Depending on the trim level of Ford Maverick you get, the cargo box comes with up to 10 tie-downs and even a flexible cleat rail system. If you get the base XL however as we did with our long term test Maverick, you get only four bed tie-downs – two at the front mounted high and two at the rear mounted at the base of the tail-gate.
And yes there are the other two on the tailgate, but the floor at the front of the cargo box only has empty holes. If you want to add tie-downs here, you have a few options. One go to the dealership and pay up for $41 each for the factory parts – two of them plus up to another $20 for the factory bolts.
The other option is a hardware store based DIY collection of parts, which is what we did here.
The key to the deal is finding a suitable tie-down with a 1.75-inch bolt-to-bolt flange – not easy at all. In my case I found that brand Keeper offers a tie-down and flush mount cup set that fits perfectly. The part is Keeper 2 3/4” Oval Plate Recessed Anchor (Part #89312) and you can buy these for about $3 each from a variety of big box retailers online or in store.
I’m also adding a drop-in plastic bed-liner so I plan to use the flange cups in that installation, but you can leave them off if you just have a plain bed surface or the spray-in bed-liner.
You will also need four M8 x 125 body bolts available either online or at a higher end hardware store. I ordered these online with a factory Torx style head. They came with washers preinstalled.
The hardest part and the rub to this project is that you have to thread the holes before installing the tie-downs. You will need an 8mm x 125 pitch tapping tool and lubricating oil both available at most hardware stores.
The difficulty of time and labor is significantly heightened here because of the tight work space. This means because of the hole’s location next to the wheel house, you cannot use the two handled version of the tapping tool.
I had to use the small one handled attachment which is painfully slow and arduous as the steel is nearly 1/4-inch thick, but it can be done. You can use self tapping bolts and bypass the tapping tool routine but I have had mixed luck with them and preferred to tap the holes manually in spite of the extra strife involved.
Once the holes are tapped, cleaned and fully vetted you can install the tie-downs forthwith. They are simple but heavy duty and effective whether you use them with or without the cup flanges. Showing them both ways here, bare and with the bed-liner and the cup flanges.
Either way much cheaper than the factory hardware.
