2008-2021 Subaru WRX and STI wheel fitment: bolt pattern by year, factory sizes, swaps and Brembo clearance

Published 2026-11-11 · Updated 2026-11-11

Bolt pattern, hub and lug nuts by year and trim

Facts as of 2026-11-11, US model years. Bolt patterns for 2008-14 come from Subaru's 2012 and 2014 service manuals, and for 2015-19 from the 2016 and 2019 manuals. The 56.1 mm hub bore and M12x1.25 thread come from two wheel guides (re-read 2026-11-11), not a Subaru document.

Factory wheel and tire sizes

2020-21 sizes are not in a Subaru document we could read (the 2021 service manual copy is unreadable), so they are left out. Every car here runs the same size front and rear.

Which factory wheels swap between years

• 2008-14 STI wheels on a 2008-14 WRX: no. The STI is 5x114.3 and the WRX is 5x100.
• VA (2015-21) wheels on a 2008-14 WRX: no, for the same reason. Every VA is 5x114.3.
• 2008-14 WRX wheels on a VA: no. They are 5x100.
• STI 18x8.5 +55 wheels on a VA WRX or 2015-17 STI: yes. Size, offset and pattern match the VA's own 18-inch wheels, and they already clear the STI's 4-piston Brembos. This is inferred from Subaru's specs, not a Subaru interchange statement.
• VA STI 18s on a 2008-14 STI: yes, same 18x8.5 +55 on 5x114.3 over the same 326 mm Brembo front brake (2012, 2014 and 2016 manuals).
• 2006-07 WRX 17x7 +55 on a 2008-14 WRX: likely yes. It matches the 2008-10 wheel in one manual copy, but a retailer lists that wheel at +53, so the match is tier 1.
• 2002-04 WRX 16s on a 2008-14 WRX: probably, but nobody has documented it. The WRX front brake is Subaru's '16-inch type', which suggests a 16 clears it. The 205/55R16 tire is shorter than factory, so the speedometer will read off.
• 2005-07 STI 17x8 +53 on a 2008-14 STI or a VA: unconfirmed. The pattern matches, but no source reports trying it, and STI Brembo clearance depends on spoke shape.

Wheels over STI Brembo brakes

This is where most swaps go wrong. FastWRX, a Subaru parts retailer, says STI Brembos need at least a 17-inch wheel, and that a 17-inch wheel still has to have enough spoke clearance to fit over the caliper. A retailer-written install thread on NASIOC says the factory VA WRX 17x8 needs a 10 mm spacer to clear 2008-17 STI 4-piston front Brembos, while the WRX's 18x8.5 wheels clear without one.

The 2018-19 STI's 6-piston front Brembos (340 mm rotors in the 2019 manual) are bigger again. FastWRX's kit page (re-read 2026-11-11) says original non-STI wheels and all 17-inch wheels will not clear them, while every factory STI 18-inch wheel will. The same page says the kit fits all 2008-21 WRX and STI, except that the rear calipers cannot go on cars with an electronic parking brake.

If you are moving STI Brembos to a 2008-14 WRX, the retailer says the calipers bolt on but you need STI-size rotors drilled 5x100, because STI rotors from 2005 on are drilled 5x114.3. On a VA WRX the hub is already 5x114.3, so standard 2005+ STI rotors fit. These brake answers rest on one retailer and one retailer-written thread, so they are tier 1; brakes are safety-critical, so have the work checked.

Popular aftermarket sizes (one retailer's suggestions)

FastWRX publishes the aftermarket sizes it sells most, with suggested offsets and tires. These are the retailer's suggestions, not test results we have checked. It warns that factory Subaru offsets are very high and that +20 to +30 wheels made for other cars will not fit.

What we could not confirm

The offset of the 2008-10 WRX 17x7 (+55 in one manual copy, +53 at a retailer); the 2011 WRX offset; 2020-21 factory sizes; a Subaru document for the hub bore and stud thread; and whether STI rear Brembos fit a VA WRX with an electronic parking brake. Measure or read the stamping on any used wheel before you buy tires or spacers for it.

Fitment answers covered by this guide

FAQ

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• Newsletter archive (past issues)

