Are you here for the best air filter for Chevy Silverado? Eyeing a model that will be a perfect replacement for your stock filter? Hoping to justify your investment with an increase in gas mileage and engine performance? Then you have indeed arrived at the right place.
This article has everything you need to get air filter for Chevy Silverado. It has the ten best units that are trusted by thousands of drivers like you. We have also dug up a detailed buying guide using which you can select the most ideal filter on your own. But we didn’t stop at that.
We have also shed light on the pros and cons of each product that you’ll see in this review. You’ll be aware of the limitations of each recommended product. This will help you decide whether you can live with the shortcomings of that product or not.
Best Air Filter for Chevy Silverado
K&N Engine Air Filter
Multiple features of this air filter make it hard to ignore. Start with its filter media. K&N has used between four to six layers of pleated and oiled cotton gauze to help it separate dirt and dust particles from the incoming air. Their premium construction helps increase engine HP by ensuring up to 50% more air flow.
Then comes the washability of this filter. Its manufacturer has claimed that it washed and re-oiled this model more than 100 times in laboratory conditions. The result is that you get a filter that could go up to 50,000 miles before needing cleaning.
The ease with which this model will install under your hood is equally noteworthy. You won’t have to make any modifications to the existing piping to fit it in place of your stock filter. All you’d have to do is to take out the stock filter and place this model in its place.
On top of everything else, this model would help you save up to $250 over the course of its life. It will do that by going strong for 10 years or 1million miles. That’s a massive number once you look at this model’s price, which is a fraction of the savings it will let you enjoy.
Pros
- 1million-mile warranty
- 50% more airflow to the engine
- Won’t need cleaning for the first 50,000 miles
Cons
- Some users have complained they didn’t see the stated acceleration benefits
ECOGARD XA5314 Premium Engine Air Filter
Most engine air filters you see on the market are extremely difficult to install. They require multiple tools and hours of your time for the installation. The EcoGard XA5314 is different. This air filter is effortless to change and requires no hand tools. You can install it within minutes.
This air filter lasts 12,000 miles before needing replacement. The range isn’t as vast as the one offered by the K&N Engine filter we saw above. But it is still above par when you compare it with other models on the market. As most of them require replacement once every 5,000 to 6,000 miles.
Yet another notable feature of this model is its meager price tag. It doesn’t require you to spend an extravagant amount to enjoy everything it has to offer. You’re only required to pay a below-average amount for a product with above-average features.
To further sweeten the deal, the installation process of this air filter is a cinch. Most people who have used it state that they spent more time taking out the stock filter than they did while installing this one. That’s mainly because of this model’s construction and design, both of which meet OEM specifications.
Pros
- Lasts up to 12,000 miles
- Extremely easy to install
- Avoids engine wear
Cons
- Isn’t washable
FRAM CA8756 Air Filter
What is it that you expect from your ideal air filter? The answer may seem blindingly obvious. Most people purchase a new air filter so that it could keep damaging air particles from entering the engine. This description isn’t wrong. But it fails to tell the whole story of what the CA8765 air filter is all about.
This air filter doesn’t stop at doing what we alluded to in the previous paragraph. It goes the extra mile by increasing the airflow to your engine. That it does via its filter media, which blocks the dirt and dust particles but allows the air to go through unimpeded.
Such an arrangement has obvious benefits for the health of the engine. The arrival of more air empowers the engine to boost better uphill performance, increased acceleration, and bigger mileage. It also heps the engine operate more quietly.
To further sweeten the deal, FRAM supplies this model with clear and easy-to-follow installation instructions. The illustrations contain diagrams to guide you on how to install this air filter in no time. Perhaps that’s why most users of this product are able to install it within fifteen minutes.
Pros
- Increases airflow to the engine
- Keeps dust and dirt particles at bay
- 12,000 miles change intervals
Cons
- Isn’t washable
ACDelco A3181CF Professional Durapack Air Filter
ACDelco has always been a brand that people trust when purchasing auto parts. It justifies that trust with this slightly expensive air filter as well. One that has everything that you’d want from a model whose price tag is slightly above-average.
Start with its tight seals. They are one feature you don’t usually see in air filters. But that doesn’t mean their presence here is merely for show-off purposes. These seals justify their presence by keeping unfiltered air from entering the combustion chamber of the engine.
