We’ve all done it; you really can’t avoid it and not risk getting hit by oncoming traffic — hitting the dreaded pothole. Whether it’s the instant damage of a punctured tire or bent rim, or the cumulative effects of daily pothole abuse, hitting a pothole is a bad feeling. Today’s cars don’t help with the pothole problem either. We love the look and feel, but low-profile tires and tight suspensions make vehicles more susceptible to pothole damage and, unless you have an older car, your rims are probably alloy rims and they can’t withstand as much force as older steel rims.
What to do? Well, you can stay home, get your friend to drive you everywhere in her/his car, or try to keep some of the these tips in mind:
- Make sure your tires are at the correct tire pressure
- Slow down. Hitting a pothole at high speed increases the chance of damage to tires, wheels, shocks, struts, or springs
- Don’t brake when directly over a pothole. Applying the brakes causes the car’s weight to shift to the front of the wheel and can increase damage from the impact
- Beware of water that may be concealing a deep pothole
If you’ve hit a big pothole, take time to inspect your rims and the tires. Look for signs of bulging sidewalls or loss of tire pressure. Also, pay attention for new noises or bad handling your car may have from the cumulative effects of hitting potholes. We recommend an alignment and/or wheel balancing for anyone who feels their car has been the victim of daily pothole encounters.
Call us right away if you think you have any damage from pothole abuse — 781.642.7766. We can fix anything and have some discounts on alignment and wheel balancing to help you out.
