Bolt Pattern Guide: How to Measure and Find Your Bolt Pattern

Your bolt pattern (also called lug pattern or PCD) determines which wheels will physically bolt onto your vehicle. Get it wrong, and the wheel literally won't fit on your car.

This guide shows you how to measure your bolt pattern and understand what those numbers mean.

What Is a Bolt Pattern?

A bolt pattern describes two things:

1. Number of lug holes (4, 5, 6, or 8)
2. Diameter of the circle they form (in mm or inches)

It's written as: [Number of lugs] x [Diameter]

Examples:

• 5x114.3 = 5 lugs, 114.3mm diameter (common on Honda, Toyota, Ford)
• 6x139.7 = 6 lugs, 139.7mm diameter (common on trucks)
• 5x120 = 5 lugs, 120mm diameter (common on BMW, Honda Pilot)

---

Common Bolt Patterns by Vehicle

4-Lug Patterns

| Pattern | Also Known As | Common Vehicles | |---------|---------------|-----------------| | 4x100 | 4x3.94" | Honda Civic (older), VW Golf, Mini Cooper | | 4x108 | 4x4.25" | Ford Focus, Fiesta | | 4x114.3 | 4x4.5" | Older Nissan, Mitsubishi |

5-Lug Patterns

| Pattern | Also Known As | Common Vehicles | |---------|---------------|-----------------| | 5x100 | 5x3.94" | Toyota Corolla/Camry, Subaru, VW | | 5x108 | 5x4.25" | Volvo, Ford Fusion, Jaguar | | 5x112 | 5x4.41" | Audi, VW, Mercedes | | 5x114.3 | 5x4.5" | Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Ford Mustang | | 5x115 | 5x4.53" | GM (Cadillac, Buick, Chevy Impala) | | 5x120 | 5x4.72" | BMW, Honda Pilot, Chevy Camaro | | 5x127 | 5x5" | Jeep Wrangler JK/JL, GM trucks (older) | | 5x139.7 | 5x5.5" | RAM 1500 (older), Suzuki, Ford (older) |

6-Lug Patterns

| Pattern | Also Known As | Common Vehicles | |---------|---------------|-----------------| | 6x114.3 | 6x4.5" | Nissan Frontier, Xterra | | 6x120 | 6x4.72" | Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon | | 6x135 | 6x5.31" | Ford F-150 (2004+), Expedition | | 6x139.7 | 6x5.5" | Chevy/GMC 1500, Toyota Tacoma/4Runner, Nissan Titan |

8-Lug Patterns

| Pattern | Also Known As | Common Vehicles | |---------|---------------|-----------------| | 8x165.1 | 8x6.5" | Chevy/GMC 2500/3500, Dodge RAM 2500/3500 (older) | | 8x170 | 8x6.69" | Ford F-250/F-350 | | 8x180 | 8x7.09" | Chevy/GMC 2500/3500 (2011+) |

---

How to Measure Your Bolt Pattern

What You'll Need

• Measuring tape or ruler (mm is most accurate)
• For 5-lug patterns: a bolt pattern gauge or careful measurement

Measuring Even-Number Patterns (4, 6, 8 Lugs)

For 4, 6, or 8 lug patterns, measure center to center of two opposite holes.

    O ←──────────────→ O
    │                   │
    │  Measure this    │
    │    distance      │
    │                   │
    O                   O

Measuring 5-Lug Patterns

5-lug patterns are trickier because no holes are directly opposite. Use this method:

1. Measure from the center of one hole to the outer edge of the hole 2 positions away
2. This distance equals your bolt pattern diameter

        O (1)
       / \
      /   \
     /     \
   O(3)───O(2)  ← Measure from center of (1) to outer edge of (3)
    \     /
     \   /
      \ /
       O
       |
       O

Alternative: Use a bolt pattern gauge tool (~$15-20) for dead-accurate measurement.

Using Reference Tables

The easiest method? Look up your vehicle's bolt pattern:

• Check your owner's manual
• Use our wheel fitment tool
• Google "[Year] [Make] [Model] bolt pattern"

---

Metric vs. Inch Measurements

Bolt patterns are listed in both metric (mm) and imperial (inches). They're the same sizes, just different units:

| Metric | Imperial | |--------|----------| | 100mm | 3.94" | | 108mm | 4.25" | | 112mm | 4.41" | | 114.3mm | 4.5" | | 115mm | 4.53" | | 120mm | 4.72" | | 127mm | 5" | | 135mm | 5.31" | | 139.7mm | 5.5" | | 165.1mm | 6.5" | | 170mm | 6.69" | | 180mm | 7.09" |

Tip: Metric is more precise and the industry standard. Stick with mm when possible.

---

Can You Adapt Different Bolt Patterns?

Yes, but with caveats:

Wheel Adapters

Adapters bolt to your hub and provide a different bolt pattern for the wheel. They can convert, say, 5x114.3 to 5x120.

Pros:

• Run wheels that wouldn't otherwise fit
• Usually reversible

Cons:

• Adds distance between wheel and hub
• Another potential failure point
• May affect handling
• Not recommended for performance driving

Hub-Centric Rings

These don't change bolt pattern — they fill the gap between wheel center bore and hub to eliminate vibration. Always use hub-centric rings or hub-centric wheels.

---

What Is Center Bore?

Center bore is the hole in the middle of the wheel that fits over your hub. It's measured in millimeters.

Hub-Centric: Center bore matches hub exactly — the wheel centers on the hub

Lug-Centric: Center bore is larger than hub — the wheel centers on the lug nuts

Our Recommendation: Always use hub-centric wheels or add hub-centric rings. Lug-centric mounting can cause vibration.

---

Dual-Drilled Wheels

Some wheels have two bolt patterns drilled, like 5x114.3/5x120. This means the wheel fits vehicles with either pattern.

Caution: Only use wheels where your bolt pattern is drilled perfectly. Some dual-drilled wheels have slightly off patterns — verify fitment before buying.

---

FAQs

Can I use 5x115 wheels on a 5x114.3 vehicle?

Technically yes — the difference is only 0.7mm. Many people do this without issue. However:

• It's not OEM spec
• Long-term, lugs may not torque correctly
• We recommend sticking to exact bolt patterns

Does the bolt pattern affect tire size?

No. Bolt pattern only affects whether the wheel bolts on. Tire size is determined by wheel diameter, width, and your fender clearance.

Why are some bolt patterns so close (like 5x114.3 and 5x115)?

Different manufacturers standardized on slightly different measurements. American companies often used imperial (4.5"), while Japanese companies used metric (114.3mm is exactly 4.5").

---

Find Wheels with Your Bolt Pattern

Use our wheel fitment tool to search by your vehicle. We automatically filter to show only wheels that match your bolt pattern, offset, and center bore.

Every wheel we sell is verified for your specific year, make, and model — no guesswork, no adapter needed.

Need help? Call (248) 332-4120 and our fitment experts will find the perfect wheels for your vehicle.