The pothole season is back! That time of year after winter and spring is temperature fluctuation, resulting in potholes on roads. Potholes start after water seeps through cracks in the road.
In colder climates, that water freezes and pushes the pavement sections upward. This ends up in unsupported pockets. The continual pressure of vehicles could cause these weak areas to collapse, resulting in potholes.
Even though the temporary solution is to change the routes, this solution does not work with increasing potholes. There are many risks after we speak of the headaches that the potholes are; some are huge, and a few are small. However, all are dangerous for you and your vehicles, particularly throughout the rainy season.
Factors Affecting your Car due to Potholes
In general, two major factors directly affects the severity of car damage due to potholes-
- The depth of the pothole
- The speed at which you hit it
Here are the tips and tricks to keep in mind to prevent your car from pothole damage. Read to know more!
Tips and Tricks to Prevent your Car from Potholes
- Tyres
The car tyres are the first major vulnerable part to hit the pothole first. Common pothole problems are- punctures, sidewall bulges, or tread separation. You can also experience uneven tyre wear due to the alignment being knocked out of position due to potholes or serious rim damage because of a huge or deep pothole.
Tip
- If you notice uneven tire wear, it is best not to panic and keep an eye on the tire. However, if you notice any other injury to your tires, it is suggested to change the tires as soon as possible.
- If the car rims are damaged, try to replace them as soon as possible. A damaged rim ends up in a poor seal between the rim and the tyre, which might cause air leaks and flat tyres.
Prevention
Apart from avoiding potholes fully, the simplest way to stop tire damage from potholes is to check that the tire is properly inflated.
- Wheels
The car wheels also are liable to get damaged from potholes. And yes, there is a difference between tires and wheels. Potholes will cause chips, bends, and cracks in your wheel, which will stop your wheels from having an airtight seal with the tyre.
Also, a bent wheel will not roll properly and smoothly. It is important to know that chips in your wheel are not easy to identify and spot every time, as they are extremely little, set in one of the spokes or lined in brake mud and road grime.
Another wheel issue is the wheel alignment. If you hit a hard edge of a pothole, it will misalign your wheels. You would notice this damage only after your car pulls to at least one way or another or the steering is not as responsive as before.
Tip
Broken or cracked wheels are major issues; therefore, it is best to replace them. Bent wheels will generally be repaired. If you think your wheels are slightly or fully misaligned, it is vital to have them checked and corrected quickly for safety reasons.
- Steering and Suspension
Suspensions smooth the bumps in the road. Therefore you do not feel them regularly. However, an unexpected impact with a pothole will knock down your suspension, resulting in a huge amount of damage. Signs that there is a problem with your suspension includes-
- Car pulling in one direction
- Loose handling
- Uneven tyre wear
- Vibrations and sounds
Tip
Most steering and suspension issues can be fixed by changing the worn or broken part. As damage to your steering and suspension systems will be dangerous, it is suggested to get this checked quickly.
- Body, Undercarriage, and Exhaust
Cars with an occasional ride height have better handling. However, many are probably to be broken due to potholes. Injuries from potholes include- side skirts or scrapes on low-hanging bumpers. Many serious injuries include- scrapes on your framework that cause rust and leaks or potholes ripped in your catalytic converter, exhaust pipes, or muffler.
If you damage your exhaust pipes, there will be noises and a loss of power. It can also result in harmful pollution and gas leakage in the cabin, injurious to health.
Tips
If you find any issue in your exhaust, it is suggested to get the problem fixed straight away because of the environmental and health risks. Leaks from your framework ought to even be investigated and repaired. However, there is no rush to repair the cosmetic injuries for side skirts and bumpers.
Conclusion
If you have any queries regarding this topic, services, or want to buy used cars in Delhi NCR, you can contact Motofoto, and they will guide you regarding the same.
