Wheels
Wheels are chosen by diameter, width, PCD (bolt pattern), ET offset and centre bore – all of them must suit your car. In Latvia, the roadworthiness inspection requires the tyre and wheel combination to meet the car maker's specification. Read the guide
How to read wheel specifications
Wheel specifications are usually written like this: 7J x 17 5x112 ET45.
- 7J – width in inches and the J rim flange profile, the most common one on passenger cars; the width must be within the range approved for the tyre;
- 17 – diameter in inches, which must match the tyre's diameter;
- 5x112 – PCD: the number of bolts and the diameter of the circle they sit on, in millimetres;
- ET45 – ET offset in millimetres from the wheel's centre plane to its mounting face: the higher the ET, the deeper the wheel sits in the arch;
- Centre bore – if it is larger than the hub, the gap is filled with hub centring rings.
Bolts, nuts and pressure sensors
The seat shape of the bolts or nuts (for example conical or spherical) and their length must suit the specific wheel – bolts for steel wheels do not always fit alloy wheels. If your car's tyre pressure monitoring system has sensors in the wheels, the new set needs them too: for M1 cars first registered from 1 January 2018, the system fitted by the maker must work at the roadworthiness inspection.
What the inspection requires in Latvia
- all wheels must be the same size unless the maker specifies otherwise, and the size and layout of the fixing points must be as the maker intended;
- wheel bolts and nuts must be of the proper design and tightened;
- unless the maker provides for it, a wheel must not stick out beyond the vehicle's outline, and it must not touch the body at any load or steering angle;
- home-made or modified wheels are prohibited.
Full text (in Latvian): Cabinet Regulation No. 295.
Wheels for winter tyres
With a separate set of wheels for your winter tyres, you swap complete wheels each season instead of having the tyres refitted every time. If you are unsure about your car's PCD, ET or centre bore, contact us.