This mechanism enhances the combustion efficiency of your engine. It also has a secondary positive impact on acceleration, uphill performance, and mileage. The notorious engine knocking problem, which is also related to unfiltered air, is also taken care of by these seals.
But there is one area where this filter disappointed us. It costs twice as much as some of the other models in this review but still isn’t washable. You have no choice but to throw it out once it’s past its shelf-life. But that time won’t come anytime soon as this model lasts 1000s of miles before needing replacement.
Pros
- Tight seals keep unfiltered air out
- Enhances engine performance
- Won’t pose any restrictions to airflow
Cons
- Pricey
Purolator A45314 PurolatorONE Air Filter
The Purolator A45314 PurolatorONE Air Filter provides the best of both worlds. On the one end it uses a multi-fiber high-density media that traps 99% of dust particles. It is this behavior of the media that makes it responsible for preventing harmful contaminants from getting to the engine.
On the other end, you get a couple of gaskets. They serve the function of seals and work in parallel alongside the filter media by giving only filtered air access to the engine. This goes on to have a positive impact on the engine acceleration and efficiency.
New Chevy owners among you might find it useful to know that installing this model won’t void your truck’s warranty. That is because both its design as well as construction meet OEM standards. You can, therefore, not go wrong with this product.
Pros
- Gaskets for a tight seal
- Multi-fiber, high-density media
- Lasts 12,000 miles before needing replacement
Cons
- Pricey
ACDelco A3087C Professional Air Filter
Everything about this air filter points to an incredibly long-lasting unit. It relies on a sturdy filter media to keep dirt and dust particles at bay. The media also prevents harmful pollutants from getting into the vehicle’s ventilation system. It thus ensures that both you and the vehicle can breathe easy.
Users can count on its tight seals to do their job. Their primary responsibility is to keep dirt and debris from entering the combustion chamber. That’s a crucial job as it has your vehicle’s combustion efficiency has a direct impact on its engine performance.
Yet another notable feature of this product is its ease of installation. It is a gold-label product that is specially engineered to meet OE expectations. That is to say that installing this model in place of your stock filter would be a snap.
AC Delco further sweetens the deal by offering an exceptional warranty on this air filter. You get a 24month/unlimited miles warranty for the same period. That is a great feature to have as it allows you to make the purchase without any doubts.
Pros
- 2year warranty
- Easy to install
- Keeps debris away from the combustion chamber
Cons
- Expensive
Spectre Engine Air Filter
There are air filters on the market whose installation will void your vehicle’s warranty. Then there are others who won’t let the engine receive optimum amounts of air. The Spectre Engine Air Filter is none of the two. Here’s why.
Its state-of-the-art filtration media allows this model to offer up to 50% more airflow when compared with disposable paper filters. This makes this model responsible for increasing your engine power and acceleration. As clogged paper filters can bring down your car’s acceleration by as much as 10%.
Equally remarkable is the ease with which this filter goes into its designated spot in your vehicle. You only have to drop it into the filter-casing, and it will be good to go. This means that you don’t need any specialized tools to mount this unit.
The fact that this model is washable provides it with two highly sought-after benefits. You can use it for long and save up to $250 over a 10year period. And with proper cleaning and maintenance routine you can continue to use the same model for up to 50,000 miles in normal highway conditions.
Pros
- Lasts up to 50,000 miles
- Washable and reusable
- High-quality synthetic media
Cons
- Won’t come cheap
AEM 28-20129 Dryflow Air Filter
AEM has always been famous for producing genuine OEM products. It upholds the same reputation with this air filter as well, which won’t require any modifications to fit seamlessly under your Chevy Silverado’s hood. The good news continues.
The non-woven filter media of this product feels as light when it’s dirty as it does when it’s clean. That happens because, unlike your average cotton-gauze filters, the filter media of this product doesn’t retain dirt. It sheds it under engine vibration to make space for incoming dirt particles.
Cleaning this filter when it’s choked full of dirt is extremely easy. The construction of the filter pleats is such that merely tapping the unit a few times will cause the embedded dirt to fall. You can also wash the filter with a multi-purpose cleaner or blow-dry it with compressed air.
