How to Determine the PCD: Finding the Right Bolt Pattern for Your Van

PCD is the most important specification when buying new wheels. A wrong PCD means the wheels simply won't fit your van. In this guide, we answer the six questions we get asked most often about determining PCD.

What is PCD and why does it matter?

PCD (Pitch Circle Diameter) describes two things together: the number of wheel bolts on the hub, and the diameter of the imaginary circle on which those bolts sit. A PCD of, for example, 5×120 means: five wheel bolts on a circle with a diameter of 120 mm. If a wheel doesn't fit the correct PCD, you won't be able to tighten it properly — or worse, the bolts come in at an angle and can break loose while driving. That's why this is always the first check.

Where do I find the PCD on my vehicle?

The PCD isn't always in the instruction manual, but you can find it in three ways:

  • Sticker on the door pillar — on most recent vans, the wheel and tyre information is on the inside of the driver's door pillar.
  • License plate registry — for Dutch license plates: the RDW page for your vehicle shows the factory standard.
  • Measure it yourself — if you already have the wheel removed, you can do it in 2 minutes (see the next questions).

If in doubt: send your license plate to our WhatsApp and we'll look it up for you.

How do I measure PCD on a 5-bolt wheel?

With 5 bolts, you can't measure straight across. This method works:

  1. Count the number of wheel bolts — for this method it must be 5.
  2. Measure the distance from the centre of one bolt to the centre of the bolt furthest away (two bolts over). That's your intermediate diameter.
  3. Multiply this distance by 1.051. The result is the PCD diameter.

Example: you measure 114 mm? Then your PCD is roughly 114 × 1.051 ≈ 120 mm. Combine that with the number of bolts and you have: 5×120.

How do I measure PCD on a 6-bolt wheel?

With a 6-bolt wheel, you have an opposite bolt — that makes it directly measurable:

  1. Count the bolts (must be 6).
  2. Measure straight through, from the centre of one bolt to the centre of the bolt on the opposite side.
  3. The distance you measured IS the PCD diameter.

For 6-bolt vans, it's almost always 6×130 on the Mercedes Sprinter 2006+ and VW Crafter I.

What's the M14 versus M16 bolt trick on Fiat Ducato?

The Fiat Ducato (and Boxer/Jumper) comes in two chassis variants: Light (5×118 PCD, M14 bolts) and Maxi (5×130 PCD, M16 bolts). The bolt size is the quickest way to tell them apart:

The M-bolt size is the diameter of the thread. An M14 is thinner, an M16 is thicker — visually easy to tell apart. For the full explanation with chassis-specific exceptions: see our Ducato Light vs Maxi guide.

What measuring tricks work for 4-bolt wheels?

With 4-bolt wheels, just like with 6-bolt, you have an opposite bolt. Measure straight through, from the centre of one bolt to the centre of the opposite bolt — that distance is your PCD diameter. By the way, 4-bolt is rarely found on Dutch vans; you'll mainly see it on small cars and motorcycles. Loodys doesn't stock wheels for this configuration.

PCD by van — complete overview

Have you done the measurement already, or are you sure about your vehicle? Here's the complete overview:

5×112

  • VW Transporter T4
  • VW Caddy (2004-present)
  • Mercedes Vito / V-Class

5×118

  • Fiat Ducato Light (standard)
  • Peugeot Boxer Light
  • Citroën Jumper Light
  • Iveco Daily (some models)

5×120

  • VW Transporter T5, T6, T7
  • VW Crafter II (2017-present)
  • MAN TGE

5×130

  • Fiat Ducato Maxi
  • Renault Master / Opel Movano
  • Mercedes Sprinter (1995-2006)

5×160

  • Ford Transit Custom

5×108

  • Peugeot Partner (2018-present)
  • Citroën Berlingo (2018-present)
  • Opel Combo (2018-present)
  • Ford Transit Connect

6×130

  • Mercedes Sprinter (2006-present)
  • VW Crafter I (2006-2017)

Common mistakes

5×118 and 5×120 look the same — they are NOT. A 2 mm difference might seem negligible but it means the bolts won't sit straight and won't tighten properly. That's a safety risk. Always check exactly, not "roughly".

PCD alone isn't enough. A fitting wheel also needs the right offset (ET), the right center bore and sufficient load capacity for your loaded van. At Loodys, we check all these specs before delivery.

Car wheels usually don't fit a van. Even if the PCD is correct, a car wheel's load rating is almost always too low for the weight of a loaded van or camper.

Wheels by PCD at Loodys

Why Loodys for your wheels

  • Specialist in vans and campers — no cars, all our knowledge is for your type of vehicle
  • Lifetime warranty on all Rogue wheels
  • Load capacity check beforehand — we only ship what passes MOT for your license plate
  • Free shipping within the Netherlands
  • Fitting in Nieuwegein — balancing, TPMS installation and configuration, old wheels returned free
  • Personal advice via WhatsApp, phone or chat
  • Showroom in Nieuwegein — feel free to stop by and see the wheels on the vehicle

Still unsure about the right PCD? Send us your van's license plate via WhatsApp and we'll tell you which wheels fit within a couple of minutes.

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