Abstract: A vehicle wheel service system, such as a wheel balancer, tire changer, or inflation cage configured with a supply of pressurized air to seat and inflate an uninflated tire mounted onto a rim of a wheel assembly, and to detect the occurrence of tire beads seating onto the wheel rim during the inflation process. The vehicle wheel service system includes a processor configured with software instructions to control a flow of pressurized air into the tire during an inflation process, and to receive input from one or more sensors responsive to the seating of the inner and outer tire beads. The processing system is further configured to utilize the received input to detect the occurrence of the tire bead seating, and to terminate the inflation process either immediately or upon reaching a selected inflation pressure.

Abstract: A system for temporarily mounting an observable target on a vehicle service system during a vehicle service or inspection process. The system includes at least one target backing plate affixed at a known or determinable position on the vehicle service system facing a vehicle undergoing service or inspection. The target backing plate provides a forward facing planar surface receiving a removable optical target, with at least one target guide element to provide a fixed reference for indexed alignment of the removable optical target on the target backing plate.