The Danger of Potholes to Your Suspension
We have it a bit easier than Canada when it comes to our roads. Every year, as the snow melts and winter gives way to spring, it becomes what is known as “pothole season”. Millions of Canadians and Northern Americans will experience pothole season and the type of damage it can do to their car, tires, and their vehicle’s suspension.
What Can a Pothole Do to Your Vehicle?
Well, for one thing, they can cause a major blowout. Potholes are kryptonite to sidewalls, especially for tires that are either over- or under-inflated or tires that are old. Older tires have left give as the rubber hardens over time and they are more susceptible to impact from the road and especially from potholes.
But the damage caused by potholes is not entirely absorbed by your tires. Some of that damage can reverberate into the wheel assembly and even damage your suspension. The component parts in your suspension can be bent, snapped, or broken. They can also damage cushings that protect from metal-on-metal contact. Worse still, if any of those components are on their way out already, chances are, the pothole will ensure that they are completely destroyed. In a worst case scenario, they can cause the wheel to bust completely off of your car.
Signs Your Suspension is Messed Up
Whenever you hit a major pothole, it’s time to start thinking about the potential damage it can be doing to your car. For those who have major damage to their suspension, there are a number of risks.
The first time that your suspension may be out of whack is when you begin hearing a ticking, clicking, or banging. A new noise that you don’t recognize can actually be a harbinger of bad things. It is best not to ignore it or turn up the radio.
Chances are good that if you see a car on the side of the road with a missing wheel, or two front wheels that are pointed toward one another, you have a driver that fixed the issue by turning up the radio. Worse still, you can be held liable for the damage to other vehicles or serious injuries you caused when your vehicle stopped working properly.
Checking Your Rims and Tires
You’ll want to remain vigilant against tire, wheel, and suspension damage. While avoiding potholes entirely is ideal, it may not always be possible. You will accrue damage to your wheel assembly and suspension on a long enough time scale. So the trick is to check on a routine basis to ensure that your tires, wheels, and suspension don’t crap out at the most inopportune time.
Talk to a Defective Tire Lawyer Today
Not all tire blowouts can be assumed to be a failure of maintenance. Some of the tires that come off the line are defective. In that case, it’s not you who is responsible, it’s the company that manufactured the tire. Call the Coral Gables tire defect attorneys at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert today to start an investigation into what caused your tire blowout accident.
Resource:
driving.ca/features/feature-story/watch-what-happens-to-your-suspension-when-you-hit-a-pothole
https://www.tiredefectattorney.com/lawsuit-against-porsche-alleges-coolant-pipe-endangers-tires/
