When the time has officially come to replace your car’s wheels, the tire bolt pattern is one of the most important things to keep in mind. Different models of vehicles all have a designated wheel lug layout that indicates its correct wheel size. Choosing wheels that don’t properly align with these specific measurements can lead to reduced performance and even overall vehicle damage. Because of this, it’s crucial that, as a vehicle owner, you know how to measure your tire bolt pattern and find new models that match.
COUNT YOUR TIRE BOLTS
The first thing you should always do when measuring your wheels is to count how many tire bolts they have. This will be the primary form of measurement you’re going to use for your wheels, and it will also indicate how you’ll measure the space between each lug. For reference, vehicles can have wheels with 4, 5, 6, or 8 bolts, depending on their specific makes and models.
TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS
Once you know how many lugs your wheels have, it’s time to determine the diameter of the circle that connects them. While this might seem difficult, all you need to do is follow the proper procedure associated with that number. This is how to measure your tire bolt pattern based on your specific lug count.
MEASURING FOR 4, 6, AND 8-LUG WHEELS
For vehicles that use 4, 6, or 8 lugs, the simplest way to find its inner diameter is to measure the distance between holes directly across from one another. Using measuring tape or a long ruler, calculate the space from the center of one bolt-hole to the center of the one opposite it. This will give you the most accurate measurement.
MEASURING FOR 5-LUG WHEELS
5-lug wheels, on the other hand, require something slightly different. Because these wheels don’t have bolts that sit evenly across the center point, it’s more difficult to calculate the circle’s diameter as a whole. So, place one end of the ruler in the center of a lug-hole and measure to the back end of the hole across from it. Doing this, rather than finding the distance between two center points, will help make up some of that lost space and make for a more accurate calculation.
READING YOUR MEASUREMENTS
After obtaining both necessary numbers, it’s important that you know how to properly utilize them when looking for wheels. Wheel sizes will often be listed as the number of lugs times the circle diameter in millimeters—5X100mm, for example. This demonstrates the exact bolt pattern at a glance and will greatly help you find other wheels that fit those specifications.
At RNR Tire Express, we understand that measuring your car’s wheels for new fittings can seem a bit complicated. As such, we seek to provide each of our customers with the knowledge they need to make the most informed purchasing decisions. This, in addition to our tires in Greensboro, NC, makes for a quality upgrade you won’t be able to get anywhere else.
