The short answer
Your VW's bolt pattern depends on the model and model year. On US-market cars, Beetles through 1967, Karmann Ghias through 1966, Type 3s through 1965, every Split Bus, the 1968–70 Bay Bus, the Thing and the Porsche 356 use 5x205 ("wide five"). The 1968–79 Beetle, every Super Beetle, the 1967–74 Ghia and the 1966–73 Type 3 use 4x130 (4-lug). The 1971–79 Bay Bus and the Vanagon use 5x112. The Porsche 911 and 912 use 5x130, which no air-cooled VW had from the factory.
Once you know the pattern, check the lug seat. Stock VW steel wheels take ball-seat bolts. Most aftermarket alloys take 60° cone-seat bolts. The bolts have to match the wheel.
Shop by pattern: 5x205 wide-five wheels · 4x130 4-lug wheels · 5x112 Bay Bus wheels · 5x130 Porsche-pattern wheels · wheel sets and wheel/tire packages · lug bolts, studs, adapters and spacers · center caps and hubcaps
VW and Porsche bolt pattern chart
| Model | Years (US model year) | Bolt pattern | Stock lug thread and seat | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beetle (Type 1) | through 1967 | 5x205 | M12x1.5 bolts, ball seat | The last wide-five Beetle was the 1967. |
| Beetle (Type 1) | 1968–1979 | 4x130 | M14x1.5 bolts, ball seat | Changed with the 1968 model year (August 1967). |
| Super Beetle | 1971–1979 | 4x130 | M14x1.5 bolts, ball seat | Every Super Beetle is 4-lug. |
| Karmann Ghia | through 1966 | 5x205 | M12x1.5 bolts, ball seat | |
| Karmann Ghia | 1967–1974 | 4x130 | M14x1.5 bolts, ball seat | The Ghia went 4-lug a year before the Beetle. |
| Type 3 (Squareback, Fastback, Notchback) | through 1965 | 5x205 | M12x1.5 bolts, ball seat | Most US-market Type 3s are 1966 or later. |
| Type 3 | 1966–1973 | 4x130 | M14x1.5 bolts, ball seat | |
| Split-window Bus (Type 2) | 1950–1967 | 5x205 | M14x1.5 bolts, ball seat | 16" steel wheels through 1963, 14" from 1964. Many owners now run 15" wide-five wheels. |
| Early Bay Window Bus | 1968–1970 | 5x205 | M14x1.5 bolts, ball seat | Drum front brakes. Pre-1971 Buses need a tall center cap to clear the rear axle nut. |
| Late Bay Window Bus | 1971–1979 | 5x112 | M14x1.5 studs, 19 mm nuts | Changed in August 1970, when front disc brakes arrived. The stock steel wheel is 14x5.5, ET39. |
| Vanagon | 1980–1991 | 5x112 | Depends on the wheel. Match the seat. | Same pattern as the late Bay. |
| Thing (Type 181) | 1973–1974 | 5x205 | Confirm with us before ordering | Wide-five drum brakes. |
| Porsche 356 | 1950–1965 | 5x205 | M14x1.5 studs, ball-seat nuts | Same pattern as early VW, but the 356 uses studs and nuts instead of bolts. |
| Porsche 912 | 1965–1969 | 5x130 | M14x1.5 studs and nuts | Will not bolt to a stock VW without adapters. |
| Porsche 911 | 1965–1989 | 5x130 | M14x1.5 studs and nuts | Source of the Fuchs-style look. |
| Porsche 914 (4-cylinder) | 1970–1976 | 4x130 | Match the seat to the wheel | Same pattern as the 1968+ Beetle. The 914/6 is 5x130. |
| Dune buggy, Manx, Baja | varies | 5x205 or 4x130 | Same as the donor chassis | Follows the donor pan and front beam. Count the lugs and check the year of the drums or rotors. |
Not sure of your year? Count the lugs. Five widely spaced lugs means 5x205. Four lugs means 4x130. Five tightly spaced lugs on a 1971–79 Bus means 5x112.
Ball seat vs 60° cone seat: why mixing them is dangerous
The seat is the part of the lug bolt or nut that presses against the wheel. A ball (radius) seat is rounded. Every stock VW steel wheel uses it. A 60° cone (taper, acorn) seat is a straight-sided cone. Most EMPI and aftermarket alloys use it, including BRM, Sprintstar, Cosmo, dish, 5-rib and smoothie styles. Some wheels, such as certain EMPI 911-style alloys, take ball-seat hardware, so check the listing.
Put a ball-seat bolt in a cone-seat wheel, or the other way round, and the bolt only touches the wheel on a thin ring. It can feel tight when you torque it, then settle, lose clamping force and work loose. That is how wheels come off. Match the hardware to the wheel, not to the car. Every wheel we sell lists its seat type and the matching lug hardware.
Wheel adapters: running a different pattern
An adapter bolts to your hub with your car's pattern and gives the wheel a new set of studs in a different pattern. Common swaps:
- 5x205 hub to 5x130 wheel: puts Porsche 911/912-pattern wheels (Fuchs-style, Torque Star) on a wide-five VW. We carry EMPI steel adapter sets in 9.5 mm and 26.5 mm thicknesses.
- 4x130 hub to 5x130 wheel: the same idea for 4-lug cars (1968-and-later Beetle, 1967-and-later Ghia, 1966-and-later Type 3).
- 4x130 and 5x205: adapters exist in both directions, so a 4-lug car can run wide-five wheels and a wide-five car can run 4-lug wheels.
- 5x112 Bus hub to 5x205 wheel: lets a 1971–79 Bus run wide-five wheels, but only on the rear. On the front, the adapter fouls the disc brake calipers.
