Car parts are susceptible to damage when frequently exposed to 'potholes'

Potholes are the common name for pits in the road surface that are damaged and are one of the most common hazards for drivers on the road. When a wheel falls into a pothole, most of the force on the wheel is transmitted to the suspension system in a vertical direction, because the bottom of the tire is the point of contact with the road surface. The deeper the hole, the harder the wheel falls, and the greater the force on the tire.

However, most of the damage to the tire due to potholes occurs at the moment the tire exits the pothole, because at this time the suspension is in a compressed state, has not recovered, and no longer has shock absorber travel. Adding more force to the tire (when the tire touches the edge of the pothole) will cause other components of the wheel and suspension to bear strong force, causing damage.

Below are some of the car parts that are most susceptible to damage when the car is frequently exposed to potholes on the road.

Tires

Tires are the part of the car that comes into direct contact with the road surface. If the car often travels on rough terrain with many potholes, the driver should pay attention to checking the condition of the tires to ensure safety.

Some external signs that are easy to recognize when the tire is affected when the car encounters a pothole are: Deflated air, flat tire, tire separation, sidewall bulge... In addition, if the road surface has a lot of gravel or sharp objects, it is also very easy to cause the tire to tear or puncture. If the tire cannot absorb all the impact, the rim is the one that bears the brunt. The rim can be distorted, deformed, cracked or even broken, affecting the vehicle's suspension system in some serious cases.

Body

The advantage of low-chassis cars is their high stability because the vibration amplitude of the car's rhythms is placed close together. However, this is also the disadvantage of this type of car when encountering deep potholes. This will cause the chassis to scrape, causing serious damage to the car body. Therefore, low-chassis car owners should consider and be extremely careful when driving on roads with many potholes. In particular, it is necessary to carefully check the car after going through bad roads to promptly detect damage and effectively repair it.

Suspension system

The suspension system is an important part of the car, responsible for shock absorption and balance for the car, helping the car to be stable and limit the shaking. This is also the part of the car that is most easily damaged when the car goes over potholes that drivers need to pay attention to.

When a car's suspension system is frequently subjected to strong impacts or is severely degraded, it may encounter a number of problems such as: damaged joints, less effective shock absorbers, damaged struts...

Car owners can also pay attention to some of the following characteristics to know if the car's suspension system is damaged or not such as: The steering wheel is skewed and feels unstable, the car is tilted to one side, the tires are worn unevenly, the steering wheel is loose... At this time, you should take the car to be checked and repaired promptly.

Exhaust pipe

The exhaust system on a car is designed to be located along the chassis. Therefore, this part is very susceptible to damage and distortion when the car passes through potholes. In particular, when the car encounters deep potholes, it will lead to the chassis scraping, causing chipping or tearing of the exhaust pipe and related parts.

When a car part fails, it often makes strange noises or significantly reduces its performance. Similarly, if your car's exhaust pipe fails, you will hear many unpleasant sounds coming from the hole. In particular, the exhaust pipe emits more white smoke than usual or, worse, the smoke will flow back into the car.

Wheel hub area

The wheel hub area is also a part of the car that is extremely vulnerable to damage when going through potholes. Because in addition to the tires, the rims and hubs are also very susceptible to dents and deformation when going through deep potholes and rough terrain. Some common signs in the wheel hub area when going through potholes include: warped, distorted rims or loose hubs that prevent the wheel from going straight, and directly affect many other parts of the car.

How to prevent damage to your car when driving over potholes

To prevent damage caused by potholes, the best way is to limit driving on roads with many potholes if possible. If driving on unfamiliar roads, look further away to observe obstacles ahead, helping to judge the situation early and handle it promptly. If driving in low light conditions, drivers should slow down to observe more easily. Drivers should also ensure that the tires are properly inflated as recommended on the door, not under-inflated or over-inflated.

If you can’t avoid a pothole, you should slow down as much as possible and make sure there are no vehicles behind you. Matt Edmonds, vice president of The Tire Rack, a tire, wheel, and auto parts company in India, says you shouldn’t brake when you hit a pothole, because when you brake, the front forks compress, which means the shock absorber travel is no longer effective. The goal is to glide over the pothole at the slowest speed possible, accelerating only when all wheels are on a smooth surface.

In addition, when going through potholes, drivers should hold on tight and turn the steering wheel straight if possible. Hold the steering wheel tight to increase control, turn the steering wheel straight to minimize damage to the tire. If the tire is pointed diagonally to both sides when colliding, the tire sidewall will bear more force, causing the tire to deform, easily causing serious damage.