The Ultimate Porsche Bolt Pattern & Center Bore Guide

If you are new to aftermarket wheels, you may find that you do not know what every measurement pertains to, and whether the wheels you may be looking at will work on your Porsche. The first piece of the puzzle is the bolt pattern and centerbore as it pertains to either OEM or the Porsche wheels we offer here at Apex. Read more about bolt pattern and centerbore here. The majority of modern Porsches use wheel bolts from the factory, but some owners choose to use a stud conversion to make wheel changes a bit easier. Thankfully, almost every Porsche uses the same bolt pattern, although there are outliers. So, how do you find out what bolt pattern and centerbore your specific Porsche needs? This guide will provide an in-depth breakdown of bolt pattern and centerbore for specific models and generations of Porsche’s. If you’d like to view specific wheel fitments that we recommend for your Porsche, be sure to review our Porsche Wheel & Tire Fitment Guides.

General Rules

There are some general rules that all modern Porsches follow. All of them use lug bolts instead of studs. All Cayenne, 911, and Cayman/Boxster use the 5x130mm bolt pattern with 71.6mm center bore. Macan is the main outlier, using a 5x112mm bolt pattern and a 66.6mm center bore.

Porsche wheel hardware

In the water-cooled era of Porsche that we are currently in, lug bolts have been the norm. These bolts thread into the hub of the car instead of the car having wheel studs that protrude through the wheel, which then use lug nuts to secure the wheel to the car. Aftermarket stud conversions from someone like us here at Apex or MSI are very popular. These allow for easier swapping of wheels and gives the wheel something to rest on that is a bit more confidence-inspiring than the hub.

Porsche uses R14 ball seats on its wheel bolts. The thread pitch and bolt diameter have also been the same at M14x1.5. See the table below for a full reference. All Porsche wheels that Apex produces are compatible with the associated factory hardware.

Wheel spacers can be used with stock or aftermarket wheels to improve appearance and achieve a “flush” look. Spacers 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 Porsche, stud kits, and bolts on our accessory pages.

Notable mentions:

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

In the transition from the air cooled 993 to the water cooled 996, the Porsche 911 made the change from lug studs with nuts to using lug bolts.

Porsche originally used the ”Wide 5” bolt pattern (5x205mm) in the 356 before moving to the 5x130mm for the 911 and most other subsequent models.

Centerlock models have been consistent in the Porsche 911 lineup since the 997.2 generation although they were around sporadically before that in cars like the Carrera GT, 959, and 911 GT1.

Macan uses a 5x112mm bolt pattern with a 66.6mm center bore.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use aftermarket wheels on my Porsche?

Yes, you can use aftermarket Apex wheels on your Porsche! We offer a wide variety of fitments for many different Porsche models.

Do I need spacers for my Porsche?

For Porsche, it is very rare for one of our wheels to need a spacer on a stock car. If a spacer is needed it will be outlined in the associated fitment guide. Spacers are common in the Porsche world with some models shipping from the factory with a 5mm spacer and OEM extended lug bolts.

Can I use OEM Porsche center caps with my Apex Wheels?

Generally, yes, the only exception is our Enduro Line VS-5RE and SM-10RE, which do not accept center caps at all. The rest of our Porsche wheels accept the OEM center caps from the model the wheels are intended for.

Can I use aftermarket wheel hardware on my Porsche?

Yes, many Porsche owners opt for a stud conversion to make wheel changes easier. One of the most important things to look out for is to match the factory lug seat for whichever vehicle model you are working with or if the aftermarket wheels you have use a different lug seat, to match that.

Do aftermarket wheels affect lug bolt torque spec?

No, the factory torque spec should always be followed unless otherwise specified from aftermarket wheel hardware. Wheel hardware generally dictates torque values rather than whether the wheels are OEM or aftermarket.