Wheel Size Explained

The wheels that came installed on your vehicle are designed to perfectly fit your vehicle'south suspension, gearing, and bodywork which tin can affect ride quality and vehicle performance. Simply that doesn't hateful y'all tin't have different wheels or rims installed on your automobile or truck. To understand what wheels will work for your vehicle, nosotros'll take a await at rim sizes and some bones measurements.


Why Change Your Wheels

In that location are many reasons you might desire to switch out your rims. Perhaps you lot want an extra set of wheels and tires for easy installation every wintertime, or you're looking for added performance and treatment. You might even exist going for a specific look, including sleek and stylish or rugged and cool. Whatever your reason, it'due south important to note that getting the wrong wheel setup could cause a vibration, or some rubbing on suspension components or vehicle torso parts.

Les Schwab Tip: Before you change the tire sidewall acme, tread width, or rim size on your vehicle, talk to the experts first. Nosotros'll help translate the departure in RPM, tire speed, load index, and speed rating and how it will or will not fit with your vehicle's intermission, gearing, and bodywork.


How to Read Your Tire and Observe Your Rim Size

Start, start with the wheel size for your vehicle. You can notice that on the sidewall of the tires on your original wheels or the within frame of the driver'southward door. Check out Tire Size Explained (Reading the Sidewall) for more.

Tire and Rim Explanation Chart

The bike bore (in inches or millimeters) is the fifth set of numbers and letters. What practise rim size numbers mean? This number represents the distance betwixt the two bead seat areas where the tire is sealed onto the wheel.

Wheel Diameter

Wheel Width

The wheel size too includes its width and offset. The width is the distance from each bead seat (from inside to the outside). The offset determines how the wheel and tire gear up aligns with the bike well.


Commencement and Backspace Explained

The offset is how far inwards or outward the mounting surface is in reference to the center-line of the bicycle. The centre-line is calculated past simply dividing the wheel into 2 equal halves. Les Schwab has the tools to accurately mensurate your center-line.

The offset is how far inwards or outward the mounting surface is in reference to the center-line of the wheel.

Here'south how kickoff determines the wait of your rims. If the hub mounting surface is in front of the centre-line, your rims and tire will be pulled inwards. This is called positive outset.

Positive Wheel Offset

If they are behind the centerline, your rims and tire will stick out from the trunk of the vehicle. This is negative offset.

Negative Wheel Offset

Les Schwab Tip: Measuring the kickoff on your vehicle is difficult without removing the tire and wheel. Consult the pros to become the correct fit.


Fitment is Fundamental

To ensure a ready of rims fit properly on your vehicle, you'll need the hub size on your car or truck as well as the wheel heart diameter measurement and number of wheel studs (as well as the distance between those studs). Les Schwab has those measurements for your vehicle, including bolt patterns.


Understanding Bolt Patterns On Your Wheels

Near vehicles come up with a 4-, v-, 6-, or 8-lug pattern. These bolt patterns, which are specifically spaced, help narrow your bike or rim choices. While counting the number of bolts on your vehicle is of import before buying a set of rims, information technology's vital the wheels you choose match the spacing between the wheel studs on your vehicle.

To measure out a 4-lug pattern on a set of rims, measure from the center of two holes across from each other. For a 5-lug design, measure from the outside of one bike stud hole and the eye of the opposite. And for 6- and eight-lug patterns, measure out from the middle of one pigsty to the centre of the opposite wheel stud hole. You'll either need this measurement in inches or millimeters, depending on the wheel manufacturer.

Bolt Pattern Measurements

Remember, there's no need to take these measurements on your own. The pros at Les Schwab do information technology every day and can ensure you go the right rims for your vehicle.


Les Schwab Carries Custom Wheels

At Les Schwab, we take pride in our custom bicycle expertise. End by and ask about new wheels for your vehicle. We'll show you all of your options, whether you're going for a new look, a heave in performance, a new gear up of wheels for your wintertime tires, or only equally a replacement of your current set.

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