How to Measure Your Bolt Pattern | Quick Tips from The Trailer Parts Outlet

 

We’d like to offer you some quick tips about how to measure some common bolt patterns for your trailer’s wheels. 

We’ll go over:

• How to measure a five-lug bolt pattern
• How to measure a six-lug bolt pattern
• The six-lug pattern will be the same as the four and eight

The good news is, this is a fairly simple process!

Let’s get right to the key measurement you need. 

Measuring a 5-Lug Bolt Pattern

You need to measure your bolt pattern when you go to replace your axle, hub, or related parts.

Place your finger on a bolt. Then pick a direction, and go two bolts away from that first one you touched. 

You’re going to measure from the outside of your starting bolt to the center of your second bolt. 

That’s the area you need to measure to get the properly sized part shipped to you. 

Measuring your 6-Lug Bolt Pattern

When you are measuring your 6-lug bolt pattern hub, remember that if you have four or eight bolts you can use the same method. 

Six, four and eight bolt patterns all have bolts that are placed at exactly opposite across from each other. You want to visualize a straight line going directly across the center of your wheel. 

When you have four, six or eight bolts, measure from center to center. You may have a protruding center that makes placing the tape measure a challenge. Simply lay the tape on top of the center, or next to your two measurement bolts. 

This takes about five minutes to do. You can do it with the wheel on or off the axle. Now you’re prepared any time you need to buy a part that requires a bolt pattern measurement.