The Ultimate BMW Bolt Pattern & Centerbore Guide

If you’re new to aftermarket wheels for your BMW, you may find yourself a little overwhelmed by the various measurements that play a role in how a set of wheels fit your car. The first step is making sure the wheels you’re looking at are compatible with your car’s bolt pattern and centerbore. Regardless of whether they use the factory bolts or a stud conversion, the vast majority of BMWs use bolts to mount the wheel to the hub of the car. Unfortunately, the bolt pattern and centerbore varies between different BMW models and generations. So, how do you find out what bolt pattern and centerbore is your specific BMW needs? This guide will provide an in-depth breakdown of what bolt pattern and centerbore specific models and generations of BMWs use. If you’d like to view specific wheel fitments that we recommend for your BMW, be sure to review our BMW Wheel & Tire Fitment Guides.

BMW Bolt Pattern and Centerbore: General Rules

There are some general rules you can follow that apply to most BMW models. These are not 100% consistent, but they can be useful to give you an idea of what hardware and specifications your BMW uses at a quick glance:

Most modern E and F-chassis BMW passenger cars that have 5 lugs use a 5x120 bolt pattern and 72.56mm (sometimes shown as 72.6mm) centerbore. Newer G-chassis BMW models use a 5x112 bolt pattern and 66.6mm centerbore. Many older BMWs used a 4x100 bolt pattern, but it is not uncommon to see these cars with a 5 lug conversion, especially on chassis that enthusiasts favor like the E30. There are exceptions to these rules, which we outline below, but these rules will give you a starting point. In addition to knowing your bolt pattern and centerbore, knowing the mounting hardware specifications of your BMW is another important part of ensuring wheel compatibility.

BMW Mounting Hardware Specifications:

Nuts and bolts play an important role in not just wheel compatibility but safety. BMWs generally come from the factory with wheel bolts that insert into the wheels and thread into the hub directly through the brake rotor. However, stud conversions are a common aftermarket alternative and those add studs to the hub via either a thread-in process or a press-in process, and these studs remain attached to the car when the wheel is removed. Open-ended nuts are then used to fasten the wheels to the car.

BMW uses 60° conical lug seats on its wheel bolts. The thread pitch and bolt thickness used will vary between different chassis and generations. E-chassis passenger cars use M12x1.5mm bolts while F-chassis and newer cars use M14x1.25mm bolts. All BMW bolts use a 60° conical lug seat type. Certain E-chassis SUV models use M14x1.25mm hardware. See the table below for a full reference. All BMW wheels that Apex produces are compatible with 60° conical lug bolts or nuts.

Wheel spacers can be used with stock or aftermarket wheels to improve appearance and achieve a “flush” look. These can also be used to clear brake and suspension packages that a wheel/tire fitment ordinarily would not be able to clear. Spacers will require longer wheel bolts or studs to support the spacer’s additional width. You can find Apex spacers for BMW, stud kits, and bolts on our accessory pages.

Notable Transitions:

While the above table organizes all of the various bolt patterns by chassis, there are some important transitions BMW enthusiasts should keep in mind to use as a rule of thumb. There are a number of exceptions to these rules, so be sure to consult the table above for the exact specifications of your chassis.

• E-chassis BMW passenger cars use M12x1.5mm wheel bolts.
• F-chassis and newer BMWs use M14x1.25mm bolts.
• The bolt pattern and centerbore has changed several times within BMW’s lineup. Earlier models, including the E30 (excluding the E30 M3) used 4x100 wheels with 57.1mm centerbore.
• Most modern E-chassis BMWs use a 5x120mm bolt pattern and 72.56mm (sometimes listed as 72.6mm) centerbore.
• The newer generations of G-chassis BMW use 5x112mm BP and 66.6mm centerbore wheels.

Notable Exceptions:

There have been a number of inconsistencies or exceptions in BMW’s wheel specifications over the years. The first significant one for enthusiasts is the E39 5 Series. While the E39 maintained the standard 5x120 bolt pattern, the centerbore for these cars was increased to 74.1mm from the standard 72.56mm. This change was only seen on this specific generation of 5 Series – a chassis we really love. As such, Apex is one of the few aftermarket wheel manufacturers that produces E39-specific wheels with the correct centerbore.

BMW SAVs/SUVs are another departure from the BMW passenger car specifications. Starting with the first-generation E53 X5. All X5s use M14x1.25mm hardware; standard BMW passenger cars later matched this specification when they transitioned to F-chassis. E70 X5s introduced a new, larger centerbore of 74.1mm across most of their models, but select models – including some X6 and X5M/X6Ms – use different centerbores on the front (74.1mm) and the rear (72.56mm). 5x120mm was the standard bolt pattern through the F15 generation of X5 and X6,. Once these models transitioned to the G-chassis, the bolt pattern and centerbore for BMW SUVs switched to 5x112mm and 66.6mm.

Some of BMW’s special M models differ from the general F to G-chassis transition rule. BMW used F-chassis codes for select M models that were based on G-chassis cars. Examples include the F90 M5, which was based on the G30 5 Series, and the F97 X3M, which was based on the G01 X3. This break in sequence means that these particular M model F-chassis cars require the 5x112mm bolt pattern and 66.6mm centerbore seen on most newer models. Again, consult the table above to confirm your specific bolt pattern and centerbore if you’re unsure of whether or not this applies to your car.

Lastly, there are some other one-offs. The new G90 and G91 M5 have a 5x132mm bolt pattern and 66.6mm centerbore, which is, for now, a unique specification in BMW’s lineup.