Potholes can cause very serious issues to vehicles of all types. In this blog entry, the Chicago roadside assistance and Chicago vehicle recovery service team here at Towing Chicago will detail the top problems that potholes can cause for your vehicle.
Tire Issues from Potholes
When cars hit potholes, tires usually experience damage first. Potholes tear tire sidewalls, damage the interior structure of tires, or do both.when tires are overinflated, structural damage is more likely to occur. Late model cars might have low profile tires that can sustain very serious damage when potholes are hit.
Wheel Issues from Potholes
Wheels are easily damaged from potholes. They can easily bend, crack, or break, and repairing damaged wheels can be difficult and expensive. Alloy based wheels are more fragile, which is why they are more expensive to replace. Regular car wheels cost between 20 and 400 dollars, but an alloy wheel is usually priced at 500.
Suspension Issues from Potholes
When car wheels hit potholes, they experience both horizontal and vertical force. When the horizontal force is excessive, steering linkages and suspension parts easily get damaged, and wheels can get knocked out of alignment. If wheels aren’t aligned, driving becomes very uncomfortable – if not dangerous – and tires wear out very very quickly.
Shock Absorber Issues from Potholes
Shock absorbers are strongly affected by potholes. They wear out quickly when people extensively drive on bad roads. There’s a few signs that shock absorbers are not properly working – namely absorbers leaking oil. Inspect the condition of your shock absorbers by pushing down a couple times on a corner of your vehicle and letting go when your vehicle is at its lowest – if the car bounces, the shock absorber needs to be replaced.