In the world of aftermarket wheels, Rays Engineering is one of the biggest and best-known names around. The TE37 is one of the most popular and recognizable aftermarket wheels in the world. The reason for the TE37’s popularity is not its simple six-spoke design, but rather how Rays constructs it.
While the large majority of aftermarket wheels (including TE37 replicas) use a cast construction, the TE37 is forged. There are lots of machine forged wheels on the market, however, the TE37 is one of the few mold-form forged wheels available. This special way of constructing the wheel is part of what makes the TE37 so successful.
As explained in our Cast vs Forged Wheels article, the mold-form forging process creates the shape of the wheel during the forging process. By creating the shape of the wheel during the forging process, the grain of the metal flows with the shape of the wheel, resulting in much greater strength.
The confusing part of the buying TE37s is all the different variations. Volk Racing offers TE37, TE37 Ultra, TE37V, TE37X, TE37 Sonic, TE37 Saga, and more. The two most popular versions are the original TE37 and the TE37SL.
The Differences
As the name hints, the TE37 Super Lap is a version of the TE37 which is more track-focused than the original. The TE37 is already an insanely strong wheel thanks to its design and mold-form forged construction. When Rays designed the TE37SL, the goal was to shed weight without sacrificing strength.
They were able to reduce weight by shaving certain areas of the wheel, mostly at the back of the spokes and in the center. The exact weight savings depend on the size, but savings of 400 grams can be found on 18×10.5 models.
It should be noted the TE37SL does not use center caps because of the extra machining around the center. You can find center cap adapters which will allow for the installation of center caps, however, the addition of center caps will compromise the weight savings.
The stickers on the SL are not preinstalled, giving you the option of how you want your wheels to look.
There is a lot of misinformation stating the TE37SL is not a mold-form forged wheel like the TE37, and these claims are false. They are constructed using the same method, but the TE37SL uses extra machining in key areas for weight reduction. Both wheels use Rays’ special 100% aluminum blend to further increase strength.
If you have any questions about buying wheels for your vehicle, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can be reached by phone at 1.480.966.3040 or via email at sales@vividracing.com.
