I said Hayashi is the premier kyusha wheel maker, but that’s probably personal bias. It’s pretty hard to deny that Speed Star has done more. Founded in 1971, SSR claims to be the first to produce… A 3 piece wheel! Yes, that’s notable. Too bad they were only 3 piece wheels during the production process. Almost all of them left the factory welded together. Beyond that… the confusing letter system of offsets is their creation and the JWL and VIA stamps that you see on most wheels today is a certification that SSR helped found.
That and they are probably the most popular kyusha wheel on cars today. That is probably no surprise considering the number of wheel models they produce and produced. Their innovations in three piece construction allowed them to make wheels in a greater variety of sizes and colors. There are many, and some of the rare ones demand higher prices.
Confusing things further, Speed Star produced a number of models for other manufacturers, like the RS-8 for Watanabe, and perhaps the Focus Racing for Enkei? Again… if you know something I don’t…
