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wheel types - milkyjoe
how many different types of wheels are in production, what wheel will fit what other makes of car?is there a general rule of thumb or is it a bit scientific? for eg will a ford (4 stud) fit on a vauxhall of a similar size and so on... thanks
wheel types - adverse camber
loads.

wheels vary by :

number of studs
pcd - diameter of the circle which passes through the centre of the studs
hub diameter - the hole in the centre of the wheel
offset - the offset of the face of the wheel which sits against the hub from the centre of the wheel
wheel diameter
wheel width

look at something like the Rochford tyres web site for detailed info on sizes. Some are interchangeable. I think some merc wheels fit audis. obviously cars from the same group often have interchangeable wheels (skoda/seat/vag) but not always
wheel types - mal
IIRC I or some one else asked a similar question a while back, someone replied with a link to a site that did state which brands of car wheels were compatible with other brands.
Sorry can't remember the link but I'm sure someone will come along shortly with it, I think it could be one of those sites that sell tyres and alloys.