Changing the wheels on your car is a great way to give your car a new look and to achieve a specific driving experience. Many people out there use a different set of wheels for winter and summer tires which means that if you have a set of Mercedes wheels lying around you might even be able to fit them on your VW.
It’s worth mentioning that most German brands use similar bolt patterns ranging between 5x112mm, 5x114mm, and 5x120mm. This is good news because many Mercedes and VW models use a 5x112mm bolt pattern which means that you will be able to fit your Mercedes wheels on most VW’s out there.
However, you also need to make sure that the wheel diameter and tire size are not too dissimilar. The wheel offset should also match and so should the center bore of the wheel. That being said, these can differ because Mercedes models tend to use a 66.6-inch bore while VW’s tend to use 57.1-inch bore dimensions.
As such, you will have to either machine the wheels or opt for hub rings. Either way, the best thing you can do is to contact your dealer and make sure to compare all of these measurements before you try to mount the wheels.
The bolt pattern
Wheel bolts are tasked with a really important role and that is tightening the connection between the wheels and the car. Because they are so important they need to be as precise as possible which also means that even the slightest discrepancies can cause unwanted consequences which could even end up catastrophically.
However, this is not something you should worry about because most Mercedes and VW models use the same 5x112mm bolt pattern. This means that the bolt and their corresponding holes on the wheel mounting hub and the wheel itself are identical which insures proper fitment and thus should not impede the car’s driveability and safety.
All of this ensures that you can indeed fit most Mercedes wheels on a VW from a similar segment. Of course, you will not be able to fit the Mercedes Benz G-Class wheels on a VW Golf, so be sure to compare all the other measurements listed in this article.
The wheel diameter and tire size
The diameter of the wheel is associated with the length of the wheel across the entire wheel face and is commonly measured in inches. Most modern-day Mercedes and VW models come with 17’’ up to 21’’ wheels and these can be interchangeable if they are not more than 2 or sometimes even possibly 3 inches apart.
However, if you own a VW that usually sports 16-inch wheels and you want to mount 18-inch Mercedes wheels on your VW, you need to acquire corresponding tires minus the two inches of added wheel diameter. This is essential because you want to retain the same rotational surface in order for your speedometer and odometer to work properly.
Sometimes you will not be able to do this if the car in question comes with larger brake discs which simply can’t clear smaller diameter wheels. Either way, be sure to keep the wheel diameter and tire size as close as possible.
Wheel offset and center bore
The two final, but equally important measures that need to match are the offset of the wheel and the center bore of the wheel. The wheel offset is associated with the positioning of the centerline of the wheel regarding the hub on which the wheel is mounted.
A neutral offset wheel is one where the centerline of the wheel is directly in line with the mounting hub. A positive offset wheel mounts close to the outer edge of the wheel while a negative offset wheel mounts closer to the inner edge of the wheel.
These can differ slightly if they can be adequately compensated with a set of quality-made and properly installed spacers. The wheel bore is the hole on which the wheel mounts onto the bolt surface. These can sometimes differ between some Mercedes and VW models which means that you should either machine the wheels or use or opt for quality-made hub rings.
All in all, if all of these measurements match you should be able to fit your VW with a set of Mercedes wheels. The most important measure that needs to match and can not be compensated for is the bolt pattern.
FAQ Section
Do all European cars use the same bolt pattern?
Some European cars use the same bolt pattern but not all of them. As mentioned, Mercedes cars mostly use the 5x112mm bolt pattern but some Mercedes models use a different type of bolt pattern. These are usually associated with cars from different segments, especially those tasked with commercial duties.
However, almost all European cars use bolts as opposed to studs which is more common in US-made cars. The logic behind this is that bolts are easier to tighten and untighten as compared to studs.
Can you put center-lock wheels on cars with regular bolt patterns?
Center-lock wheels are almost always reserved for high-end performance cars and racing cars because it’s way easier to change a wheel if you only need to loosen a single large bolt. However, this can not be done using the age-old tire-changing technique as center-lock wheels are significantly more difficult to both tighten and loosen.
This means that this is not practical for everyday use and that’s why most cars don’t utilize this design. It’s also worth mentioning that it’s practically impossible to use center-lock wheels on a car with regular 4-8 bolt patterns.
Where can I find all the wheel measurements?
In order to correctly compare the bolt patterns, the wheel diameter, tire size, and wheel offset you need to locate all of these measurements either on the tire and wheel themselves or the owner’s manual. You can also find these on a door sill sticker for certain cars out there.
If you still can’t find these on all of the aforementioned locations, you ought to contact your dealer and ask for the measurements directly.
