What happens when you go over pothole?

Hitting a pothole can cause bent wheel rims, internal tire damage, alignment problems, and shock and strut issues depending on the severity of the impact. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll puncture your tires or damage your vehicle, but if you have any concerns, get it inspected.

Is it better to go fast over potholes?

Speeding Doesn’t Help There’s a pesky myth out there that going fast over a pothole will help minimize the bump. This simply isn’t true, and will likely result in even more damage if you hit it hard enough – you’ve seen those cars with flat tires right after a serious pothole, right?

What can break when you hit a pothole?

Other components are also affected. The most common types of damage are loss of a hubcap, a damaged tire, a bent or broken wheel, wheels knocked out of alignment, damaged suspension components, bent steering parts, and damaged shock absorbers.

How do potholes form?

Potholes are holes in the roadway that vary in size and shape. They are caused by the expansion and contraction of ground water after the water has entered into the ground under the pavement. When water freezes, it expands. If the water freezes and thaws over and over, the pavement will weaken and continue cracking.

Can hitting a pothole cause a flat tire?

Potholes can cause a lot of damage to your car, from causing a flat tire and damage to your rims or hubcaps–including losing them–to more expensive damage such as breaking your wheel’s axle and altering your car’s suspension.

Do potholes affect alignment?

Not only are potholes a nightmare for your tires and suspension, but they can also impact handling and alignment. Frequently hitting potholes — or even just one bad one — can alter the angles at which your wheels come in contact with the road, potentially resulting in a safety issue and expensive repairs later.

Does lowering a car affect alignment?

For many enthusiasts, lowering their car is the first and most important modification they do to their vehicles. Wrong, lowering your car will throw off all your suspension geometry and alignment, as well as create extreme drivetrain angles that can put unnecessary strain on the components.

Can a pothole break control arm?

Pothole strikes can bend, snap, break, sever or deform all manners of suspension componentry. They can damage the rubber isolators or ‘bushings’ that cushion the metal-on-metal contact between the many complex arms and levers and joints and hubs and springs that comprise your vehicle’s front-end.

Can potholes cause flat tires?

How many potholes are in the US?

1. There are an estimated 55 million potholes in the U.S.

Why does my car shake after I hit a pothole?

Formed as the ground freezes and thaws throughout the winter, potholes can be devastating to your car. The jolt can damage your tires, rims, suspension and other steering components. If you notice the steering wheel shaking, this is an indication of a wheel balance problem or damage to either the tire or rim.