So you’re in the market for a set of Rays wheels… The good news is, you have a refined sense of style. There is no denying Rays manufactures some of the best-looking wheels in the industry. From Volk Racing to Gramlights, these people know what they’re doing. Bad news, for the majority of us at least, this purchase will put a large dent in the budget. Is it worth it? Well, today, we are going to dive into what goes into creating what might be the most sought-after wheels in automotive history and is it enough to sell you on investing in what might be the world’s greatest wheels?

World-class quality, outstanding strength, and eye-catching beauty are some of the few words one can use to describe Rays Wheels, and even then one is still short of words. Rays Engineering is a Japanese brand known for manufacturing original forged wheels, their use of the latest technology helps them produce lightweight wheels that don’t compromise on strength. The company has several wheel brands such as Volk Racing, Homura, Team Daytona, Versus, Gram Lights, and more designed to meet all car enthusiasts’ needs.

When it comes to manufacturing these wheels, Rays uses advanced technology, and expertise to bring you wheels that are stronger (for your safety and security on the road), lighter (as it increases driving pleasure), and beautiful. The brand uses original manufacturing methods and quality materials to create the ultimate in forged aluminum wheels. If you are wondering about the materials used and the manufacturing process, this article is about to answer all of your raging questions. When it comes to manufacturing their word class wheels, Rays starts with;

• Selection of Material – Rays wheels are made using Aluminum 6061 alloy. Before forging the billets, they are first heated to over 500 degrees Celsius to ensure strength and enable the material to be shaped into different designs.
• Modeling Forging Process – In this process, Rays engineers shape the heated Billet material using molded form forging dies. This process happens in three stages, the first stage is when the Billet material is made into a pancake shape with a diameter close to that of the finished wheel, during this process, a ton of pressure is applied. The second stage is a step-by-step mold forging from the pancake shape to help it achieve the lightweight spokes and the cross-sectional shape. The second stage is where the center of the spokes is hollowed out. The final forging process brings out the overall shape of the wheel as the hollowed-out portions formed in the second forging are transformed into u-shaped cross-sections characteristic of thin-walled. The final stage is what helps these wheels to achieve the desired rigidity, strength, and lightness.
• Forming the Final Detailed Shape – By using their in-house technology, proprietary dies, and machine, they heat the wheel to form the final detailed shape and simultaneously form the outer and inner rim.
• Heat Treatment – After forging and rim forming, the wheel is heat treated to maximize its unique properties such as tensile strength.

After these processes, there’s mounting processing, where the outside and inside of the wheel are machined to achieve a precise balance, then there’s PCD drilling, a process that requires very high precision, there’s edge trimming, knurling which is a process that improves wheel performance on race cars as it helps prevent slipping between the tire and the wheel that might occur due to repeated sudden acceleration and deceleration, and there’s a painting process which is a vital process that improves wheel’s corrosion resistance.

Before they hit the market Rays Wheels are put through tests, and inspection for defects. Some of the rigorous tests they go through include load fatigue tests, fatigue durability, and more to ensure that the wheels add comfort, and improve driving performance. The basis of Rays Engineering is to manufacture ideal wheels that are strong and lightweight with beautiful designs. The final stage of manufacturing Rays Wheels is polishing and powder coating. The wheel surfaces are carefully polished by hand to remove the lubricant applied during mold form forging as well as galling marks from hot forging so as to ensure a beautiful finish for subsequent decorative painting. Powder coating is important as its thickness enhances anti-corrosion performance.

If TE37s are what you’re after; check out this video. Get some deep insight into the history and what is the difference between all of the different TE37 models.

When it comes to wheel manufacturing, Rays Engineering has reached new heights in wheel design as most of their forged wheel manufacturing processes are performed by machines except for the final inspection which is done by their engineers. At the end of the process, the engineers put certification stickers on the wheels to show that they have passed the rigorous tests and met the standards. Rays Engineering manufactures its wheels in such a way that they meet very high standards, and we at Vivid Racing are proud to be their largest stocking dealers in North America.

Click Here to Buy Their Products in Our Shop

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5glBHADoug[/embedyt]