Sources

• 2009MY Impreza service manual (applicable models GE*****, GH*****) — Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries) (editorial; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Third-party hosted copy (jdmfsm.info) of Subaru's own document. No publication number found in the copy; PDF created 2009-03-27. Without a document id it is typed editorial. Wheel table covers 2.5i, 2.5GT, OUTBACK and two WRX variants; PCD 100 for all; wheel nuts 100 N·m; WRX front brake 294 mm floating ('16-inch type').
• 2012MY Impreza WRX & STI service manual G1130BE (book 12STI_US, 2011-08-23) — Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries) (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Third-party hosted copy (jdmfsm.info) of Subaru's own document. Publication G1130BE, book dated 2011-08-23, applicable 2012MY GVE/GVF/GRE/GRF. The copy carries a reseller's stamp. mfr_spec for the 2012 model year and for the sections read (wheels and tires, brakes).
• 2014MY WRX & STI service manual, chassis section, G1180BE7 (book 14WRX_STI_US_EN, 2013-06-03) — Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries) (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Third-party hosted copy (jdmfsm.info) of Subaru's own document. Chassis section only (publication G1180BE7, book dated 2013-06-03). mfr_spec for 2014 wheel, tire, wheel-nut and brake facts.
• 2016MY WRX and WRX STI service manual G1230BE (book 16STI_US_EN, 2016-11-11) — Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries) (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Third-party hosted copy (jdmfsm.info) of Subaru's own document. Publication G1230BE (revision V12), book dated 2016-11-11, applicable 2016MY VAG (WRX) and VAF (STI). mfr_spec for 2016 facts in the sections read.
• 2019MY WRX / WRX STI service manual G1720BE (book 19STI_US_EN, 2018-03-28) — Subaru Corporation (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Third-party hosted copy (jdmfsm.info) of Subaru's own document. Publication G1720BE (V1), book dated 2018-03-28, applicable 2019MY VAG/VAF. mfr_spec for 2019 facts in the sections read.
• 2015 WRX / WRX STI owner's manual MSA5M1514A (A1190BE-A) — Subaru of America (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Third-party hosted copy (jdmfsm.info) of Subaru's own document. MSA5M1514A / A1190BE-A, issued December 2013. Engines FA20 (WRX) and EJ257 (STI); 235/45R17 94W and 245/40R18 97W; nuts 120 N·m (89 lbf·ft).
• Subaru announces pricing on all-new 2008 Impreza WRX STI — Subaru of America (hosted by The Auto Channel) (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Dated November 15, 2007. 2008 STI: 5-door only; 18x8.5 alloys standard, 18x8.5 BBS forged optional; 245/40R18 Dunlop SP Sport 600.
• 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX: more power, new suspension tuning — Subaru of America (hosted by The Auto Channel) (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Dated July 31, 2008. 2009 WRX: 265 hp; 17x7 alloys with 225/45R17 summer tires, versus 205/50R17 all-season tires on the 2008 WRX; 5-speed manual only.
• Subaru introduces 2011 Impreza WRX models with new wide-body designs — Subaru of America (PR Newswire) (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Dated March 22, 2010. 2011 WRX 4- and 5-door share the STI's wide body (track about 1.5 in wider); 17x8 wheels with 235/45R17 tires replace the 2010's 17x7 with 225/45R17.
• Subaru of America announces pricing on updated 2018 WRX and WRX STI models — Subaru of America (PR Newswire) (mfr spec; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Dated April 20, 2017. 2018: WRX Premium gets new 18-inch wheels; STI gets its first 19-inch wheels (245/35R19), Brembo monoblock 6-piston front and 2-piston rear calipers with larger drilled rotors.
• STi Brembo Brakes — FastWRX.com (Mach V Motorsports, Subaru parts retailer) (vendor article; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Retailer fitment notes: STI front Brembos bolt to 2008+ WRX fronts with 5x100-drilled STI rotors; the 2008-14 black rear STI caliper bolts to a 2008-14 WRX, the older gold rear needs a bracket; 2015+ WRX matches 2014 caliper fitment with 5x114.3 rotors; at least a 17-inch wheel with spoke clearance.
• Subaru STI 6-Piston/2-Piston Brembo Brake Kit — FastWRX.com (Mach V Motorsports, Subaru parts retailer) (vendor article; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Retailer kit page: 2018+ STI 6-piston front / 2-piston rear Brembos for 2008-2021 WRX and pre-2018 STI; rear kit not for cars with an electronic parking brake; factory non-STI wheels and 17-inch wheels do not clear; all OEM STI 18-inch wheels do; WRX rear lines need STI-fitment lines; dust shields need trimming.
• Pictorial: Installing STi Brembos on 2015+ WRX — NASIOC forum (thread written by a Subaru parts retailer's staff, January 2015, edited 2017) (forum thread; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
  Retailer-authored install write-up on a 2015 WRX: 2008+ black STI calipers bolt on front and rear; needs 2005+ STI front rotors (5x114.3), 2008+ STI rear rotors, STI pads and STI-orientation rear lines; factory WRX 17x8 wheels do not clear (a 10 mm spacer is needed), the 18x8.5 Premium/Limited wheels do.
• Subaru WRX and STI Wheel Information — FastWRX.com (Mach V Motorsports, Subaru parts retailer) (vendor article; read 2026-10-21; full page read)
• Subaru WRX Bolt Pattern by Year: 5x100 vs 5x114.3, Hub Bore & Lug Specs — WRX Parts (guide site, updated Aug 2026) (editorial; read 2026-10-22; full page read)
• Tech Tips: 2004-2018 Subaru STI (factory wheel specs) — STM Tuned (performance shop) (vendor article; read 2026-10-22; search excerpt only)

Summaries are in our own words. Fitment is not guaranteed; wheels, hubs and suspension are safety-critical. Disclaimer.

Report a correction — spotted an error or have a better source? Email hello@chassisdex.com.