A method for characterizing lateral spindle forces of a tire uniformity machine and for using characterizations of the tire uniformity machine for evaluating tires during normal testing procedures, comprising: receiving a tire in an apparatus having an upper chuck and spindle assembly with an upper rim and a lower chuck and spindle assembly with a lower rim, wherein said rims capture the tire therebetween; applying a load wheel to the tire and collecting a measurement data waveform from a load sensor associated with said load wheel; the method characterized in: determining an angular offset of said lower rim in relation to said upper rim so as to define an engagement position within a plurality of engagement positions associated with substantially equal portions into which the circumference of the spindle may be segmented, when applying said load wheel to the tire; designating said measurement data waveform as a tire result waveform; appending said measurement data waveform to a collection of measurement data waveforms for at least a predetermined number of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position; determining whether said predetermined number of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position has been obtained and if not, storing said tire result waveform as a tire test result for said engagement position, and if said predetermined number of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position has been obtained: computing an average waveform from said collection of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position; generating a lateral force spindle characterization waveform from at least a first harmonic of said average waveform for each said engagement position; spindle characterization waveform from said tire result waveform; and storing said final tire waveform as said tire test result. receiving a tire in an apparatus having an upper chuck and spindle assembly with an upper rim and a lower chuck and spindle assembly with a lower rim, wherein said rims capture the tire therebetween; applying a load wheel to the tire and collecting a measurement data waveform from a load sensor associated with said load wheel; the method characterized in: determining an angular offset of said lower rim in relation to said upper rim so as to define an engagement position within a plurality of engagement positions associated with substantially equal portions into which the circumference of the spindle may be segmented, when applying said load wheel to the tire; designating said measurement data waveform as a tire result waveform; appending said measurement data waveform to a collection of measurement data waveforms for at least a predetermined number of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position; determining whether said predetermined number of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position has been obtained and if not, storing said tire result waveform as a tire test result for said engagement position, and if said predetermined number of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position has been obtained: computing an average waveform from said collection of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position; generating a lateral force spindle characterization waveform from at least a first harmonic of said average waveform for each said engagement position; spindle characterization waveform from said tire result waveform; and storing said final tire waveform as said tire test result. determining an angular offset of said lower rim in relation to said upper rim so as to define an engagement position within a plurality of engagement positions associated with substantially equal portions into which the circumference of the spindle may be segmented, when applying said load wheel to the tire; designating said measurement data waveform as a tire result waveform; appending said measurement data waveform to a collection of measurement data waveforms for at least a predetermined number of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position; determining whether said predetermined number of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position has been obtained and if not, storing said tire result waveform as a tire test result for said engagement position, and if said predetermined number of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position has been obtained: computing an average waveform from said collection of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position; generating a lateral force spindle characterization waveform from at least a first harmonic of said average waveform for each said engagement position; computing an average waveform from said collection of measurement data waveforms for said engagement position; generating a lateral force spindle characterization waveform from at least a first harmonic of said average waveform for each said engagement position; spindle characterization waveform from said tire result waveform; and storing said final tire waveform as said tire test result.