During winter and spring, potholes are something drivers must contend with. What starts to form in the cold weather drastically expands once spring arrives. Until your local municipality fills and paves them over, drivers seem to constantly be swerving around pot holes.
Once you hit one, your car experiences some degree of damage, which you may not notice right away. What can result ranges anywhere from suspension damage and misalignment to bulging tires and dented rims. Pot holes cost American drivers $3 billion annually, with work averaging $300 per job.
Unfortunately, how you drive over a pot hole can affect the degree of damage. A high speed and deeper hole tend to hurt your car the most, but a deeper hole isn’t always visible in rain and snow. So, as winter transitions to spring, inspect the following components of your vehicle.
Tires
Let’s say your wheels hit a deep pot hole at a high speed. Your tires take the hit and it shows by the bulging sidewalls. When a pot hole has a harder edge, it causes the tire to compress against the wheel, which slashes the rubber or the belts holding the tire together. Because of your blown-out tires and damaged treads, your car is unsafe to drive until your tires get replaced.
Rims and Wheels
Also affected by this close and sudden impact, aluminum rims become easily dented – if not bent, chipped, or cracked – at high speeds. In certain cases, the damage is only cosmetic. In others, it changes the wheel’s functionality, preventing it from rolling smoothly or forming a seal with the tire.
Undercarriage and Exhaust Systems
Because the undercarriage sits low to the ground, it’s next in line to experience damage. Particularly, that jolt may create a dent or puncture, resulting in rust formation, general wear and fluid leaks that directly impact your car’s performance. Damage tends to be worse if you drive a sports car, which sits even lower to the ground than standard models.
These scrapes may also extend to your exhaust system, with strange noises signaling the damage. In turn, your pipes, muffler or catalytic converter may have a hole causing this sound. The hole and additional damage may further lead to power issues or divert exhaust fumes into your car’s cabin.
Suspension System
Although a suspension system should reduce the impact your car feels, a sudden and sharp bump has the power to result in misalignment, broken ball joints, damaged shocks or struts. Your car may show these signs by:
- Pulling to one side or drifting when you drive
- Having an off-center steering wheel
- Loose, inconsistent handling
- Uneven tire wear
In most of these cases, your car is a hazard to other drivers on the road, and should be repaired right away. If your vehicle doesn’t feel right after you hit a pothole, bring it into DaSilva’s Auto Body for a diagnosis and subsequent repairs. To schedule an appointment, give us a call today.
