Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in measuring the physical profile of a road surface and a methodology for frequency domain representation of the profile is disclosed. Force transducers and accelerometers are incorporated at each of the four wheels of a vehicle to measure the perturbations of the road surface in a direction normal to the surface over which the vehicle is driven. The disclosed implementation isolates the measurements from the motion of the vehicle body. A shaft encoder is incorporated at each of the front wheels to measure rotation of the wheels allowing the determination of distance traveled. A methodology for analysis of the data is also disclosed which provides vertical displacement data of the wheel/terrain interface while reducing the introduction of errors as the information is processed. Further methodology is used to analyze the data in the frequency domain and provide for the quantification of road/terrain characteristics useful for accelerated life testing of vehicles.