We Fixed the Ford Maverick's Stance: Suspension, Wheels & Tires (Build Part 1)
Everyone builds F-150s and Tacomas. Almost nobody is seriously building the Ford Maverick, so we did. This is Part 1 of our in-house Maverick project, and it starts where every good build starts: suspension, wheels, and tires. Noah walks through the entire install in the video below, from stock teardown to the alignment rack to an honest on-road review of how it drives when it's done.
The Build Sheet
Everything we bolted onto our 2022-2026 Maverick 4WD in Part 1:
- Suspension: Rough Country 2-Inch Lift Kit (N3 front struts, rear coils, N3 rear shocks, trailing arm drop spacers)
- Wheels: KMC KM708 Bully, 17x8, Satin Black, 38mm offset, 5x108
- Tires: Falken Wildpeak A/T4W, 245/70R17
- The verdict: Level stance, real ground clearance, and a ride that surprised all of us. Details below.
Why the Maverick Needed This
The Maverick is a great little truck with one visual problem from the factory: the nose sits noticeably lower than the rear. That factory rake makes an otherwise sharp truck look like it's perpetually braking. Beyond looks, the stock setup leaves ground clearance on the table for a truck that plenty of owners take onto dirt, gravel, and forest roads.
The fix is simple and well proven: lift the front 2 inches, bring the rear up to match, and put a properly sized all-terrain on a wheel with the right offset. That's exactly what Part 1 covers.
The Suspension: Rough Country 2-Inch Lift Kit
We went with the complete Rough Country 2-Inch Lift Kit for 2022-2026 Maverick 4WD models. It's a full front-and-rear solution, not just a pair of spacers:
- N3 lift struts up front deliver the 2 inches of lift with nitrogen-charged, velocity-sensitive valving
- New rear coil springs bring the back up to match and smooth out the ride
- N3 rear shocks keep the rear controlled instead of bouncing on lifted springs with stock dampers
- Trailing arm drop spacers preserve the rear suspension geometry
- All hardware included, fully bolt-on, no cutting or welding, with a lifetime replacement warranty
Rough Country rates the install at 3-4 hours, and that matched our experience in the shop. Watch the video for the full step-by-step, including the spots where a second set of hands saves you real time.
Just want the level without doing the rear? Rough Country's 2-Inch Loaded Front Coilovers are the front half of this setup sold on their own. They come pre-assembled with the coils installed, so there's no spring compressor and no strut disassembly. It's the faster, cheaper path to killing the factory rake, and you can always add the rear later. Note that both the full kit and the coilovers fit 2.0L EcoBoost 4WD trucks only, not Hybrids, and the full kit does not fit the Tremor package.
Wheels and Tires: KMC Bully + Falken Wildpeak A/T4W
A lift only finishes the job if the wheel and tire package fills it out. We wrapped KMC KM708 Bully wheels in Satin Black with Falken Wildpeak A/T4W all-terrains in 245/70R17.
The wheels
- 17x8 with a 38mm offset, which fills the wheel wells without poking past the fenders
- 5x108 bolt pattern, a direct fit for the Maverick (and Bronco Sport)
- One-piece cast aluminum at 23.46 lbs with a 1,750 lb load rating
- Overlapping spoke design with spot-milled lip accents, plus a lifetime structural warranty
The tires
The Wildpeak A/T4W is a serious all-terrain: roughly 30.5 inches tall in this size, Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake rated for winter, with a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty. It's aggressive enough to look right on a lifted truck and handle dirt and gravel, but it stays quiet and composed on the highway, which matters on a truck most owners daily drive.
In the video, Noah breaks down exactly how we picked this offset and tire size so everything clears without rubbing, plus the caster and camber numbers we aligned to afterward. If you're speccing your own Maverick wheel and tire package, that section alone is worth the watch, and you can browse every fitment-verified option in our Maverick Wheels & Tires section.
How It Turned Out
The stance is perfect. That's not us being generous to our own build; the nose-down factory rake is gone, the truck sits dead level, and the 245/70R17s on the 17x8 Bullys fill the wheel wells the way the factory should have. It looks dramatically more aggressive, and the added ground clearance is real, not just visual.
The part that surprised us was the ride. Lifted trucks have a reputation for trading comfort for looks, and this setup didn't. The N3 struts and shocks keep the ride smooth and controlled on the street, and the truck feels planted through corners rather than tippy. For a daily-driven Maverick that sees dirt on the weekends, it's hard to picture a better-balanced first stage.
What's Next for the Maverick
Part 1 was the foundation. The suspension, wheels, and tires set up everything that comes next for this truck, and we have more planned. Subscribe to the Stage 3 Motorsports YouTube channel so you don't miss Part 2, and if you have fitment questions about your own Maverick, drop them in the video comments. Our team actually answers.
Build Your Own Maverick
Every part from this build, plus everything else for the 2022-2026 Ford Maverick, all in one place.
Shop All Maverick Parts Maverick Suspension Maverick Wheels & TiresMaverick Lift Kit FAQ
How much lift does the Rough Country Maverick kit give you?
2 inches, and it levels the factory nose-down rake. The kit uses N3 lift struts up front with new rear coil springs, N3 rear shocks, and trailing arm drop spacers to keep the rear geometry correct.
Does the kit fit the Maverick Hybrid or Tremor?
No. The Rough Country 2-inch lift kit fits 2022-2026 Maverick 4WD models with the 2.0L EcoBoost. It does not fit Hybrid models or trucks with the Tremor package.
What size tires fit a Maverick with a 2-inch lift?
We ran 245/70R17 Falken Wildpeak A/T4W all-terrains, roughly 30.5 inches tall, on 17x8 wheels with a 38mm offset, with no rubbing on our build. Offset matters as much as tire size, so match your wheel specs carefully before sizing up.
What is the Maverick's wheel bolt pattern?
5x108, shared with the Bronco Sport. Many wheels, including the KMC Bully we installed, fit both vehicles.
How long does the install take?
Rough Country rates it at 3-4 hours. It's fully bolt-on with no cutting or welding, and the front coilovers come pre-loaded so no spring compressor is needed. Plan on an alignment afterward.
Does lifting a Maverick hurt the ride quality?
Not with this setup. The nitrogen-charged N3 struts and shocks use velocity-sensitive valving, and on our build the ride after the install was smooth and controlled on the street while adding clearance and a far more aggressive stance.
