of the rocker panel. A short-chassis jack forces you onto the lower control arm instead. Reach of 26 inches or more lets you do it properly.
Pump design. Dual-piston pumps reach the load in three or four strokes instead of twelve — a real difference on a truck, where the saddle travels further before it touches anything.
Steel or aluminum. Aluminum saves 40 to 60 lb and costs more; steel is cheaper and tougher. For a truck that lives in one garage, steel is the sensible default.
Never rely on hydraulics alone. Every brand here, premium ones included, has owners reporting rams that stopped holding. Stands are not an upsell; they are the plan.
Silverado floor jack FAQ
What size floor jack do I need for a Chevy Silverado?
A 3-ton (6,000 lb) jack for a Silverado 1500 and a 4-ton (8,000 lb) jack for a 2500HD or 3500HD. That follows from sizing to 75% of gross vehicle weight: about 5,250 lb for a 1500 and about 7,500 lb for an HD truck.
Is a 2-ton jack enough for a Silverado 1500?
No. A 2-ton jack is rated at 4,000 lb and a crew cab 1500 is already around 4,950 lb at curb weight. One corner carries far less than the whole truck, but that leaves no margin for a loaded bed, a worn ram or an off-centre saddle. Several articles recommending 2-ton jacks for this truck are simply wrong.
Where are the jack points on a Silverado 1500?
Front: the boxed main frame rail just behind the front wheel well, or the front crossmember if you are raising both front wheels. Rear: the solid axle tube near the leaf spring perch. Jack stands go on the frame rails, behind the front wheels and ahead of the rear wheels. Confirm against your model year’s owner’s manual before you go underneath.
Can you jack up a Silverado by the differential?
You can lift the rear from under the differential housing in a pinch, but the axle tube is the better choice and the stamped cover is what to avoid — it is not a structural member and it will seep gear oil. Never leave the truck resting on the differential.
Do I need a taller jack for a Trail Boss or a lifted Silverado?
Yes. A factory Trail Boss or ZR2 sits about 2 inches higher, and once the suspension droops an 18-inch jack will not get the tire off the ground. Choose something reaching 20 inches or more, or the Powerbuilt Unijack, which tops out near 21 inches and locks mechanically at height.
The verdict
For most Silverado 1500 owners the Performance Tool W1645 is the right buy: 3.5 tons, 20.5 inches of lift, and enough reach to use the frame rail instead of a control arm. On a budget, the BIG RED T83006 gives nearly 21 inches of lift for around $100, as long as you inspect it for leaks on arrival. Own a 2500HD? Go straight to the 4-ton AT84007R. And whichever jack you pick, add the 6-ton stands — they are the part of this list that keeps you alive.
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