A wheel balancing system having a base structure supporting a spindle shaft for receiving coaxially a vehicle wheel assembly, an apparatus optically measuring the vehicle wheel assembly, and a processor configured to operate the wheel balancing system; comprising: a non-contact sensor secured to the base structure, said non-contact sensor including a first fixed optical sensor, first control logic, and a first laser emitter mounted on a laser support shaft for rotational movement independent of said first fixed optical sensor, said first laser emitter aligned to project a laser beam towards an inboard surface of the vehicle wheel assembly; and an adjustment mechanism operatively coupled to said first laser emitter to rotate said first laser emitter about an axis of said support shaft, wherein an orientation of said laser beam within an emission plane is responsive to a rotational position of said first laser emitter; a rotational position sensor associated with said first laser emitter, said rotational position sensor configured to generate a second output signal to said processor, said second output signal representative of a rotational position of said first laser emitter about an axis of said laser support shaft; wherein said first control logic is configured to receive output from said first fixed optical sensor responsive to a pixel position on a light sensitive surface of said first fixed optical sensor illuminated by a first spot of reflected light from a point on said inboard surface illuminated by said first laser beam within said emission plane; and wherein said first control logic is further configured to utilize and said output from said first fixed optical sensor to generate to said processor an output signal which is representative of an incident angle within said emission plane along which said first reflected laser light spot is received at an optical detector from said inboard surface. a non-contact sensor secured to the base structure, said non-contact sensor including a first fixed optical sensor, first control logic, and a first laser emitter mounted on a laser support shaft for rotational movement independent of said first fixed optical sensor, said first laser emitter aligned to project a laser beam towards an inboard surface of the vehicle wheel assembly; and an adjustment mechanism operatively coupled to said first laser emitter to rotate said first laser emitter about an axis of said support shaft, wherein an orientation of said laser beam within an emission plane is responsive to a rotational position of said first laser emitter; a rotational position sensor associated with said first laser emitter, said rotational position sensor configured to generate a second output signal to said processor, said second output signal representative of a rotational position of said first laser emitter about an axis of said laser support shaft; wherein said first control logic is configured to receive output from said first fixed optical sensor responsive to a pixel position on a light sensitive surface of said first fixed optical sensor illuminated by a first spot of reflected light from a point on said inboard surface illuminated by said first laser beam within said emission plane; and wherein said first control logic is further configured to utilize and said output from said first fixed optical sensor to generate to said processor an output signal which is representative of an incident angle within said emission plane along which said first reflected laser light spot is received at an optical detector from said inboard surface.