Apparatus for leak testing vehicle wheels

An apparatus for checking leakage of a test gas through a wheel. The apparatus comprises wheel recognition apparatus for generating a first signal indicative of selected parameters of a wheel, a test cell for applying a differential pressure of a test gas through a selected portion of the wheel, and detecting apparatus for determining a leak rate of the test gas through the selected portion of the wheel. The detecting apparatus generates a second signal indicative of the leak rate. The apparatus of the invention also includes a microprocessor operatively connected to the recognition apparatus for receiving and processing the first signal to determine the model of the wheel from among a group of preselected model wheels. The apparatus is also operatively connected to the test cell for controlling operation of the detecting apparatus according to the model of the wheel, and operatively connected to the detecting apparatus for receiving and processing the second signal to generate a record of the leak rate. The invention also includes a method of manufacturing vehicle wheels wherein, after testing a wheel to determine a leak rate of a test gas through a selected portion of the wheel, the wheel is automatically permanently identified with that leak rate.