The Subaru Impreza is an OK car in its own right, but the WRX and WRX STI versions of the Impreza are by far some of the highest performing engine-equipped vehicles you can get. The Subaru Impreza WRX line of cars are an exceptionally powerful family of vehicles that all feature turbocharged boxer engines in all-wheel-drive configurations.
All generations and trim levels of the Subaru WRX and WRX STI have the same 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) bolt pattern. They have a center bore of 2.20 inches (56.1mm), and use 5 lug nuts that have a thread size of M12 x 1.25. The lug nuts on a Subaru Impreza WRX or WRX STi need to be tightened with 88.5 ft lbs.
The above information, though quite useful, does not quite tell you everything that you need to know. So, we took the time to outline the bolt pattern in more detail for each generation below. We also will go into what type of lug nuts need to be used for the WRX. We will then cover things like the torque specifications of the bolts and the center bore. Finally, we will go over all the tire and rim options for each generation’s engine configurations.
Table of Contents
Subaru WRX Bolt Pattern
We made some convenient tables for you to take a look at below. The information on the tables is an easy way to reference all the figures that relate to the Subaru WRX bolt pattern. Then, we will go into a lot of information regarding tire and rim size options for a particular engine configuration.
Subaru WRX
| Year Range | Bolt Pattern | Center Bore | Lug Nuts | Thread Size | Torque Specification |
| 2015 – 2017 | 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) | 2.20 inches (56.1mm) | 5 | M12 x 1.25 | 88.5 ft. lbs |
| 2018 – current | 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) | 2.20 inches (56.1mm) | 5 | M12 x 1.25 | 88.5 ft. lbs |
Subaru WRX STI
| Year Range | Bolt Pattern | Center Bore | Lug Nuts | Thread Size | Torque Specification |
| 2015 – 2017 | 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) | 2.20 inches (56.1mm) | 5 | M12 x 1.25 | 88.5 ft. lbs |
| 2018 – 2020 | 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) | 2.20 inches (56.1mm) | 5 | M12 x 1.25 | 88.5 ft. lbs |
| 2021 – current | 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) | 2.20 inches (56.1mm) | 5 | M12 x 1.25 | 88.5 ft. lbs |
Wheel Fitment Specifications Per Generation
To be able to properly fit a wheel on your ultra fast turbocharged all wheel drive car, you are going to need to know a whole lot more than just Subaru WRX bolt pattern.
So, below we have taken the liberty to outline all the factors that you need to be aware of for each generation of this vehicle. This information includes the center bore diameter, lug nut tightening torque, and the thread size of the bolts.
Subaru WRX
2015-2017
The 268 HP Subaru WRX 2.0T uses a tire size of 235/45ZR17 and a rim size of 8Jx17 ET55.
| Engine Size | Horse Power | Tire Sizes | Rim Sizes | Bolt Pattern |
| 2.0L H4 | 268 HP | 235/45ZR17 | 8Jx17 ET55 | 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) |
2018 – 2022
Current model 268 hp Subaru WRX 2.0T cars use a tire size of 235/45R17 or 245/40R18 and rim size of 8Jx17 ET55 or 8.5Jx18 ET55.
| Engine Size | Horse Power | Tire Sizes | Rim Sizes | Bolt Pattern |
| 2.0L H4 | 268 HP | 235/45R17 245/40R18 | 8Jx17 ET55 8.5Jx18 ET55 | 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) |
Subaru WRX STI
2015 – 2017
For the Subaru WRX STI models that have the 2.5T engine, a tire size of 245/40ZR18 and a rim size of 8.5Jx19 ET55 is used.
| Engine Size | Horse Power | Tire Sizes | Rim Sizes | Bolt Pattern |
| 2.5L H4 | 301 HP | 245/40ZR18 | 8.5Jx19 ET55 | 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) |
2018 – 2020
The more recent Subaru WRX STI 2.5T uses a tire size of 245/35ZR19 and a standard rim size of 8.5Jx19 ET55.
