In-Depth Review on Work Wheels | Aftermarket Wheel Buying Guide

May 15, 2024

Ever turned your head for a second glance at a set of wheels to just say “woah, those are rad!”? Odds are they’re either a set of Volks, Advans, or Work Wheels. The Japanese wheel brand has been around for 5 decades, sports some of the most iconic wheel designs of all time, and can also cost a fortune. So what are they, where did they come from, and are they worth it? Well…Let’s talk about it.

History of Work Wheels

Back in 1977, a fella by the name of Takeshi Tanaka had a vision. With just a 4,000,000 YEN budget, or $25,000 in his pocket, he ignited the spark for what would become Work Wheels. Takeshi wanted to create wheels that weren’t just parts – they were the very spirit of the cars they graced. His slogan? “If you work hard, anything can be achieved.”

They say the company name “Work” was derived by that statement, and that by working on what he believed, he would go on to build one of the most successful aftermarket wheel companies to this day.

To be fair, it didn’t take long to grow. By 1979, Work Wheels wasn’t just thinking big; they were doing big, setting up their first 3-piece wheel assembly plant in Japan and quickly becoming the hub for aftermarket wheel production. A couple years down the lane, in 1981, they brought paint facilities into the mix to control the entire Work Wheel production flow. This marked a shift in Work Wheels becoming not just a wheel company but a pioneer in the wheel industry, breathing life into every creation with customization that was available from the factory; not a dealer.

Takeshi Tanaka Previous Work Wheels President

Based in Osaka, Japan, Work Wheels continued stretching out, establishing international dealers in the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Even after Takeshi Tanaka’s unfortunate passing in 2015, his vision and belief would carry on within the Work Wheels name. The result of this pursuit? A brand that’s been rolling out designs that many JDM fan boys would call “wheel perfection” and well…they’re mostly right.

What’s our expertise in this? Well at MartiniWorks, we’ve been alongside Work Wheels for quite a stretch of that ride. With over 40 combined years of selling, fixing, and running Work Wheels under our belts, we’ve come to be a place where we can help make sense of the brand’s confusing series lines, technology definitions, and maybe overhyped marketing wordsmithing. So if you’re looking for someone who can help get you the right set of Work Wheels, we’re here to help. Chat with us or Browse Work Wheels here.

Work Wheels – Motorsport

It’s easy to see Work Wheels as only a “show-style” wheel and to be honest, we would still say that Work definitely prioritizes looks to race wheels nowadays, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do the job. In the early 80’s for instance, Work had a racing team known as “Team Equip.”

Then came ’85, Work Wheels launched one of the most popular wheel ever made; the WORK Emotion product line. It was a game changer. The Work Emotion would spark a new way to build wheels; multi-configurable and with multiple color options that quickly found their way onto thousands of vehicles across the globe. It’s important to note that while the Emotion product line was one of the wheel manufacturers greatest successes, it wasn’t the only thing they did to win.

Work Wheels | Emotion D9R

Over the years, Work Wheels would go on to compete against brands like Advan with their Meister L1 and Meister M1. The brand would go on to fight against Enkei with their ZR10 and T5R model. Work Wheels would even go on to compete against Volk with their own models that matched Volk’s style and performance. But we’re an honest group of folk here. Throughout the years we’ve seen Volk prioritize a motorsport oriented focus whereas Work Wheels has found their home in the motorsport and car show scene. Not only that, but you’ll find the occasional Work VS-KF on a drift S13 or a T7R on a slammed Ford Mustang. For the price, most people would rather protect these wheels than dirt drop them.

Different Work Wheel Series

Alright, let’s shift gears from the history of Work Wheels and dive into the heart of what makes these wheels so dang special: the series. 

Datsun 510 on Work Equip40 Credit: Work Wheels Japan

Work Wheels Japan Feat. S14 W/ Work VS-KF

Overview of popular Work Wheel models

It’s overwhelming, isn’t it? They do a great job making wheels, but it’s not exactly the easiest to navigate which ones are the top players. Over the years, these are the ones that have stuck out as consistent and well supported by the brand. 

