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Understanding Wheel Size, Bolt Pattern, Offset and Hub Bore

The first lesson will be how to decode one of our top selling wheels for sale on our website. We will take our 16" Wheels for Toyota TRD Pro product as an example for this lesson.

For every single wheel that we sell, there are key aspects of information that you need to understand and have prior to purchasing that will reduce purchase errors and ensure a perfect fitment for your vehicle. You can also email us at sales@wheeloutletnj.com if you need any assistance. These key items are the 1) wheel size, 2) bolt pattern, 3) offset and 4) hub bore.
  • Wheel Size
    • The wheel size is one of the basic fundamentals that you need to understand when looking for a set of our high quality wheels. The wheel size will be in the format of something similar to "16x7". For example, 16x7" means that the wheel is 16 inches in diameter and 7 inches in width.
Wheel Size Basics | Rim Size | Discount Tire How to Measure Rim Width | Wheel Width & Rim Width | Discount Tire                          
    • Please note that some of the wheels that we sell are staggered wheels like the Corvette Z06,C6, C7, Z51, and ZR1 wheels. This means that the front two wheels are a different size than the rear two wheels and this will be clearly noted in the description of our products.
  • Bolt Pattern
    • The bolt pattern are the mounting holes for your wheels and it is typically dependent on the car manufacturer and/or axle hub. The easiest way to obtain this information (if your vehicle is not modified) is doing a google search for your car make and model's bolt pattern. Example: Googling "2015 Subaru WRX Bolt Pattern" produces a result of 5x114.3 mm. The first number represents the number of lugs and can either be 4, 5, 6 or 8. The second number represents the diameter and is measured by an imaginary circle formed by the centers of the lug holes. For example, a bolt pattern of 6x139.7 would indicate a 6-lug pattern on a circle with a diameter of 100mm.
Measure Wheel Bolt Pattern | Discount Tire
    • Offset
      • The offset may very well be the most difficult and tricky part of understanding your wheel specifications and choosing the perfect set of wheels from us. The reason for this is because you can't be 100% sure how it will look until the wheels are professionally mounted on the car. A portion is up to personal preference and another is also based on the suspension setup of your car. For example, if you buy a wheel that is incorrect in size and the offset is abnormal, the more the wheel will bulge out from the front & side view of your car and have the potential to cause rubbing issues with the car fenders when the tires are mounted. Offset is commonly referred to as the "poke" of your wheels & is usually denoted by "ET" or "+" or "-" followed by a number after that. Example: ET30, +30, -15, or 0. 
      • As a general rule of thumb, the higher the offset, the less the wheels will visibly poke out & the lower the offset, the more the wheels will visibly poke out.
      • A quick tip would be to look on Google & car forums for pictures of other peoples cars with the same wheel size and offset that you are interested in. This helps to establish a baseline understanding and expectation of what it might look like for your own car when you install our factory style & aftermarket wheels.
      • These diagrams and pictures below from Stanceworks & Turnermotorsports do a wonderful job at visually explaining offset:
    What is Wheel Offset and Backspacing?- My Wheels and Tyres
    • Hub Bore
      • The hub bore or center bore is the machined opening on the backside of the wheel which assists in properly aligning it onto the hub of the vehicle. To get the hub bore value, you would have to measure the diameter of the machined opening.
    Can we talk about "center bore" for a minute? | For A Bodies Only Mopar  Forum
    Once you have all the important bits of information in hand, you are now ready to make a informed decision (if not, please send us an email prior to purchasing) on which of one of our high quality sets of wheels you want to purchase. The wheels you purchase is subjectively one of the best decisions & investments you can make for your car due to all the benefits you will reap from it. WheeloutletNJ is here to make sure you purchase your perfect dream set of wheels for your car.
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