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Print Your Own Wheel Bolt Pattern Guide (Revised)

During a recent phone conversation with a customer, the question was asked: “What is the bolt pattern of your wheels?” After several back and forth questions with the customer, we realized that people might not actually understand how to measure a 5-lug wheel bolt pattern. So we thought it might be a great idea to both explain how to take wheel stud measurements and also provide a simple tool so you don’t need to worry about getting measurements correct going forward.

Your bolt pattern indicates how many bolt holes or studs are on your vehicle, and how far apart they are spaced. When someone references a bolt pattern of 5 x 4-3/4” for example, the numbers give two very important tidbits of information. The first is “5” in this example. This tells you exactly how many studs are on the rotor or how many holes are in the wheels. The second piece of information is the 4-3/4”. This is the diameter of the circle formed by the lug studs.  Note: this number can also be expressed in a metric format in some instances.

When measuring a 4-lug, a 6-lug or even an 8-lug, the process is very simple. Measure from the center of one hole to the center of the opposite hole.

A 5-lug pattern is where things can get confusing. If you don’t have the template handy, you measure from the center of any hole, skip a hole in either direction and then measure to the outside edge of that hole.

Diagram Showing How To Properly Measure a 5-Lug Wheel Bolt Pattern

Now that you know how to measure lug bolt patterns, here’s a simple little tool to keep in your shop. Some companies sell them in plastic but a paper one works just fine. 

Wheel Bolt Pattern Guide (PDF) - Download and Print Out at 100%
Wheel Bolt Pattern Guide (PDF)
Download and Print Out at 100%

To use, just follow these steps:

  1. Print the template. Be sure to set your printer settings to either 100% or Actual Size.
  2. With some idea of the template in mind, cut out the holes of the same color. Each color represents a common bolt pattern.
  3. Place the template over the studs or line the holes up with the wheel.
  4. Done!

With this template in your possession, you should never have a question again in the future of what bolt spacing do I have. You are welcome!