Hit a pothole - what should be inspected?

jka1 · Jun 20th, 2017, 14:42

What should be checked after hitting a pothole? If a tyre didn't burst and a rim is not bent - could a wishbone been bent or any joints could have become loose?

What are your suggestions? Would a suspension inspection reveal any problems or should geometry be checked as well?

DaveNP · Jun 20th, 2017, 17:26

From my experience-
Take the wheel off and inspect for damage, on both sides, even if the tyre appears undamaged check the rim carefully as they can go out of round especially on the inner side.
Check all the ball joints carefully with the car jacked up and using a pry bar, it's unlikely that you will have loosened a joint but there could be damage inside the joint, the damage to a ball joint may not be easily apparent or seem very much but once even slightly damaged they deteriorate quite quickly.
Unlikely that you've seriously bent a wishbone but visually check for damage and compare to the wishbone on the other side.
When all the above are OK get the tracking checked.
Given that minor unnoticeable damage can cause faster wear, make a note in your diary to check it all again in a month or two.

There are far too many potholes around here and I've had problems after hitting one (or 3) even though the tyre showed no damage.

GrahamBrown1 · Jun 20th, 2017, 20:02

I cracked a rim rated for 3.2 tons and didn't even know. Only when the tyre people went to fit a new tyre did they find the crack. I don't even remember hitting any major pot holes but who knows how long it was cracked for.

DSK · Jun 20th, 2017, 21:22

Sadly pot hole impacts cause damage than we first realise/can see (depending on severity of impact of course).

In addition to the above, one a wheel specialist will be able to check the wheel rim itself for distortion/impact damage.

As mentioned above, check all suspension joints as this is relatively easy and not time consuming for DIY or a friendly garage.

It is possible to bend suspension arms/rods but, its not always easily visible on the car and only come to light when doing something specific like wheel alignment/having parts in hand side by side etc.

oldgreybloke · Jun 21st, 2017, 21:37

I would inspect the local authorities claims procedure.

niggly · Jun 26th, 2017, 12:22

Broken spring is a very common pothole outcome. Friend has an MOT centre, in Kent. Reckons he gets 5-10 broken springs a MONTH. I had one, OSF. Didn't notice until it failed last July's MOT. And no, I'm not a dick head, it had no noticeable affect on ride, handling or stance.
Inconveniently they break at the top or bottom, not in the middle. About 5-6 inches snaps off. So the car doesn't drop as it would if they broke in the middle. Invisible.
And wheel dinged or distorted on the inside, where you can't see it unless you remove the wheel.

Montana · Jun 26th, 2017, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by jka1

What should be checked after hitting a pothole? If a tyre didn't burst and a rim is not bent - could a wishbone been bent or any joints could have become loose?

What are your suggestions? Would a suspension inspection reveal any problems or should geometry be checked as well?

First thing...have you noticed anything particular in the drive since hitting the pothole? If so, that will likely help pinpoint and area to look into. As suspension can be a difficult one to pin down noise wise, even when everything appears fine so good to have a helping hand.

If nothing then i would check your tyre for damage and if none, forget about it.

jka1 · Aug 21st, 2017, 21:54

First off, sorry for such a late reply. But after 2 months I know the outcome. Came back to see the pothole a couple days later and it was about 10 - 12cm deep, the speed was about 70 - 80km/h, tires: 185/65 R15 @ 2.2bar. To this day I have noticed no damage.

@DaveNP
Thanks for the suggestions. I've inspected the tyre the following day and I've checked for loose joint after a month and everything turned to be OK hopefully.

@DSK
I haven't check for rim disortion, but the edges are flawless and during highway driving no vibration is noticeable.

@niggly
Thanks, I've checked the inner side too.

@Montana
No noises and I haven't noticed any pulling. So yes, luckily I can forget about it.

Jun 20th, 2017, 14:42	#1
jka1 New Member Last Online: Oct 28th, 2017 23:55 Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sundsvall	Hit a pothole - what should be inspected? What should be checked after hitting a pothole? If a tyre didn't burst and a rim is not bent - could a wishbone been bent or any joints could have become loose? What are your suggestions? Would a suspension inspection reveal any problems or should geometry be checked as well?

