A wheel’s bolt pattern (or PCD, pitch circle diameter) describes how its mounting holes are arranged, and it must match your vehicle exactly or the wheel will not bolt on. It is written as two numbers: the number of studs times the diameter of the circle they sit on — so 5 × 114.3 means five studs spaced evenly around a 114.3 mm circle. Metric millimetres are the modern standard; older US vehicles often quote the same thing in inches, where 5 × 114.3 mm is the familiar 5 × 4.5".
Measuring it depends on the stud count. For an even number of studs (4, 6, 8), the circle diameter is simply the straight-line distance between two studs directly across from each other. For an odd count — most commonly 5-lug — there is no stud directly opposite, so you measure from the centre of one stud to the outer edge of the stud two places away, which lands on the circle. Getting this right matters: a pattern that is close but not exact (say 5 × 112 versus 5 × 114.3) may seem to start threading but will never seat true, and forcing it is dangerous.
Bolt pattern is only half of fitment. You also need the correct centre bore (the hole in the middle that centres the wheel on the hub), the right offset (how far the mounting face sits from the wheel’s centreline), and matching thread size on the lug nuts or bolts. A wheel can share your bolt pattern yet still rub, sit too far out, or fail to centre if those other dimensions are wrong. Use the table below to find your pattern, then confirm bore and offset before buying.
Common patterns
| Pattern | Imperial eq. | Typical vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 100 mm | 4 × 3.94" | Honda, Toyota, Mazda, VW compacts |
| 4 × 108 mm | 4 × 4.25" | Ford Focus, PSA |
| 4 × 114.3 mm | 4 × 4.5" | Nissan, Honda compacts (older) |
| 5 × 100 mm | 5 × 3.94" | Subaru, VW, Audi compact |
| 5 × 108 mm | 5 × 4.25" | Ford, Volvo, Jaguar, LandRover |
| 5 × 112 mm | 5 × 4.41" | BMW (F/G), Mercedes, Audi, VW |
| 5 × 114.3 mm | 5 × 4.5" | Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Chrysler |
| 5 × 115 mm | 5 × 4.53" | GM (Chevy, Buick, Pontiac) |
| 5 × 120 mm | 5 × 4.72" | BMW (E-chassis), Buick older |
| 5 × 120.65 mm | 5 × 4.75" | GM F-body (Camaro, Firebird) |
| 5 × 127 mm | 5 × 5" | Jeep, classic Chevy |
| 5 × 130 mm | 5 × 5.12" | Porsche, Mercedes trucks, VW T5 |
| 5 × 139.7 mm | 5 × 5.5" | Jeep Wrangler, Dodge truck (older) |
| 6 × 114.3 mm | 6 × 4.5" | Nissan Frontier, Xterra |
| 6 × 135 mm | 6 × 5.31" | Ford F-150 (2004+) |
| 6 × 139.7 mm | 6 × 5.5" | Chevy/GMC 1500, Toyota Tundra |
| 8 × 165.1 mm | 8 × 6.5" | GM 2500/3500, Dodge Ram 2500/3500 |
| 8 × 170 mm | 8 × 6.7" | Ford F-250/350 (Super Duty) |
| 8 × 180 mm | 8 × 7.09" | GM heavy-duty truck |
Notes
- Lug nut cone angle (60° acorn common) and thread pitch (M12×1.5, 1/2"-20) must also match.
- Hub-centric (wheel centers on the hub) vs lug-centric (centered by lug nuts) — use hub-centric rings for lug-centric aftermarket wheels.
Frequently asked questions
What does 5×114.3 mean?
5 studs arranged on a 114.3 mm-diameter circle.
Imperial equivalents?
5×4.5" = 5×114.3 mm. 5×5" = 5×127 mm. 6×5.5" = 6×139.7 mm.