Tire Stores See Damage Caused by Driving over Curbs, Railroad Crossings, and Potholes

Posted: Sep 26, 2012
Author: Country Town Tire & Auto Service Center

Have you ever driven over a pothole so hard that you actually felt sorry for your car? Well, you should feel sorry because this type of impact doesn’t only destroy tires, but it also damages the suspension. Drivers often don’t realize the effects of such an impact until symptoms of the damage become obvious.

Tire stores like ours commonly see damage caused by these impacts. In addition to completely destroying a tire and damaging the suspension, such an impact can knock your steering out of line, which leads to rapid tire wear and erratic steering. Driving over curbs, railroad crossings and potholes, costs vehicle owners literally millions of dollars a year.

These mini-collisions, officially referred to as “ground impact damage” may cause more harm to parts of a vehicle than a dramatic road accident, says the Car Care Council. Busy lifestyles cause drivers to rush, and they tend to forget about that “jolt” as soon as they’ve picked the groceries up off the car floor.

“Driving a vehicle with damaged steering or a cut tire is very dangerous,” says the manager of our Hickory tire store, “especially if a component is already in a marginal condition. We always recommend periodic alignment checks and under-the-car inspections, even if the owners don’t recall any severe impacts.”

If a wheel is knocked a mere one-eighth of an inch out of line, it can cause the tire to rub on the road surface – that’s like dragging it sideways 28 ft. for every mile it is driven. This shortens a tire’s life by half or more.  We appreciate your business, but we don’t want you to have to come to our store for new tires more often than should be necessary. Get your alignment checked, and prevent damage by trying to avoid bumps while driving!