Automobile accidents are never pleasant experiences. We certainly realize that it is an extremely stressful, and frustrating time in your life. There are many things to deal with including accident reports, insurance paperwork to deal with, and the fact that your ride is out of operation for the time being.
On that note we would like to help you get your vehicle back on the road as soon as possible. In order to accomplish that it is extremely important that you order the right replacement parts. Often time’s tires and wheels are destroyed, even in smaller accidents that involve hitting curbs. Finding your rim part number, while it is still mounted on the vehicle, is extremely important and insures that your replacement wheel will match the ones that survived the accident. On that note, here are a few methods to help you find the wheel part number on your vehicle.
Method One: This method involves using your smart phone to take a picture of the back of the wheel spoke. It is by far the easiest method, and as long as you can fit your hand and phone between the spokes we highly suggest using it. Simply hold the phone and place your hand between the gaps in the spokes. This method should only be performed when the vehicle is off and in the parked position.
Method Two: If you simply cannot fit your smart phone between the spokes, than try placing a small mirror behind the spoke through the gaps in between them. You should be able to see the part number and copy it down on a piece of paper or in an electronic device.
Method Three: If both Methods mentioned above fail, than use a piece of putty and press it on the back of the spoke. Silly Putty happens to work well because it makes a good imprint. Once you have the imprint, copy it down.
Please Note: With all three methods you will still need to determine which spoke contains the part number. Only one spoke will actually have it. If your rims do not have enough room between the spokes to perform any of the methods listed above, the wheel will need to be removed in order to view the part number of your rim.