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Bolt Pattern Guide: How To Measure [With Conversion Chart]

Andrew Cilio
By: 

Andrew Cilio

 / Mar 15 2023
Bolt Pattern Guide: How To Measure [With Conversion Chart]

The first step in finding the right set of rims for your ride is knowing your wheel bolt pattern. Counting the number of lugs on your current rims is just half the equation—you've got to get the measurement right, too.

Some patterns are easier to measure than others (we're looking at you, 5-lug), but thankfully you should be able to find it in an applicable owner's manual or stamped on the inside of the wheel. If not, we've got a guide and metric conversion chart below to help you find the best wheel for your ride.

Table of Contents
  1. What Is a Bolt Pattern?
  2. Types of Bolt Patterns
  3. How To Measure a Bolt Pattern
  4. Bolt Pattern Conversion Chart
  5. Using Your Bolt Pattern Measurements
  6. FAQs

What Is a Bolt Pattern?

A bolt pattern is the arrangement of bolts and corresponding holes where your wheels are fastened to your vehicle by lug nuts. When you install a wheel, those bolt holes fit around wheel studs attached to the wheel hub. The wheel is tightly secured by lug nuts that thread onto those studs.

For some vehicles—typically European imports—the bolts are somewhat inverted. Instead of fastening lug nuts to studs that are attached to the hub, lug bolts thread straight into the hub. Regardless of which type you have, the principle of the bolt or lug pattern is the same.

Types of Bolt Patterns

There are five general types of bolt patterns based on the number of bolts on the wheel hub: 4-lug, 5-lug, 6-lug, 8-lug, and dual-drill. These patterns get further broken down into sizes that correspond to the amount of space separating them.

  • 4-lug: Laid out in a box or "+" shape, a 4-lug pattern is measured from the center of one bolt hole to the center of the hole opposite from it.
  • 5-lug: This pentagonal pattern is trickier to measure, since no bolt will have another bolt directly across from it. These are measured from the center of one bolt hole to the center of the point where one would be opposite from it.
  • 6-lug: Arranged like a hexagon, these are measured like a 4-lug pattern.
  • 8-lug: Since these have an even number of bolt holes, they're also measured like 6-lug and 4-lug patterns.
  • Dual-drill: Some wheels cram up to 10 bolt holes in—basically two separate 4-lug or 5-lug patterns with slightly different measurements, so one wheel can fit two different patterns.

The number of bolts/lug nuts a wheel hub can have is related to the vehicle's weight. A heavier vehicle requires the wheels to bear more weight, meaning more bolts and lug nuts are needed.

There are technically wheels with three lugs, but you're not likely to see them in the U.S.—especially if you're a pickup owner.

Graphic showing diagrams of 4-lug, 5-lug, 6-lug, 8-lug, and dual-drill bolt patterns.

How To Measure a Bolt Pattern

If you don't have documentation for your bolt pattern, it's easy enough to measure on your own. Evenly numbered patterns can be measured with essentially the same process regardless of the number, but 5-lug patterns are a bit different since they have an odd number. (If you've got a 3-lug, the method will be the same.)

No matter the number of bolts, the basic concept of the measurement is a circle—what you're really measuring is the diameter of the invisible circle that runs through the center of each bolt hole.

4-Lug, 6-Lug, and 8-Lug Bolt Patterns

You can easily measure any of the evenly numbered patterns with a ruler, tape measure, or digital caliper (nope, not the things on your disc brakes).

  • Step 1: For the most accurate measurement, remove the lug nuts from two of the bolts that are opposite each other.
  • Step 2: Using your tool of choice, measure from the center of one exposed bolt to the center of the other. (For an uninstalled wheel, use the center of the bolt holes.)
  • Step 3: Convert to inches or millimeters as needed.

5-Lug Bolt Pattern

Wheels with five lugs are a little trickier. Since there are no two holes directly opposite each other, you can't really use them to find the diameter of that invisible bolt circle. However, there is a way you can get an easy approximation.

