In South Africa, we used to drive on the left side of the road…now, we drive on what’s left of the road. How can we change that? The most logical answer is to “vote”. Right? Well, this article is not for lobbying voters so instead, we will outline the kind of damage that is caused by constantly driving over potholes.
Do not rub it off- it is a big deal
You are trying to navigate your way out of a road filled with bad potholes when you hit another. You think to yourself it is just one pothole but in all honesty, how many have you hit today? Plenty. This may not be your fault at all but unfortunately your car will not care for the explanations when it starts having issues.
Potholes can cause damage to your vehicle in many different ways.
Most common ways in which potholes can damage your vehicle
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Wheel And Tire Damage
Of course, the first victim of driving over potholes is your tires. These potholes can puncture a tire, its sidewall, and belts.
If the pothole hits the wrong part of the wheel or tire, it can cause the wheel to crack or bend. This usually happens with alloy wheels, which are more likely to have low profile tires installed.
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Steering Issues
If your steering system components are knocked out of place by a bad hit on potholes, your vehicle will be prone to steering issues.
These issues include:
- Bumpy turns
- Difficulties turning the steering wheel
- Experiencing steering wheel vibration when driving at high speed.
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Suspension Damage
For your suspension system, one pothole can cause you many problems, and require you to cough up money for extensive repairs.
- Shocks: If you hit a pothole hard enough, it causes serious damage to the shock absorbers, springs, and strut.
- Ball joints: When a ball joint hits a pothole, the ball or socket becomes deformed. This deformation causes uneven tire wear and makes steering less accurate.
- Control arm bushings: Driving after hitting a pothole could be the undoing of your control arm bushings. They will start wearing out and when that happens, you will have uneven tire wear which may lead in steering issues.
- Stabilizer bar: Also known as Sway bar links, this part stabilizes the body of the car and reduces sway. When the bar hits a pothole, the ball stud that’s on the end of the bar that connects to the control arm can get damaged. This may be the reason why you have been hearing rattling or clunking noises when driving.
AVOID AVOID AVOID- If it is possible
By all means, try to navigate your way out of these potholes every time you can. But expecting you to be free of them is a pipe dream. So if you start experiencing the above-mentioned issues and more, do not delay to be in contact with CV and Propshaft.