Best of all, the absence of oil means that there’s no danger of over-oiling. Merely cleaning the filter after every few months will be enough to get it going. Perhaps that’s the reason why AEM has guaranteed it for the life of your vehicle.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- 3D filter media
- Limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- Silicone molds are of cheap quality
Best Air Filter for Chevy Silverado: Must-have features
Here are some of the features and specs which are a must-have for the 6.7 Cummins air filters:
- Long replacement times: One of the best ways you can distinguish the best air filters from the riffraff is by comparing the replacement times of both. The former will outsmart the latter by offering at least 12,000 miles of shelf-life.
- Reusable and washable: Almost all the top-rated air filters are reusable and washable. They don’t force you to dispose of them after a few hundred miles. These models give you the option to wash and scrub away their dirt and re-install them under the hood.
- Improvement in mileage: Since they claim to enhance airflow to the engine, the next thing the air filter should offer is an improvement in gas mileage. That is to say that it must have a highly positive impact on your truck’s fuel efficiency.
- Extended warranty: Most products you see in this review offer an extended warranty. They claim to last 10 years or 1 million miles, or whichever of the two comes first. This gives you the assurance that they’ll do what they claim to do.
FAQs
Q: What is the filter’s type?
The market contains air filters of two types. The first are those that are ‘dry’ and use a cotton gauze to keep dirt particles at bay. The second type are ‘oiled’ and use the thin film of the sticky substance to capture incoming particles. Here’s how both of them compare.
Dry Filter
Dry air filters for Chevy Silverado operate on the same principle as the truck’s AC filter. Their built-in cotton or synthetic gauze protects the engine by making it almost impossible for dirt particles to pass through its pores.
That isn’t to say that they don’t have any shortcomings. Dry air filters, when compared with their wet counterparts, last less long and require maintenance more often. You’d, therefore, have to clean and replace them more regularly.
Oiled Filter
Oiled filters use the thin layer of the sticky substance to capture and trap incoming dirt particles. They last longer than their dry colleagues and can provide reliable service for up to 15,000 miles before needing replacement.
Their maintenance routing is equally impressive. You can just take out the filter and rinse it under a running tap. Or, if the dirt particles are too stubborn, you can just scrub them away with a dirty rag and soapy water.
Q: What do you require from the air filter?
Most people want their air filter to simply enhance their truck’s engine performance. But there are others who don’t want to settle on better mileage and uphill performance and want something that could also improve the engine’s horsepower.
Depending on your choice, you have two options:
OEM Air Filters
These filters do what everybody expects from the air filter. They keep our dirt and dust particles, improve the airflow to your engine, and offer a filtration capacity that is bigger than the stock filter.
Aside from these three crucial differences, nothing much distinguishes OEM air filters from their stock counterparts. As both don’t have much impact on the engine’s uphill performance.
High-Performance Air Filters
High performance air filters are available in two types. You can either get a cold air intake system, one that has a long nozzle to draw in the cold air as far away from the engine as possible.
Or you can get your hands on a short-ram air intake system that sucks air from the engine’s surroundings. Both these filters have a huge surface area that allows them to keep a large number of dirt particles at bay.
Q: How will you install the filter?
How are you going to install the air filter? This question deserves your utmost attention. That is because while some filters offer universal fitment – and are therefore compatible with all models of Chevy Silverado, others provide a custom fit.
Universal fitment
Filters offering universal fitment do precisely what is stated on their package. They don’t require you to make any modifications to your engine to install them under the hood.
Instead, most of these models come with clamps using which you can attach them to your Silverado’s existing air intake system. These models further sweeten the deal by their ridiculously low asking prices.
Custom fitment
Provided you can get an air filter designed specifically for your Chevy Silverado, you can count on it to make notable improvements to your truck’s engine horsepower, torque, and mileage.
Also, the fact that they are custom-made allows these filters to stop the finer grit that might get past universal air filters. They also offer a hassle-free installation.
Conclusion
The implication of whatever we have said till now is that, when searching for the best air filter for Chevy Silverado, never compromise on a few points. Your ideal filter should be easy to install, must be washable (or easy to clean), must come with an extended warranty, and should have a notable impact on the mileage of your vehicle.
Know why we are saying that? Because all the filters mentioned above do that. You can select any of them to skip the rigorous process that is visiting the market and searching for the best filter for your needs. Or you can take advantage of our buying guide and go your own way. The choice is yours!