Your 2019 Silverado is one of the most DIY-friendly trucks on the road — full-size ground clearance means no jack gymnastics, and the T1 platform is logically laid out. You need BOTH SAE and metric: body and frame fasteners are SAE, but the engine, brakes, and drivetrain are increasingly metric. If you've got the 5.3L V8, pay attention to the AFM lifter warning below — it's the most expensive thing this truck will likely throw at you. This kit covers you from basic maintenance through suspension and brake work.
T1 platform. Lug nuts are 22mm at 140 ft-lbs. Brake caliper brackets are commonly 18mm. Suspension and driveline fasteners run 15mm and 18mm metric heavily. Body panels use SAE — expect 7/16", 1/2", and 9/16" in the mix.
Brand: Arcan | Category: Lifting | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
3.5" min height handles the Silverado's 8"+ stock clearance without drama. Aluminum frame is 30% lighter than steel — matters every time you pull it out. This is a buy-once jack.
Alternative: Pittsburgh 3-ton steel, Harbor Freight, ~$90
Brand: ICON | Category: Lifting | Store: Harbor Freight | Priority: CRITICAL
Wide base, positive-lock pin mechanism, 6-ton rated. Never trust the jack alone — these are non-negotiable. HF's premium ICON line, not the recalled Pittsburgh stands.
Brand: Keeper | Category: Safety | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
A truck rolling off stands is fatal. Chock all four wheels you're not lifting, every single time, zero exceptions.
Brand: Pyramex | Category: Safety | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Buy the 3-pack and leave a pair everywhere — bench, toolbox, truck cab. The one time you skip them is the one time a rusty fastener chips.
Brand: Kidde | Category: Safety | Store: Home Depot | Priority: CRITICAL
Mount it to the wall near the garage door — not buried behind something. Fuel line work or a battery spark can escalate fast in an enclosed space.
Brand: GearWrench | Category: Sockets | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Covers all three drives in one shot — 22mm for lug nuts, 15–18mm for suspension, 7/16"–9/16" SAE for body work. The included 120XP ratchets are legitimately good, not throw-ins.
Alternative: Tekton 45-piece 1/2" drive set + 3/8" set separately, ~$120 total
Brand: Tekton | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
140 ft-lb lug nuts and seized caliper bracket bolts don't break loose with a ratchet. Eighteen inches of leverage does the work without risking your ratchet internals.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Torque | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
±4% accuracy out of the box. Covers lug nuts, caliper brackets, control arm bolts — every fastener that matters has a torque spec. Reset to minimum after every use to protect the spring.
Alternative: Pittsburgh 1/2" click torque wrench, Harbor Freight, ~$25
Brand: Wera | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Laser-tip Phillips grips cam-out screws instead of rounding them — this alone justifies the price over any big-box set. Chiseldriver handles take hammer blows cleanly.
Alternative: Wiha 26190 6-piece set, ~$30
Brand: Knipex | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Push-button one-handed adjustment, never slips under load. Hose clamps, stuck drain plugs, fittings, clamps — once you use Cobras, the Channelock goes in the bin.
Brand: Knipex | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
Reaches wiring clips, cotter pins, and retaining rings deep in the engine bay. Knipex quality at less than $20 — no reason to buy a set of import needle nose.
Brand: Launch | Category: Diagnostic | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Reads and clears engine, transmission, ABS, and airbag codes — not just engine like the $15 dongles. The Silverado's ECM throws TPMS, ABS, and trans codes that basic readers can't touch.
Alternative: BlueDriver Bluetooth dongle, ~$100 (good app, phone-based)
Brand: B'laster | Category: Shop Supplies | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Spray every suspension fastener, exhaust bolt, and caliper bracket bolt the night before you wrench. This is the difference between a 30-minute job and a broken stud.
Brand: Various | Category: Shop Supplies | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
Anti-seize on lug nuts and aluminum-threaded fasteners. Magnetic tray keeps hardware from rolling under the truck. Budget $25 and grab all four at once.
Brand: Ryobi | Category: Power Tools | Store: Home Depot | Priority: HIGH
Kit includes two batteries and charger — you're up and running without any additional spend. 700 ft-lbs of loosening torque handles lug nuts and most suspension fasteners without drama.
Alternative: Milwaukee M18 FUEL 2767-20 (tool only) + M18 battery, ~$280 — massively more capable, true buy-forever tool
Brand: GearWrench | Category: Wrenches | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
120XP mechanism — 3-degree swing arc reaches where a box-end can't. These replace a standard wrench set and cut hours off tight-access fasteners. The Silverado's engine bay has plenty of them.
Alternative: Tekton combination wrench set 30-piece, ~$55
Brand: Various (Wsky/Tacklife/Enuotek) | Category: Lighting | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
No batteries, no cords — charges via USB and sticks magnetically to the underside of the hood or frame rails. Working in a dim garage without light makes every job take twice as long.
Brand: Klein | Category: Diagnostic | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
Modern trucks are half computer. Test alternator output, sensor voltages, and ground integrity. The Silverado's electrical system is complex — a multimeter pays for itself on the first mystery electrical gremlin.
Alternative: Fluke 101, ~$45 (step up when budget allows)
Brand: Tekton | Category: Silverado Specialty | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
The Silverado uses Torx on interior panels, some body fasteners, and bed mounting hardware. Not as Torx-heavy as a Ford F-150, but T40 and T45 will show up when you least expect them.