Jun 20th, 2017, 17:26	#2
DaveNP Non VOC Member Last Online: Today 07:17 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Milton Keynes	From my experience- Take the wheel off and inspect for damage, on both sides, even if the tyre appears undamaged check the rim carefully as they can go out of round especially on the inner side. Check all the ball joints carefully with the car jacked up and using a pry bar, it's unlikely that you will have loosened a joint but there could be damage inside the joint, the damage to a ball joint may not be easily apparent or seem very much but once even slightly damaged they deteriorate quite quickly. Unlikely that you've seriously bent a wishbone but visually check for damage and compare to the wishbone on the other side. When all the above are OK get the tracking checked. Given that minor unnoticeable damage can cause faster wear, make a note in your diary to check it all again in a month or two. There are far too many potholes around here and I've had problems after hitting one (or 3) even though the tyre showed no damage. __________________ David V70 2.5 10v Torslanda Manual 98 Sreg Last edited by DaveNP; Jun 20th, 2017 at 18:54.

Jun 20th, 2017, 20:02	#3
GrahamBrown1 VOC Member Last Online: Today 10:26 Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire	I cracked a rim rated for 3.2 tons and didn't even know. Only when the tyre people went to fit a new tyre did they find the crack. I don't even remember hitting any major pot holes but who knows how long it was cracked for. __________________ Previous -03 S40, 04 V70 D5, 04 V70 D5 Sport, 05 V50, 07 S60 D5, 09 V70 D5 R design, 12 XC60 DrivE, 15 V60 D3 Current- 05 XC90 D5 Exec, 12 XC70 D4 AWD Se Lux, 14 S80 D3 Se Lux

Jun 20th, 2017, 21:22	#4
DSK C70 T5 Last Online: Mar 23rd, 2022 21:00 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Midlands	Sadly pot hole impacts cause damage than we first realise/can see (depending on severity of impact of course). In addition to the above, one a wheel specialist will be able to check the wheel rim itself for distortion/impact damage. As mentioned above, check all suspension joints as this is relatively easy and not time consuming for DIY or a friendly garage. It is possible to bend suspension arms/rods but, its not always easily visible on the car and only come to light when doing something specific like wheel alignment/having parts in hand side by side etc. __________________ 2000 C70 T5 GT Coupe 1998 S70R / 1995 Toyota Supra Twin Turbo 2007 Mercedes CLS 320 CDI / 2011 Mercedes S350 Bluetec 2007 Suzuki GSXR-1000

Jun 21st, 2017, 21:37	#5
oldgreybloke Master Member Last Online: Apr 12th, 2024 14:02 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: peterborough	I would inspect the local authorities claims procedure. __________________ XC 60 D5 230 SE Lux. Polestar Engineered. TVR Chimaera 500 - regrettably departed Porsche RS Carrera 2.7 - In my dreams... Semper in excretia sumus, solim profundum variat

Jun 26th, 2017, 12:22	#6
niggly Senior Member Last Online: Oct 23rd, 2018 15:01 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Hartfield, E Sussex	Broken spring is a very common pothole outcome. Friend has an MOT centre, in Kent. Reckons he gets 5-10 broken springs a MONTH. I had one, OSF. Didn't notice until it failed last July's MOT. And no, I'm not a dick head, it had no noticeable affect on ride, handling or stance. Inconveniently they break at the top or bottom, not in the middle. About 5-6 inches snaps off. So the car doesn't drop as it would if they broke in the middle. Invisible. And wheel dinged or distorted on the inside, where you can't see it unless you remove the wheel. __________________ 2011 C30 1.6 D2 SE Lux lots of toys 2005 MINI Cooper S, breathed on, lots of fun

Aug 21st, 2017, 21:54	#8
jka1 New Member Last Online: Oct 28th, 2017 23:55 Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sundsvall	First off, sorry for such a late reply. But after 2 months I know the outcome. Came back to see the pothole a couple days later and it was about 10 - 12cm deep, the speed was about 70 - 80km/h, tires: 185/65 R15 @ 2.2bar. To this day I have noticed no damage. @DaveNP Thanks for the suggestions. I've inspected the tyre the following day and I've checked for loose joint after a month and everything turned to be OK hopefully. @DSK I haven't check for rim disortion, but the edges are flawless and during highway driving no vibration is noticeable. @niggly Thanks, I've checked the inner side too. @Montana No noises and I haven't noticed any pulling. So yes, luckily I can forget about it.

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