We’ve done plenty of articles about wheels and bolt patterns, so we definitely know the different measurements that they can have.
With that said, a lot of people seem to be specifically curious as to whether or not 5×114.3mm wheels can fit on a 5x115mm bolt pattern. And even if they do, is it even safe to do so?
Thus, we’ll be answering these questions and a lot more to educate you on proper wheel fitment and whether or not you should fit these two different sizes with each other.
Will a 5×114.3 wheel fit a 5×115 bolt pattern?
It’s possible to fit a 5×114.3mm wheel on a 5x115mm bolt pattern. However, the fitment of the wheel will not be perfectly aligned against the hub, which can lead to some amount of play and vibration.
While some owners have had success fitting their 5×114.3mm rims on their 5x115mm hub, the wheels will not sit as tight as they can be because of the 0.7mm difference.
Is it safe to fit 5×114.3 wheels on a 5×115 bolt pattern?
It’s risky to fit 5×114.3 wheels on a 5×115 bolt pattern, as the 0.7mm difference will make the fitment not as tight and aligned as it should be.
Pairing two different bolt patterns may cause some amount of play, wheel vibrations, more stress on the bolts, and difficulty tightening them equally.
At the end of the day, wheels and bolt patterns are machined up to the proper specifications, so it’s still best to make sure that they exactly match so you don’t have to run into fitment issues and safety hazards.
However, if you still choose to attempt and fit 5×114.3mm wheels on a vehicle with a 5x115mm bolt pattern, you need to get yourself some hub-centric rings that are also of the correct size.
Hub-centric rings are one of the most common ways to mitigate the potential issues of fitting different bolt patterns, and a lot of owners have had success in using them to fit 5×114.3mm wheels on a 5x115mm bolt pattern.
If you would like to know more about hub-centric rings, we have a separate discussion on that a bit further down.
Nonetheless, this still doesn’t completely eliminate the potential risks of pairing two mismatched bolt patterns with each other, most especially if you plan on doing some performance driving with your car.
Risks of Using 5×114.3 with 5×115 (Different Bolt Patterns)
Some risks of using 5×114.3 rims on a 5×115 bolt pattern can include some amount of play on the wheels, vibrations while driving, more stress on the bolts, and more difficulty tightening the bolts equally.
Some Amount of Play
Whenever you try to fit two different bolt patterns with each other, such as the 5×114.3 and the 5×115, you may experience some amount of “play” on the wheels due to the difference in spacing between the wheel’s bolt holes and the hub’s bolts or lugs.
Wheel Vibrations While Driving
Vibrations from the wheels are one of the most common risk factors that can pop up when you try and fit two different bolt patterns with each other, and this is related to the amount of play that the wheels can have that we’ve discussed above.
More Stress on the Bolts
Another potential risk to fitting a 5×114.3 wheel on a car with a 5×115 bolt pattern is that the bolts can be subject to a lot more stress than if they were perfectly matched with each other.
This is because the wheel would not be hub-centric, meaning that the wheel will be mainly supported by the hub’s bolts or lugs (lug-centric) instead of the hub itself.
This is why a lot of people run hub-centric rings whenever they have wheels that have a different bolt pattern to the vehicle’s.
More Difficulty in Tightening the Bolts Equally
Pairing two different bolt patterns together would mean that the bolts will not be perfectly aligned and centered, which can make it difficult to tighten the bolts equally without several of them getting misaligned.
As you attempt to fully tighten one bolt, only that specific bolt will be centered while all the other ones will be off-center, making them tricky to tighten up to the proper torque specifications.
In this case, not only will you have to install hub-centric rings to keep them centered, but you also need to tighten each of the bolts gradually one by one.
This can be achieved by initially tightening them to 50% of the recommended torque first, then 70% the next round, and so on.
Are 5×114.3 and 5×115 the same?
5×114.3 (5×4.5) and 5×115 (5×4.53) are not the same bolt patterns, as there is a 0.7mm (0.03 inch) difference between the two of them.
How do I know if my rims are 5×114.3?
