Off Road Truck Wheel Bolt Pattern Guide

Ali Mansour Brand Manager, 4WD & Sport Utility Contributors: Tori Tellem

The most primitive part on any given vehicle is the wheel. It's the one invention that changed the face of transportation as we know it and got things rolling to where we are today. So why do these simple round masses confuse so many people? While backspacing, beadlocks, steel versus aluminum, hub centric, and lug centric are all part of the puzzle, the first and most basic item that's crucial to understand is wheel bolt pattern.

"Wheel bolt pattern" refers the number of lugs and bolt circle for a given wheel. This is determined by the distance of a circle drawn through the center of your lug nuts. For example, if your rim has an 8-on-6 1/2 bolt pattern, then 8 is the number of lug holes and 61/2 the diameter of the circle in inches.

For a closer look into the world of wheel bolt patterns, we've compiled a few basic tips for measuring the various odd and even lug rims as well as created a pattern guide for some of the most popular 4-bys on the road. Enjoy.

The Pattern
The most common wheel patterns for 4x4 vehicles are five-, six-, and eight-lug. Traditionally domestic vehicles have simple fractional distances like 5-on-4 1/2, 5-on-5 1/2, and 8-on 6 1/2. Many modern and foreign wheels have metric distances (millimeters) like 5-on-135 and 8-on-170.

CONVERSION CHEAT SHEET (1 inch equals 25.4 mm) INCHES MILLIMETERS 41/4 108.0 41/2 114.0 43/4 120.7 5 127.0 51/2 139.7

Even Lugs
To determine the distance between even bolt hole patterns like six- and eight-lug wheels, the formula is simple. Using a tape or ruler, measure the distance between the center of one lug hole to the center of the hole directly across from it-think 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock.

Odd Lugs
Figuring out a five-lug pattern can be a little tricky. The most common method is to measure from the outside edge of a lug hole to the center of the hole directly across from it. Another way is to measure from the center of a lug hole to the center of the hole directly across from it and then multiply by 1.05.

