An effort transmitted between a vehicle wheel and a wheel support is determined by mounting a tire/wheel assembly for rotation on a wheel support having a dynamic hub rigidly connected on a fixed frame such that the only degree of freedom of the assembly is rotation about the hub axis. The tire is pressed against an excitation device and the resulting fixed support effort transmitted between the wheel and the wheel support is measured. On the basis of the measured fixed support effort, there is calculated a suspended support effort which would be transmitted between the wheel and a wheel support having a degree of freedom of suspension in at least one direction (X, Y, Z) in relation to the excitation device.