1970 Ford bronco tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1970 Ford Bronco, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
Fitment data pending verification. Confirm with manufacturer before purchase.
1970 Ford bronco wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x139.7 |
|---|---|
| Wheel thread / lug size | 1/2-RH |
| Center bore | 86.7 mm |
| Source | adaptitusa-reference |
See the best tires for the Ford Bronco, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Ford Bronco →
How to choose tires for the 1970 ford bronco
The 1970 Ford Bronco ships from the factory on the original equipment size tires mounted on the factory rim wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Ford Bronco comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1970 Ford Bronco owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1970 Ford Bronco, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1970 ford bronco
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (31) · Tread / Belt (26) · Spare Tire (2) · Sidewall (1)
Reported across: 1969 – 2023 (20 years)
What owners described
Tread or belt separation appears in 21% of these reports; about 1.5× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 34 reports covering every model year of the Ford Bronco that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread or belt separation | 21% | 13% | 1.5× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 18% | 8% | 2.1× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 12% | 20% | 0.6× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 9% | 6% | 1.5× |
| Sidewall failure | 6% | 15% | 0.4× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 3% | 9% | 0.3× |
Mileage at failure
11 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 25,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 10,000 and 68,158 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Ford Bronco. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
The contact owns a contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: ProContact, Tire Size: 225/65/R17, DOT Number: IP50GBV3K. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact heard a loud booming sound. The contact stated that after stopping and inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the rear driver's side tire had experienced a blowout and the tire was flat. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 15,000.
SIZE: 31X10.50R15LT 109Q M/S RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. THE VEHICLE FLIPPED AND ROLLED. THE DRIVERS SEATBELT FAILED AND HE WAS EJECTED. FIVE PASSANGERS WERE EJECTED. ALL INJURED WITH ONE FATALITY. I-10 EASTBOUND 37 MILE MARKER GRANT COUNTY NEW MEXICO.( DOT NUMBER: VD60AW3527 TIRE SIZE: 31X10.50R1 )
TIRE BLEW,FITS DESCRIPTION OF CURRENT RECALL- THREAD SEPARATES,LOST OF CONTROL. THESE ARE NEW TIRES,LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD. LOCAL FIRESTONE REFUSED TO REPLACE ALL 4. STATES NO DEFECT WITH OTHERS.( DOT NUMBER: VDVKAXC147 TIRE SIZE: 32X11.5X15 )
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW FOR YOUR DATA BASE THAT THESE TIRES WERE PURCHASED AFTER MARKET, SO FORD HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. ONE TIRE ROLLED THE TREAD RIGHT OFF, SEPARATING RIGHT UNDER THE STEEL BELT. BUT THE TIRE HELD AIR. IT HAPPENED ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD, AT ABOUT 85 DEGREES. I USED THE OTHER 3 TIRES UNTIL THEY HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON THEM WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROBLEMS. HADN'T HEARD ABOUT ANY ISSUE AT THAT TIME SO I DIDN'T REPORT IT.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235X15 )
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1970 Ford Bronco?
What is the bolt pattern of a 1970 Ford Bronco?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1970 Ford Bronco?
Where can I buy tires for my 1970 Ford Bronco?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1970 Ford Bronco?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1970 Ford Bronco?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1970 Ford Bronco?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Ford Bronco is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1970 Ford Bronco.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.