THE WHEEL CHART VEHICLE YEAR BOLT CIRCLE CHEVY/GMC 1/2-ton Pickup (gas) '57-'09 6-on-5 1/2 3/4-ton Pickup '65-'09 8-on-6 1/2 1-ton Pickup '77-'09 8-on-6 1/2 Blazer/Jimmy/Tahoe/Yukon (Fullsize) '69-'09 8-on-6 1/2 Envoy/Trailblazer '02-'09 6-on-5 S-10 Blazer and Pickup; S-15 Jimmy, Pickup, Sonoma '83-'03 5-on-4 3/4 Suburban 1/2-Ton '57-'09 6-on-5 1/2 Suburban and Avalanche 3/4-Ton '67-'09 8-on-6 1/2 DODGE D50 '82-'93 6-on-5 1/2 Dakota '87-'90 5-on-4 1/2 Dakota '91-'09 6-on-4 1/2 Durango '98-'03 6-on-4 1/2 Durango '04-'08 5-on-5 1/2 Raider '86-'89 6-on-5 1/2 Ramcharger & Plymouth Trailduster '74-'79 5-on-4 1/2 Ramcharger & Plymouth Trailduster '80-'93 5-on-5 1/2 Ram 1/2-ton Pickup '59-'68 8-on-6 1/2 Ram 1/2-ton Pickup '69-'74 5-on-5 1/2 Ram 1/2-ton Pickup '75-'79 5-on-4 1/2 Ram 1/2-ton Pickup '80-'09 5-on-5 1/2 Ram 3/4-ton '61-'09 8-on-6 1/2 Ram 1-ton Pickup '69-'09 8-on-6 1/2 1-ton W-series Pickup '63-'68 6-on-7 1/2 FORD Bronco '66-'96 5-on-5 1/2 Bronco II '84-'90 5-on-4 1/2 Excursion '99-'05 8-on-170 mm Explorer '90-'08 5-on-4 1/2 1/2-ton Pickup '59-'96 5-on-5 1/2 1/2-ton Pickup '97-'90 5-on-135 mm 1/2-ton Pickup '04-'08 6-on-135 mm 3/4-ton Pickup '61-'98 8-on-6 1/2 3/4-ton Pickup '99-'09 8-on-170 mm 1-ton Pickup '79-'98 8-on-6 1/2 1-ton Pickup '99-'09 8-on-170 mm Ranger '83-'08 5-on-4 1/2 HUMMER & AM GENERAL H1 & Humvee '88-'09 8-on-6 1/2 H2 '03-'09 8-on-6 1/2 H3 '06-'09 6-on-5 1/2 INTERNATIONAL 1/2-ton Pickup '69-'75 5-on-5 1/2 3/4-ton Pickup '69-'75 8-on-6 1/2 1-ton Pickup '69-'75 8-on-6 1/2 Scout '61-'80 5-on-5 1/2 ISUZU Amigo '89-'00 6-on-5 1/2 Pickup '83-'96 6-on-5 1/2 Rodeo '91-'04 6-on-5 1/2 Trooper '84-'03 6-on-5 1/2 JEEP Cherokee (fullsize) '74-'83 6-on-5 1/2 Cherokee (XJ) '84-'01 5-on-4 1/2 Grand Cherokee (ZJ) '93-'98 5-on-4 1/2 Grand Cherokee '99-'08 5-on-5 CJ-series '45-'86 5-on-5 1/2 Commander '06-'09 5-on-5 Comanche '86-'92 5-on-4 1/2 Liberty '02-'08 5-on-4 1/2 Jeepster '67-'73 5-on-5 1/2 1/2-ton Pickup (J-series) '62-'73 5-on-5 1/2 1/2-ton Pickup (J-series) '74-'87 6-on-5 1/2 3/4-ton Pickup (J-series w/ semi-float rear) '63-'73 5-on-5 1/2 3/4-ton Pickup (J-series w/ full-float rear) '63-'73 8-on-6 1/2 3/4-ton Pickup (J-series) '74-'87 8-on-6 1/2 Wagoneer (fullsize) '62-'73 5-on-5 1/2 Wagoneer (fullsize including Grand) '74-'91 6-on-5 1/2 Wrangler (YJ, TJ) '84-'06 5-on-4 1/2 Wrangler (JK) '07-'10 5-on-5 LAND ROVER Defender 90 '94-'97 5-on-6 1/2 Discovery '94-'98 5-on-6 1/2 Discovery '89-'04 5-on-120 mm Range Rover '87-'98 5-on-6 1/2 Range Rover '99-'08 5-on-120 mm MAZDA B-1600 through B-2600 Pickup '79-'93 6-on-5 1/2 B-2300 through B-4000 Pickup '94-'08 5-on-4 1/2 MITSUBISHI Montero '83-'06 6-on-5 1/2 Pickup '79-'95 6-on-5 1/2 NISSAN Frontier '98-'04 6-on-5 1/2 Frontier '05-'08 6-on-4 1/2 Pathfinder '87-'04 6-on-5 1/2 Pickup '80-'97 6-on-5 1/2 Titan '04-'08 6-on-5 1/2 SUZUKI Equator '08-'09 6-on-4 1/2 Samurai '86-'95 5-on-5 1/2 Sidekick '89-'98 5-on-5 1/2 TOYOTA 4Runner '84-'08 6-on-5 1/2 Land Cruiser '63-'97 6-on-5 1/2 Land Cruiser '98-'08 5-on-150 mm Mini Truck '79-'95 6-on-5 1/2 T100 '93-'99 6-on-5 1/2 Tacoma '96-'04 6-on-5 1/2 Tundra '99-'06 6-on-5 1/2 Tundra '07-'09 5-on-150 mm

Made Wheel Simple
If you really want to take the guesswork out of finding your wheel bolt pattern, look no further than Made 4 You Products. The Made product line offers wheel bolt pattern template kits for both five- and six-lug patterns, including standard and metric. The lightweight plastic design is a great shop tool and a quick and easy way to determine which pattern is right for your ride.

Source
Made for You Products
760.868.6962
www.made4uproducts.com

Adapters & Spacers
If you already have a set of old wheels that you want to run on your new truck, but the bolt pattern is different or the offset is wrong, don't fret. Companies like Spidertrax, Trail Sport, and Performance Wheel all specialize in wheel spacers and adapters that allow you to convert to a different wheel bolt pattern or space the wheel out from 1 to 2 inches.

Sources
Performance Wheel
303.762.8875
www.performancewheel.com

Spidertrax
800.286.0898
www.spidertrax.com

Trail Sport Unltd. Inc
909.370.0144
www.trailsport4x4.com

Wheel Ready
So now that you know your ride's wheel bolt pattern you're ready to buy wheels, right? Well, not quite. Before you go spending dough on some new dubs that don't bolt up, you have to look at a few other items. One of the more important is the backspacing.

Backspacing is found by measuring the center mounting surface of the wheel to the outer lip of the rim (see photo). Too much backspacing and the tires may rub suspension components and the inner fenderwell excessively during steering. Too little and the wheel offset may increase wear on the front-end components and make contact with the outer edges of the fender.

Also, keep in mind that a rim's overall size, lug-nut style, and wheel stud diameter vary by vehicle. Before ordering wheels, always double-check the wheel bolt pattern yourself and consult with a wheel specialist who is familiar with your vehicle.