How to read a bolt pattern
Bolt patterns are written as two numbers separated by an "x" — for example, 5x114.3. The first number is how many lug holes the wheel has. The second is the diameter of the imaginary circle those holes sit on, measured in millimetres (the PCD, or Pitch Circle Diameter). So 5x114.3 means five lug holes arranged on a 114.3mm circle. That's the entire spec. If both numbers match your hub, the wheel mounts. If they don't, it won't — full stop.
Why a few millimetres matter enormously
A 5x114.3 wheel will not safely fit a 5x120 hub, even though both have five lugs. The holes won't align — or worse, they'll partially align but put the wheel under stress that can cause lug failure. Never force a wheel with the wrong PCD. It's not a compatibility approximation; it's a structural specification.
Common patterns and which vehicles use them
You'll run into a handful of patterns over and over. 5x114.3 is the most common in the world — Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, Hyundais, Kias, Fords (Mustang/Edge), most Jeeps. 5x120 covers BMW, General Motors cars and trucks, Range Rover. 6x139.7 is the full-size truck standard — GM 1500s, Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan, older Ford F-150. 5x127 shows up on Jeep Wranglers and Ram trucks. If you're unsure, look at your door jamb sticker, check your owner's manual, or enter your year/make/model on AlloyHaus — we'll filter everything for you instantly. We also maintain a full bolt-pattern reference at /guides/bolt-patterns where you can look up patterns by vehicle or by PCD.
Hub bore: the other diameter people forget
In addition to the bolt pattern, every wheel has a centre bore — the hole in the middle of the wheel. Your car's hub has a matching raised lip (the hub pilot). For a perfect fit, the wheel's bore should match the hub diameter exactly, or be slightly larger. When it's slightly larger, you use a hub-centric ring — a plastic or aluminium collar that fills the gap — to keep the wheel perfectly centred. Without one, the lug nuts alone centre the wheel, which can cause minor vibration at highway speed. Hub-centric rings are cheap, common, and often included. We note them in each wheel's fit details. See our hub-centric rings guide for the full explanation.
How to measure your bolt pattern
Need to verify your pattern manually? Count your lug holes, then measure the PCD. The method differs slightly depending on lug count — for 5-lug patterns you can't just measure straight across. We walk through the exact technique in our dedicated how-to-measure-bolt-pattern guide, including the difference between even-lug and odd-lug measurement. The short version: for 4- and 6-lug wheels, measure centre-to-centre across opposite studs; for 5-lug wheels, measure from the centre of one stud to the outer edge of the stud directly across.
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