Base Wheel Selection and Inspection

We offer complete restoration and wide customization of a variety of out-of-production classic aluminum wheels. Due to the second-hand nature of decades old wheels, many such as the ones shown here have built up grime, brake dust, oxidation, and have varying degrees of rash, bends and irregularities from years of road use.
Each wheel is given a detailed inspection and evaluation to determine what restoration needs to be done, old and rusted pierce bolts are removed, and the wheel is deep-cleaned before continuing the process.

* We can accept and/or evaluate base wheels which customers have in their possession.

* Since we have over 200 vintage base wheels of various designs in stock at all times, restoration and customization orders from our inventory are also possible. Please inquire.

Complete Inner Rim Correction

Without proper balance and shape, base wheels cannot be correctly restored or given custom treatment. We completely remove inner rim bends and irregularities in each wheel until they meet our strict standard values for balance and shape.
This is done manually using our rim correction machine, which can accommodate the widest wheels domestically; Fitting widths up to 17J. Manual operation of this machine to measure each irregularity and reach straightness takes exceptional craftsmanship, and we correct all bends in rotation up to five times at 2-day intervals, the process taking about 1 week in full.

There can be no compromise saying, “With old wheel restoration, the straightening process can be taken lightly”.

Our attitude is to spend as much time necessary in order to reach our strict straightness reference value on each and every wheel. Without a proper restored base to work from, the process will not continue forward.

Outer Rim Cut

Nearly all two- or three-piece ‘kyusha’ wheels have welded construction, and we use a specially developed technique to cut and remove the outer rim.
Care must be taken to make a precise cut, as there are no second chances and no margin for error when properly cutting vintage wheels that have a long history and cherished value.

Throughout the cutting process, we take measurements to ensure the proper reference value to cut each specific wheel design.

It is a process that requires high technology, as well as a delicate hand response and accumulated experience.

Wet Blast Process

After removing the original paint from the wheel disc with a release agent dedicated to aluminum, the wheel is put through a wet-blasting process using a powerful blasting machine. This process strips away all oxidation and corrosion from the wheel that have accumulated over time.
While mere sandblasting cannot remove deep corrosion and oxidation, wet blasting with a fine aggregate and high pressure water jet gives the wheel and disc surface an ideal foundation for the primer surfacer and paint steps that follow after.

We do not do any simplified recoloring, such as retouching or repainting over the top of original paint. Even if it can be accomplished to a level of visual acceptance, those kinds of painting methods will not hold up in the long life of the wheel.

Outer Rim Production

We manufacture specially forged aluminum outer rims that suit the necessary diameter and J-width for each particular custom job.
Formed using a 9000ton large Japanese press machine of which few are available in Japan, our outer rims are produced using top grade forged aluminum which results in a product that is overwhelmingly superior in strength, accuracy and corrosion resistance to classic outer rims of the time.

From two shapes commonly known as “sharp step” and “round step” rims, we have to-date over 30 exclusive molds in our lineup in order to manufacture exactly the same shape and spec of each specific deep rim design of the time.

We specialize in small diameter 13/14/15-inch ‘kyusha’ wheels, but we also offer restoration and customization services for wheels with diameters from 10 to 20 inches. Regarding widths (J), production up to 20J wide is possible by special order.

*As our method is to oversee each and every step of the full restoration and customization process in-house, we do not sell outer rims alone. Thank you for your understanding.

Assembly Process

Fitting the specially produced outer rim to the base wheel requires a strict and precise assembly process.
In the wide custom process, this section proves to be the most difficult, as super wide wheels require special attention to reach proper assembly. This is a method we are taking to great lengths to ensure each completed wheel has proper balance and equilibrium.

While wheels in the current market are mass-produced industrial products, originally they were handmade and assembled, a process that we follow in the footsteps of. Time has passed, handmade methods used by such craftsmen are forgotten, and technology is not passed on.

We at Izanami have inherited the craftsmanship and handmade methods of classic wheel assembly of the time, furthermore by adding our original methods and technology to meet the world’s highest quality standards.

Finishing and Detailing

Wheels are given final details and brought to completion through Izanami’s series of specialized techniques and collection of technologies.
We want to produce each and every set of one-of-a-kind wheels to the highest level of quality, strength and beauty that their owner can cherish and appreciate for the rest of their life.

We do not concern ourselves with anything like simple “wheel remodeling/rebarreling” tactics based on shallow knowledge and little-researched methodologies.

We pride ourselves on correct assembly process, correct equipment and materials, correct measurement, correct repair, correct methods and correct inspection. It is very dangerous to dabble in wheel repair or customization without knowing how to handle the wheel and process correctly.

With a deep understanding of all the components of each wheel and each professional method, Izanami will continue to offer customers specialized services for complete restoration, wide rim customization.