A wheel testing system and method are provided that simulates realistically conditions likely to be encountered during operation of vehicle wheels, especially powered drive wheels and wheel-connected structures. The system may include an integral support frame designed to adjustably mount wheels or wheel-connected structures to be tested, a load motor drivingly connected to an inertial load, and an adjustable mounting sled configured to adjustably mount a test wheel or a wheel-connected structure with an hydraulic system actuatable to adjust the location of the test wheel relative to the inertial load to vary or fix the load on the test wheel desired. Speed of the test wheel can be varied or fixed by controlling the speed of the load motor. System measurement and data collection electronics measure a range of selected wheel parameters and gather data for transmission to a processor or non-transitory storage medium for processing and evaluation.