It was 1996. Japanese company for the production of automobile wheelsRays Engineering officially turned 17 and she's deep in the game. Things are going well - it brings tangible profits by supplying quality kits to local and foreign automakers and racing teams. Its wheels are well received, with users commenting positively on the precision and attention to detail of each rim. The company is perfectly set to present its latest product,TE37 : a wheel that will go on to become legendary among tuners, racers, enthusiasts, fans and JDM style lovers, and also guarantees that the company name will enter the rankings. annals of automotive history.
The TE37 is a revolutionary product that sets the standard for what an impeller should be. This is Rays' first one-piece forged aluminum wheel to be released as part of a flagship vehicle line.Volk Racing . Made from a proprietary 100% aluminum compound that complements the forging process, this is a unicorn: a one-of-a-kind wheel that is stiff and rigid yet weighs next to nothing. More than two decades later, car fans are still raving about these wheels. Yes, they reallywhat well.
What is in the title?
The idea was to create a wheel that could work well on the track and look great on the streets. If you ever wondered, "TE" stands for "Touring Evolutionis a nod to high performance cars using the wheels in competition, with the expectation that racing teams will share their feedback with Rays so the wheels can "evolve" and get even better. On the other hand, the number "37" is a rough indication of the incredibly low weight of the wheel:3.7 kg per 15" wheel (this was the first size in which the TE37 models were available).
And while professional drivers and tuners swear by it, conventional gearboxes love that they can also use these high performance drives on their rides without any modification. Today's iconic six-spoke TE37 design looked good on almost every car model, and those who rocked them were immediately complimented by their peers for their superior taste in wheels.
Net Performance
TE37s are in high demand because they perform superbly on the track. Even though these wheels don't weigh much, these wheels are heavy and they can take a beating. The folks at Rays got excited about the TE37, and it all starts with how those wheels are made.
Being carved from a single piece of aluminum is not enough. Using a stamping-forming process, the company maintains the integrity of the raw aluminum in each TE37 rim by allowing the shape of the wheel and spokes to form along the grain of the metal rather than against it (cutting along the grain is also a practice that Japanese sword smiths follow when making katana).
What about those needles? They play a much bigger role than just aesthetics. Correct in racingbraking technique can make or break a run. And the biggest thing that prevents good braking is high temperature. Too much of it will cause brake fade or brake delay.
Six spokes TE37 Ideal for dissipating heat and increasing ventilation behind the wheel and around the brake caliper. The result is a cooler disc that delivers more precise braking. Rays also believes that the six-spoke orientation is the best design for even weight distribution, which keeps the wheels naturally balanced on every revolution.
Pros who have competed with the TE37 swear by its reliability. “They won’t let you down while you’re riding the fastest sweepers, pulling heavy Gs on slicks,” says Castrol-Yokohama racer and eight-time AAP Racer of the Year Carlos Anton. “With their light weight, you reduce the power loss that goes through the transmission, axles and tires. We have to lighten race cars more often than not, and at the same time it makes sense to reduce the load on the wheels. If your team can afford [TE37], that's a real plus."
Game changer
The TE37 sealed Rays and Volk Racing's transition to racing wheels in the mid-90s. According toMichael Rojas from Rota Wheels, Volk Racing began by producing monobloc and compound wheels that paid homage to European design.
“[Volk Racing], like other Japanese brands, had an Alpina-style fin, a BBS-style mesh, and a turbo cymbal typical of Porsche racers of the time,” he says. The story continues: in the early 90s, Rays and Volk Racing decided to make wheels more motorsport oriented. “Their first foray [into this segment], TE16, wasn’t as popular. They tried a different design and it ended up being the TE37. The idea was to distance themselves from Enkei, who were the number one wheel manufacturer in Japan at the time, and they did that with the TE37,” says Rojas.
TE37 forever
Today TE37 are still as popular as they were the day they were released and are considered by many to be hoops of the Grail. They are not cheap: a brand new set costs more than a hundred thousand dollars. But they won't break and will never go out of style. TE37 forever if you believe in such things.
“They look good on our 1989 Honda CR-X, and they look good on the latest Civic Type R, which has been design different for almost 30 years. And they have been the choice of top [racing] teams for many years, which is what makes them timeless,” shares Anton.
“The TE37 is legendary because it’s a serious handlebar – no frills,” adds Rojas. “Its sole purpose was to be as light and durable as possible. No decorative elements, nothing superfluous in this design. Even the center cap was optional.”
After 22 years, the TE37 models are still as much loved as they were when they first shipped from the Rays factory in Osaka. Young or old, no one can tarnish these legendary wheels. Will they still be loved by future minders? Our guess is a resounding “Yes!”
