Does anyone know if a 225/50 ZR 17 tire will fit on a factory original 1970 ford Maverick? There have been no suspension modifications and i know hey will fit on the back im just worried about having steering issues? Can anyone help?
from Northeast Pennsylvania You might want to consider changing your car over to 5 lug wheels before you think about what 17 inch tires you will need. If your car is still all stock 4 lug, 17 inch rims might be impossible to find
I'm right there with that - do you have rims that will mount up to the 4 lug pattern? If you do, then yes, that size tire will fit fine. It would be slightly wider and a bit taller than stock so your speedo will be off (will read low). Running a tire calculator shows an error of like 6%. So when your speedo says 60 you will actually be going closer to 64.
Tire rack actually carries a rim called the Maverick, which is also my name haha and it is that size, 7.5 in wide, witha 40 mm offset.
Who makes the wheel? A search came up with American Racing and Ultra. Not many make a 4 lug wheel that will fit.
Ya its American racing, called the, Maverick either with chrome or anthracite accents, i asked and they said the come in a 4 lug
The offset on a 7.5" wheel is going to be important to get right. The widest factory wheel in 1970 was a 6" using a D70x14 tire - which crosses over to about a metric 205/70/14 Since the tire will be a bit fatter than the 205, if that 40mm offset you mention is positive it may very well cause rubbing problems. Do they make that rim with a zero offset? I think that would be a better bet for fitting. Will Tire Rack allow you to experiment and see if the wheels will fit or if you buy them are you stuck with them? Do they offer that wheel in a 6" or just the 7.5"? One thing with these cars. When tolerances get close, some cars fit OK and others rub.
They should still work in the back though shouldnt they? As for the frint im sure they are gonna be to big, everything else on this project is a train wreck plus its all being built in a dirt lot so theres really nothing i can do to check on any of the technical things like that..