Every adapter pushes the wheel outward by its own thickness. That changes the track width and the steering geometry, and it can bring the tire closer to the fender. You need the right hardware on both sides of the adapter: bolts that fit your hub's thread and seat, and nuts that match the new wheel. Check thread engagement, then re-check the lugs after the first drive. We list the adapters we carry in lug bolts, studs, adapters and spacers.
Offset vs backspacing
Offset (ET) is the distance in millimeters from the wheel's mounting face to the centerline of the rim. Positive offset puts the mounting face toward the outside of the wheel, which tucks the wheel in. Backspacing is the distance in inches from the mounting face to the inner edge of the rim. Both numbers tell you where the wheel sits. More backspacing or a higher positive offset moves the wheel inward, toward the suspension. Less moves it out, toward the fender.
Two examples from wheels we stock or reference: the EMPI GT-8 15x5.5 4x130 is ET30, about 4-3/8" backspacing. The stock 1971–79 Bus steel wheel is a 14x5.5 at ET39. Wider wheels need more care. On a dune buggy rear or a lowered Beetle, backspacing decides whether the tire clears the shock, the brake drum and the fender. Our listings give offset and backspacing where the manufacturer publishes them.
Staggered sets
A staggered set has narrower front wheels and wider rears, for example 15x4.5 front and 15x5.5 rear. It is the classic look on Beetles, Ghias and 356s, and it keeps the steering light. A square set uses the same width on all four corners. You can rotate the tires, and you only need to carry one spare. For a Bus we recommend a square set. A heavy van with narrow fronts is not a combination we want to sell.
Tire sizes commonly run
- 15x4.5 (stock Beetle, Ghia, Type 3): 155R15 or 165R15 radials (165/80R15 is the modern equivalent), or a 5.60-15 bias-ply for a period look.
- 15x5.5 (common upgrade): 165R15 up front, with 165R15, 185/65R15 or 195/65R15 at the rear. 165 front with 185/65 or 195/65 rear is the most common stagger.
- Classic radials we carry: Yokohama GT Special Classic in 145/80R15 and 165/80R15. These are the tires in our EMPI 911-style wheel and tire packages.
- 1971–79 Bay Bus: the stock tire was a reinforced 185R14C. Whatever size you run, choose Load Range C or D tires rated for the van's weight.
Clearance depends on your wheel's offset and on ride height, so check before you commit to the widest rear.
Frequently asked questions
What bolt pattern is a VW Bug?
US-market Beetles through the 1967 model year are 5x205 (five lugs on a 205 mm circle, called "wide five"). Beetles from 1968 to 1979, including every Super Beetle, are 4x130 (four lugs on a 130 mm circle).
What year did VW go from 5 lug to 4 lug?
The Beetle switched to 4x130 with the 1968 model year, which started in August 1967. The Karmann Ghia switched a year earlier, for 1967, and the Type 3 for 1966. The Bus never went to four lugs. It stayed 5x205 through 1970 and changed to 5x112 for 1971.
What is the bolt pattern of a 1971 VW Bus?
5x112. Every Bay Window Bus from the 1971 model year (built from August 1970) through 1979 uses 5x112 with M14x1.5 studs and 19 mm nuts, as does the Vanagon. A 1968–1970 Bay is still 5x205.
What bolt pattern is a split-window Bus?
5x205 wide five, from 1950 through 1967. The 1968–1970 early Bay Window Bus keeps the same 5x205 pattern.
What bolt pattern is a Karmann Ghia?
5x205 through the 1966 model year and 4x130 from 1967 through 1974.
Are 4x130 and 5x130 the same?
No. Both use a 130 mm circle, but 4x130 has four lugs (1968+ VW Beetle, 1967+ Ghia, 1966+ Type 3, Porsche 914 four-cylinder) and 5x130 has five (Porsche 911 and 912). They will not interchange without an adapter.
Will Porsche wheels fit a VW Beetle?
Porsche 356 wheels share the 5x205 pattern with wide-five VWs. Porsche 911 and 912 wheels (5x130), including Fuchs and Fuchs-style replicas, need an adapter on any VW: 5x205-to-5x130 on a wide-five car, 4x130-to-5x130 on a 4-lug car. Check the lug seat, brake clearance and fender clearance before you buy.
Ball seat or cone seat lug bolts?
Use whatever your wheel is made for. Stock VW steel wheels use ball-seat bolts. Most EMPI and aftermarket alloys use 60° cone-seat bolts. Never mix them. The wrong seat only touches the wheel on a thin ring and can work loose.
What size lug bolts does a VW Beetle use?
Wide-five (5x205) Beetles use M12x1.5 ball-seat lug bolts on stock wheels, five per wheel. 4-lug (4x130) Beetles from 1968 use M14x1.5 ball-seat bolts, four per wheel. Aftermarket alloys usually need the 60° cone-seat version in the same thread.
Can I put 5-lug wheels on a 4-lug VW Bug?
Yes, with an adapter. There are 4x130-to-5x205 adapters for wide-five wheels and 4x130-to-5x130 adapters for Porsche-pattern wheels. Adapters push the wheels outward and need correct hardware on both sides. Some builders convert to disc brakes in the new pattern instead.
What size tires go on a stock VW Beetle wheel?
On the stock 15x4.5 wheel, 155R15 or 165R15 radials (165/80R15 is the modern size), or a 5.60-15 bias-ply for a vintage look. On 15x5.5 wheels, a common setup is 165 in front with 185/65R15 or 195/65R15 at the rear.
Browse all wheels, tires and lug hardware or contact us with your year and VIN, and we'll confirm the fitment before you order.