8 Lug Wheels

Do all 8 lug wheels fit the same makes and model trucks and cars?  No, well they used to, but they don’t anymore.  It used to be before around 1997 that any 8 lug wheels would fit under any other truck.  Meaning you could take the wheels or buy used 8 lug wheels from a Ford and throw them under a Chevy without a problem.  Starting in 1998 Ford started using a more metric measurement that prevented the use of older English measured lugs to be used with the newer models.  The problem when evaluating after-market tires on older cars is the weight distribution.  If the wheel is hub-centric it means the weight of the car is placed on the hub and not the bolts.  So depending on what kind of rim you buy you may be installing them wrong which can lead to bigger problems down the road.

If you want 8 lug wheels because you like the style but can’t find any that match your vehicle or are confused at how it all works you can buy 8 lug custom wheels from Twisted Customs in South Dakota, they do made to order wheels from the ground up.  Most of the larger manufactures are now making 8 lug wheels with larger holes in an effort to accommodate the older models and the newer ones.

The term 8 lug wheels comes from the amount of bolts it takes to mount the tire to the wheel.  If there are 5,6,7 or 8 bolts then they are named accordingly.  This is the number of bolts forming the imaginary circle around the center of the wheel that attaches the wheel to the car or truck.  There are usually 2 number associated here the first is the number of bolts, so 8 in this example and the second is the diameter from side to side of the circle the bolts are in.  The larger the number the further apart the bolts are from each other and from the center of the wheel.  More and more manufacturers are making dual diameters so for example; a wheel with a 4-100/114.3 bolt pattern has 8 lug holes and will fit both 4-100mm and 4-114.3mm fitments.

Unless you consider yourself a master mechanic or have extensive experience with after-market wheels it may be a good idea to have your 8 lug wheels professionally installed at a location that offers warranties.  This way you can see how its done and have someone else guarantee the work.  If for example the centerbore is larger than the hub itself even if you perfectly balance the tire on your own the wheel can still vibrate because the centerbore is larger than the hub.  The manufacturer does this to allow the wheel to fit many different cars and trucks and if you don’t get a hub-ring you will get screwed.