You can confirm if your rims are 5×114.3 by counting the number of bolt holes (first number) and measuring the distance between the back of one hole to the center of one of the opposite holes (second number) to see if it equals 114.3mm.
Just like any other bolt pattern, a 5×114.3 bolt pattern on a wheel is based on the number of bolt holes (or lug holes) that it has and the diameter of the imaginary circle formed by the bolts, also known as the PCD (Pitch Circle Diameter).
The first number of the bolt pattern, “5”, means that the wheel has 5 bolt holes, while the second number, “114.3”, is the PCD formed by the bolts expressed in millimeters.
What are hub-centric rings?
Hub-centric rings are special rings made of plastic or metal that are designed to make sure that the wheel is properly centered and secured on the vehicle’s wheel hub.
These rings are necessary to install in situations wherein the bolt pattern of the wheel and the vehicle’s wheel hub are not the same, as they are designed to fill the gap left between the mounting points.
If hub-centric rings are not used to fill this gap, then the wheels will be subject to vibrations while driving, as the video below demonstrates.
Make sure to get the correctly-sized hub-centric rings, which will be dependent on the center bore diameter of your wheel and your vehicle’s wheel hub.
Most hub-centric rings will cost around $10 to $15 depending on the size, material, and brand, making them a pretty cheap way to get your wheel perfectly aligned with your hub.
Can you redrill your wheels with a new bolt pattern?
It’s possible to get your wheel redrilled at a machine shop that specializes in wheels to change its original bolt pattern.
However, specifically redrilling cast wheels may affect their structural integrity more compared to forged ones.
Getting your wheels redrilled is another common way to change their bolt pattern, but it does come with its own risks if the wheels are cast instead of forged.
| On most cast wheels, the bolt holes are part of the mold itself instead of being drilled, so drilling new holes may compromise the durability of the wheel. Forged wheels with blank bolt patterns, on the other hand, are more durable, making them a lot safer to drill into later on. |
Expect to spend around $60 to $80 to get one wheel redrilled, so make sure you take your wheels to a reputable shop.
Are all 5-lug bolt patterns the same?
Not all 5-lug bolt patterns are the same, as many have different pitch circle diameters (PCD) depending on the vehicle.
For instance, a 5×114.3 bolt pattern has a PCD of 114.3mm while a 5×115 bolt pattern has a PCD of 115mm instead.
Since there are many different 5-lug bolt patterns for wheels out there, you can’t just simply interchange them with each other and expect them to fit perfectly.
The reason for this is that the pitch circle diameter (PCD), which is the second number on the bolt pattern, can be different depending on the exact 5-lug wheel on a specific vehicle model.
A good example of this would be the bolt patterns of both the modern Chevy Camaro and the Dodge Charger, which both have 5-lug wheels but have different PCDs from each other.
What happens if you put the wrong size wheel on your car?
Installing wheels that are not the right size for your vehicle can cause you a lot of fitment and handling-related issues such as wheel vibration, decreased handling stability, tires rubbing against the wheel wells, and incorrect camber.
What do bolt pattern numbers mean?
The first number on a bolt pattern, such as 5×120, indicates the number of bolts or holes that the wheel has (5), while the second number indicates the pitch circle diameter (PCD) that the bolts or holes form (120mm).
How do you measure a bolt pattern?
Count the number of holes the wheels have, then measure the distance between the center of one hole to the center of another for the diameter (even-numbered holes).
For wheels with odd-numbered holes, measure from the back of one hole to the center of one of the opposite holes for the diameter.
When measuring a wheel’s bolt pattern, counting the number of holes that it has gives you the first number of its bolt pattern.
The next step is to get the second number, which is called the pitch circle diameter (PCD). The correct way to measure the PCD will depend on whether there is an even or an odd number of holes.
If there is an even number of bolts or lugs, then the PCD should be measured from the center of one bolt to the center of the other bolt that’s directly opposite to it.
However, if there is an odd number of bolts, then the PCD should be measured from the center of one bolt to the outer edge of one of the opposite bolts.
