In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided improved means for centering of a green vehicle tire carcass on a shaping drum. “Centering” as used herein and unless otherwise stated or obvious from the context of its use, includes positioning of the bead ring-containing. opposite ends of a carcass substantially equidistantly from the centerplane of the drum and substantially radially equidistant from, and substantially concentric about, the rotational axis of the drum. In one embodiment, the shaping drum includes first and second pluralities of lateral positioning shoes disposed about the outer circumference of thedrum, these pluralities of shoes being disposed on opposite sides of the lateral centerplane of the drum, and first and second pluralities of bidirectional (radial and lateral) positioning wheels, the pluralities of wheels also being disposed about the outer circumference of the drum, on opposite sides of the lateral centerplane of the drum, and between respective ones of the pluralities of shoes and the lateral centerplane of the drum. These shoes and wheels are selectively positionable laterally and radially of the drum to effect centering of the carcass. A method is disclosed.