5 Vehicle Parts That Are Easily Damaged By Potholes

Potholes are road imperfections that occur when soil compacted beneath pavement becomes weakened. Roads are particularly likely to form potholes during the rainy season months, when alots of running water disrupt the base layers under the pavement.

As cars drive over these weak spots, the pavement deforms, cracks, and chips away, leaving a hole in the road surface. Potholes start small, but grow as traffic hits them, potentially becoming deep or large enough to damage a car.

If you drive through a pothole, check these 5 areas to make sure it didn’t cause a problem that needs to be fixed

1) Tires
Tires are meant to be the only part of your car that touches the road, so it isn’t a surprise that they’re prone to pothole damage like sidewall bulges, tread separation or flats. This is because potholes often have a hard edge that compresses the tire against the wheel on impact, slicing the rubber that hold a tire together.

2) Wheels
Hard angles in potholes apply impact force to wheels in ways they weren’t designed to handle, leading to bends or cracks. A bent wheel won’t roll smoothly and may not be able to form an airtight seal with a tire. Bent wheels can sometimes be repaired, but cracked wheels can fail catastrophically and must be replaced entirely.

3) Suspension
They are designed to absorb impacts and provide a smooth ride.Sudden bump against potholes can cause variety of suspension problems like misalignment, broken ball joints, and damaged shocks or struts. Until it’s fixed, you may notice your steering wheel is off center, your car pulls in one direction, the handling feels loose, and tires wear unevenly.

4) Exhaust
Since exhaust pipes run along the undercarriage of a car, they’re a perfect target for potholes. Deep potholes can cause a car to scrape the undercarriage against the pavement, denting or ripping a hole in the exhaust pipes, muffler, or catalytic converter. Loss of power or unpleasant noises are experienced when there’s a hole in your exhaust system

5) Body
The lower a car is to the ground, the better it handles. If you drive a low, sporty car, use its sharp handling to safely maneuver around any potholes you see,as they are more likely to be damaged by potholes. While this type of damage is usually cosmetic and doesn’t affect safety or performance, it’s still something that drivers who care about their car’s looks want to avoid.

With correctly inflated tires and aligned suspension, chances are it will roll right through them. However, as seasons change and potholes becomes bigger, you need to stay alert and avoid them as best you can.

Leaving enough distance between you and the vehicle in front of you allows you to see a pothole before hitting it.

Lower your speed on known pothole-filled roads, more damage occurs to a vehicle hitting potholes at higher speeds.