| Engine Size | Horse Power | Tire Sizes | Rim Sizes | Bolt Pattern |
| 2.5L H4 | 305 HP | 245/35ZR19 | 8.5Jx19 ET55 | 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) |
2021 – 2022
The current model Subaru WRX STI 2.5T uses a tire size of either 245/40R18 or 245/35R19 mounted to either a 8.5Jx18 ET55 or 8.5Jx19 ET55 rim.
| Engine Size | Horse Power | Tire Sizes | Rim Sizes | Bolt Pattern |
| 2.5L H4 | 310 HP | 245/40R18 245/35R19 | 8.5Jx18 ET55 8.5Jx19 ET55 | 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) |
Properly Tightening The Bolts
All Subaru WRX models use 5 lug nuts that must be tightened in a specific criss-cross pattern and to a specific torque level. You can, of course, always find this information in the Subaru Impreza WRX user manual, but it’s kinda hard to search through physical papers. So we put it here for you with the rest of the info.
The first thing you need to do is tighten your Subaru WRX lug nuts with a basic hand wrench first. Make sure to not tighten them all the way, because if you do, you’re not going to be able to get them all tightened properly. Also, tightening them down in the wrong order could be dangerous as it could cause serious vibration and alignment issues.
Then, the next step is to tighten them down with a torque wrench to the appropriate ft lbs. Make sure to do this in a criss cross pattern to 88.5 ft lbs. Again, if you simply radially titan your lug nuts, you could run into serious issues later.
Also, don’t just trust it! Do a lug nut loosening test. You can do this by driving for around 30 miles and then checking the torque on all of your lug nuts. If any of them come loose, tighten them back down again and drive for another 30 miles or so. If any of your lug nuts are loose after the second test, then I have bad news for you.
That means that your rim is warped and is no longer safe to drive on and needs to be replaced.
Rotating Subaru WRX Tires
Generally speaking, tires last about 75 thousand miles or so. Now, keep in mind, that estimate is with normal driving. The Subaru WRX is a turbocharged, all wheel drive beast of a vehicle. So, chances are, you are not going to be driving like a normal person. So, because of that, your tires will probably wear out a lot sooner than a normal car’s would.
You should rotate your tires way before your tires need to be replaced. In fact, if you rotate your tires, they will last a lot longer than they otherwise would have been able to.
For the Subaru WRX, it’s best to rotate its tires about every 7,500 miles (5000 miles if you drive like a mad man). The good news is that rotating your tires is really easy to do. All you have to do is move the tires from the left side of the car to the right side of the car while also swapping them front to back.
Time is something that wears out tires, too. Most people don’t realize it, but from the moment they are made, those rubber vulcanized tires are slowly breaking down. Eventually, air and moisture has its way with it and the tire needs to be replaced. So, if your tires are older than 5 years old, you should replace them regardless of how many miles are on them.
Conclusion
The Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI are awesome cars and everyone knows it. Just about the only car that could even come close to it would have to be the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. No matter how great your turbocharged all wheel drive car is, you are going to eventually need to know the Subaru WRX bolt pattern.
So, its important to remember that all generations and trim levels of the Subaru WRX and WRX STI have the same 5×4.5 (5×114.3mm) bolt pattern. They have a center bore of 2.20 inches (56.1mm), and use 5 lug nuts that have a thread size of M12 x 1.25. The lug nuts on a Subaru Impreza WRX or WRX STi need to be tightened with 88.5 ft lbs.
We hope this article helped you learn everything that you needed to know about the Subaru WRX bolt pattern. Thanks for reading!
I’m William Guzenski, ASE certified master automobile technician & automotive expert. I love to attend race events and car shows throughout the country. I also loves to travel 40-foot motorhome, exploring abandoned mines and ghost towns. I’m currently building another car for Bonneville Salt Flats and will be campaigning a drag car at several events.