You can use a ruler, tape measure, or digital caliper—but for this one, we recommend the caliper.

  • Step 1: Remove any two lug nuts that aren't next to each other.
  • Step 2: Measure from the center of one bolt to the outside edge of the other. Again, a caliper makes this much easier. (For an uninstalled wheel, measure from the center of one hole to the outside edge of the other.)
  • Step 3: Convert to inches or millimeters as needed.

Graphic showing diagrams of how to measure 4-lug, 5-lug, 6-lug, 8-lug, and dual-drill bolt patterns.

How Bolt Pattern Measurements Are Displayed

Bolt pattern measurements are displayed as a two-number sequence: the number of lugs and the distance (usually in millimeters) from one bolt hole's center to its opposing hole's center (or where that hole would be for a 5-lug wheel). 

Sometimes you'll see the second number translated to inches instead, but the numbering structure is the same.

Since dual-drill wheels have two separate sets of bolt holes, their size is conveyed in a three-number sequence to show the spacing of both sets. 

Here are some examples:

  • 4 x 98: Four lugs, 98 millimeters in diameter
  • 5 x 120: Five lugs, 120 millimeters in diameter
  • 8 x 6.5": Eight lugs, 6.5 inches in diameter
  • 4 x 137/156: Dual-drill wheel with a 4 x 137 pattern and a 4 x 156 pattern

Bolt Pattern Conversion Chart

So you've got your bolt pattern in millimeters, but you need that number in inches. No problem! Just check our bolt pattern conversion chart below to easily convert from one to the other.

 

Millimeters

Inches

4-Lug

4 x 98

4 x 3.86

4 x 100

4 x 3.94

4 x 108

4 x 4.25

4 x 110

4 x 4.33

4 x 114.3

4 x 4.5

4 x 130

4 x 5.12

4 x 140

4 x 5.51

5-Lug

5 x 98

5 x 3.86

5 x 100

5 x 3.94

5 x 108

5 x 4.25

5 x 110

5 x 4.33

5 x 112

5 x 4.41

5 x 114.3

5 x 4.5

5 x 115

5 x 4.52

5 x 120

5 x 4.72

5 x 120.7

5 x 4.75

5 x 127

5 x 5

5 x 130

5 x 5.12

5 x 135

5 x 5.3

5 x 139.7

5 x 5.5

5 x 150

5 x 5.91

5 x 155

5 x 6.1

5 x 165.1

5 x 6.5

5 x 205

5 x 8.07

6-Lug

6 x 114.3

6 x 4.5

6 x 115

6 x 4.52

6 x 127

6 x 5

6 x 132

6 x 5.2

6 x 135

6 x 5.3

6 x 139.7

6 x 5.5

8-Lug

8 x 165.1

8 x 6.5

8 x 170

8 x 6.69

8 x 180

8 x 7.09

8 x 200

8 x 7.87

8 x 210

8 x 8.27

Using Your Bolt Pattern Measurements

Hopefully this bolt pattern guide helped you get an accurate measurement. Once you've got the size, you're ready to replace your old wheels. Or, if you want to really make sure you get products that fit your vehicle without the hassle of measuring yourself, you could simply shop for your next set of wheels by make, model, and year.

FAQs

How Do I Find My Bolt Pattern?

Your wheel's bolt pattern should be stamped somewhere inside the wheel or noted in your owner's manual. If you know the model, you may be able to find it on the manufacturer's website.

What Are the Five Lug Bolt Patterns?

The five main lug bolt patterns are 4-lug, 5-lug, 6-lug, 8-lug, and dual-drill, which contains two separate patterns in one wheel. 3-lug patterns are much less common but do exist.

How Do You Measure a Lug Pattern?

To measure a lug pattern, start by counting the number of bolt holes to get the first number in the size. To get the second number for an even number of bolt holes, measure in millimeters from the center of one hole to the center of the hole opposite it. To get the second number for a 5-lug wheel, measure from the center of one hole to the outside edge of a nonadjacent hole.



More Truck Wheel and Tire Guides:

Word on the Trail

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