Work Wheel Popular Fitments

Next up, do they look good on everything? We can confidently state yes, but not all models look best on all platforms. Some of our go-to’s for the most popular platforms are below

Credit @not.a.rolla. / @lower_media
Work Emotion D9R 19×9.5 +23 & 19×10.5 +23
Work Zistance / 19×11 +6 & 19×12 +23 Rear

How Work Wheels Are Made

Introduction to the Manufacturing Process of Work Wheels

Low pressure cast, forged, and multipiece wheels all feature different manufacturing processes and while not all are considered equal, Work does a killer job setting a high level of quality for anything they make. They’re also one of the few factory direct brands meaning that they own the factory which produces the wheels they make. In most scenarios, Work Wheels uses a Work Flowforming Technology on their 1 piece wheels and some 2 piece wheel faces (meaning the barrel is flow formed but the face of the wheel is low-pressure casted). Keep in mind that this can get confusing so let’s keep it simple:

Work 1 Piece Wheels: Most of their lineup will feature a low-pressure cast face with a flow-formed barrel. While some of their older series are only low-pressure cast, nearly all of their new releases use this technology as it’s more standard practice.

Work 2 Piece & 3 piece Wheels: Typically you will see a forged barrel & lips with a either a cast face or forged face. Depending on the model, size, and age, each wheel can be a bit different in this department.

What Makes Work Wheels JDM?

We get this asked a lot; mostly because people feel bad if they don’t buy a Japanese wheel. Let’s be clear, there are some incredible brands located here in the United States, Europe, and Mexico that are competitive, if not better than Work Wheels in certain scenarios. A products origin does not always dictate quality. In short, don’t let wheel snobs tell you to buy ONLY this thing. It’s your car, you do you boo boo and we’ll be here along the way.

That being said, “JDM Wheels” typically refers to wheel brands and models that were derived exclusively for the Japanese car community. While nearly everything is exported nowadays, wheels that are manufactured in Japan are typically considered “JDM” even though it goes against the actual definition of “Japanese Domestic Market.”

Confused? Same. JDM is meant to define things exclusively made for Japan but car enthusiasts refer to JDM wheels as any aftermarket wheel that was built in Japan.

FYI, the reason we plug ourselves is because we really do like to help people find the right wheels for their car (and hopefully other car parts too). So if you have questions, reach out to us via Help@martiniworks.com or just shoot us a message in the chat bot!

Technical Information About Work Wheels

Work Wheels specailizes in making different rims, faces, and barrels to accomodate a huge range of vehicles. From sport cars to SUVs, big brakes to EV’s, they really do it all. The way they do this is by changing the technical aspects of their rim, lip, and assembly. Let me explain:

Work uses 3 different types of rims in their 1 piece wheels; standard rim, step rim, and full-reverse rim. Standard rims are the basics and allow a large inner area for a big brake kit and is typically what we recommend if you’re building your own wheels. Step rim or a “step lip” is a reverse rim type where the outer lip of the rim has a small “step” to give the wheel a bit of definition. We recommend this design if you don’t need to worry about a big brake kit or your vehicles is a little “bland” on the side profile. Finally, a full-reverse lip or “rim” as Work calls it gives you the maximum flexibility in disc face sizes, a cleaner overall look, and a larger lip than the two other options. If you want style, most people will go with a full-reverse lip from Work Wheels.

So now you know that Work Wheels can come in a 1-piece, 2-piece, or 3-piece configuration and are typically made via flowform and fully forged materials depending on the components and models. But how does that differ from any other multi-piece wheel company?

Work Wheels Exclusive Manufacturing Processes

Work wheels has a few tricks up their sleeves that make them properly good. If you’re looking to understand why you’d pay the price, this paragraph is dedicated to you.

Credit: Work Wheels Japan

The truth about Work Wheels

If you’ve made it this far you’re already likely to buy some Work Wheels (which we hope you get from MartiniWorks), but if you need a final summary to decide on if they’re right for you; here it is. Work Wheels is a Japanese aftermarket wheel company that’s been in the business of engineering and distributing quality wheels for nearly 50 years. Their wheel models may not all be gorgeous, but there’s almost always a model for you. They specialize in in multipiece wheels but the greatest value for dollar is in their 1 piece line. Their expensive but that’s due to their flowformed technology, dag lip rim engineering, finishes, and attention to detail. Production on a custom set of wheels can take upwards of 6 months and their 1 piece wheels can be available as early as tomorrow if you get them through us. You’re spending a good chunk of change on a brand that’s done almost all of it. 

I wouldn’t typically consider a car part an investment but in our eyes we can say that buying a set of Work Wheels is a bit like making your first investment in a 401K…

Hope you enjoyed the read. Talk to you soon.

AlexMartini

Alex Martini

My name is Alex, or Alex Martini (Alex.Martini__) and I love building unreliable cars. From track, road, drag and drift, there really isn't a motorsport I love. PS if you're reading this, just know that we've got some WILD builds coming for MartiniWorks that we're really excited to share with you :)

3025 Spirit Ct #118
Appleton, WI 54913
*Location not open to the public*
Copyright © 2024 MartiniWorksPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions