(Please note: OriginalWheels.com is not Hollander! We just utilize their numbering system for our stock wheels.)
If you’ve spent some time browsing the used OEM wheels featured on our website, you’ve definitely come across something called a wheel part number. These are generally 3-5 digit numbers used to identify each wheel. The particular system we use is called the Hollander Interchange. Roy Hollander, along with his wife Hildur Hollander, published the very first Hollander Interchange manual back in 1934 during the Great Depression. At the time of writing this, the Hollander wheel manual is now on the 82nd edition! That should tell us that it’s a trusted numbering tool that has withstood the test of time. Hollander numbers aren’t just limited to used wheels, but other used car parts as well. It’s a great tool for businesses and car enthusiasts to index auto parts in a simple manner.
We will often get questions from customers asking why we use these part numbers as opposed to factory numbers. We totally understand the confusion. If a customer isn’t sure what wheel they have, they’ll call the dealer and receive a factory ID number, so they’ll give us this ID and we “convert” it into a wheel part number. What’s up with that??
There’s one main reason why we prefer using Hollander numbers: it’s more time-efficient. As an example, I’m going to pick on the 2012-2015 VW Eos factory wheels for a bit.
This wheel’s factory ID is 3AA601025AD8z8. By the way, if you ever did want to know where the factory ID was located on your wheel, it’s usually on the back of one of the spokes. This is only for original equipment wheels, not aftermarket! Anyway, can you imagine trying to communicate that long factory ID to a sales rep? “Sorry, was that a ‘D’ or a ‘B’?” You might miss a letter or number via the communication, and it can just easily turn into a headache. Not only that, but this particular rim also has MORE THAN ONE factory ID number! 3AA601025AD and 3AA601025C. Phew. There’s a reason why phone numbers are around 7 digits: on average, the human mind can hold about 7 items in its short-term memory.
But, with a simplified wheel part number, we can avoid all of this complication. The Hollander part number for this wheel is just 69920. A lot easier, right? That’s the goal with using part numbers instead of factory IDs. I think customers and businesses alike can agree that they’d rather avoid spending a lot of time making sure they have the correct wheel number.
There are instances where a dealer will give you a different number than the factory number. Sometimes, dealers have their own set of numbers that only they have access to. Naturally, this only adds to the confusion. Stock rims can also have more than one manufacturer. For example, the 2002-2004 Honda CR-V OEM rims have about six different part numbers.
6891857, 42700S9AA01, 42700S9AA02, 42700S9AA03, 42700SCAG01, AND 42700SCAG02. Each number belongs to a different manufacturer. Thankfully, the Hollander Interchange manual groups all of these numbers together, giving it one simple part number: 63842. Isn’t that much better?
Many shops that sell used car parts utilize the Hollander Interchange numbering system, including us. The next time you need used factory rims, just call us with the part number of the OEM wheel you need and we’ll take care of the rest! All the part numbers are listed on our website, so don’t be afraid to take a look. It’s a lot better than trying to give us more than one 14-character ID numbers, don’t you think?
Until we meet again,
– Kathy
OriginalWheels.com