Is parking with one foot high and one foot low really as harmful to the car as many people think?
Many people believe that parking a car with one foot high for too long will damage the steering system and tires, but the severity depends on many factors.
If in areas with wide roads and few people passing by, finding a place to park a car is quite simple, on the contrary, in big cities with "small land and crowded people", not everyone has an ideal place to park their car.
In fact, in many urban areas, residential areas or narrow streets, car owners are forced to park "cross-legged" on the sidewalk to ensure neatness and minimize obstruction to other vehicles passing by.
Many users have expressed concern and believe that parking like that will cause the car to tilt, leading to damage to parts such as the chassis, steering rack, suspension system or tires.
So from a technical perspective, does "low foot, high foot" parking actually affect the car's components?
Talking to VietNamNet about this issue, auto engineer Le Hong Dai said that it is true that parking with the "footrest" style is not good for many parts of the car, but the level of danger depends on many factors such as tilt, height difference (cos), long or short parking time,...
Engineer Dai said that the tires will be the first part to be affected because when parked at an angle, the weight of the car will be concentrated more on the lower tire instead of being evenly distributed to all 4 wheels. The tire at this time also does not contact the entire surface with the road but only a small angle at the edge, making the tire surface easily deformed.
"In the short term, this type of parking may not cause any harm, but if you park like this many times and for a long time, the low tire will be deformed, the rubber will become hard, making it difficult for the tire to return to its original shape and even crack if the tire is old. It will be very dangerous to travel long distances with such tires," the expert analyzed.
In addition, according to Mr. Dai, when parking a car at an angle for a long time, the steering wheel of the car is also more or less affected, leading to the phenomenon of the car swaying and skewing. The level will be more serious if the driver does not return the steering wheel straight when parking and the cos difference is too large.
However, this expert affirmed that parking with one foot on the sidewalk as many people do today will have little effect on the durability of the shock absorbers or chassis of the car because these are very solidly built parts.
However, to minimize risks, Mr. Dai also gives advice to car owners who often have to park with their feet up as follows:
The first, minimize parking with one side of the sidewalk too high, which can make it difficult for the driver to get on and off and cause too much difference, causing damage to the tires and steering system as analyzed above.
MondayIf you have to park with one foot high and one foot low, do not leave the car in one place for too long. At least every 4-5 days, you should start and move the car to let the parts "move". This is also good for the engine and electrical system, especially during the rainy season.
In addition, if possible, you should alternate parking directions so that the tires are evenly loaded and the steering system is not skewed to one side. In any case, you should get into the habit of turning the steering wheel straight when parking. At the same time, check the tire condition periodically and before departure to ensure safety.