Speed Bumps or Humps

[DangerMUK]

Was coming down a road in London tonight and didn't see the speed hump in front of me.

I drove into it at 20mph (was a 20 zone), wasn't the sharpest thing did thud a bit, was just wondering on an air suspension Volvo with 22" wheels (in AWD mode so not stiff setting) would it do much damage or not?

Here's a link to the speed hump however I think they must have redone it since that photo as it was a bit more "humpy" than what the picture shows;

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5381...7i16384!8i8192

Thanks!

[DangerMUK]

No one with any ideas on this one?

Just basically whether hitting a speed bump or hump at 20ish-mph in a Volvo with 22" wheels and air suspension would do much damage.

I know in LR they can take a bit of harsh riding on the air suspension and still be ok but I don't know anything about the Volvo setup.

[Ringthane]

Not sure about 22”, because I have 20s, but I’m coming to the conclusion that the air suspension, knocking sound aside, is more robust than I thought when I first got the car.

I’ve hit similar bumps, and pot holes, at speed and the suspension seems to cope well. If your experience is anything to go by, you would know if you had caused any damage hitting the speed bump.

[DangerMUK]

Hard to tell if you've done the suspension any damage though really especially from a one off of hitting a speed hump at 20mph was just a thud, then again I've had louder thuds hitting a joint in the road so I don't know.

As long as its pretty sturdy suspension and no one has had any premature failings doing similar things in and around London I can put my mind to rest!

You've also got a lot more tyre to play with on 20" wheels - which would definitely limit or share the damage something like that might do!

It's only really because it caught me by surprise and I hit it at 20-odd mph and went up onto the top of the hump and then slowed down and then came off it and then I started wondering as it was the first one I'd been surprised by in either the first or this Volvo, how well the suspension copes with these things.

As per the other thread we're in, it makes some funny noises sometimes!

[XC90Mk1]

Originally Posted by DangerMUK

Hard to tell if you've done the suspension any damage though really especially from a one off of hitting a speed hump at 20mph was just a thud, then again I've had louder thuds hitting a joint in the road so I don't know.

As long as its pretty sturdy suspension and no one has had any premature failings doing similar things in and around London I can put my mind to rest!

You've also got a lot more tyre to play with on 20" wheels - which would definitely limit or share the damage something like that might do!

It's only really because it caught me by surprise and I hit it at 20-odd mph and went up onto the top of the hump and then slowed down and then came off it and then I started wondering as it was the first one I'd been surprised by in either the first or this Volvo, how well the suspension copes with these things.

As per the other thread we're in, it makes some funny noises sometimes!

I don’t think for a minute you would have damaged suspension. You would need to fully compress the air bags down to nothing which is not easy and even then it just goes onto bump stops or other control.

With 22inch wheels it’s the tyres or rims that take the hit so just check for bulges or buckles.

What wouldn’t surprise me is if you knocked your tracking or alignment out.

I would not worry

[DangerMUK]

Oh ok cool, yeah all seems fine on the wheels so no major alignment or tracking knock as its still steering straight.

Yeah it was more of a bounce and as it was upwards onto the hump and not downwards it was more the bounce when it came back down on top of the hump, so yeah probably a strained hit but no damage.

Glad its sturdy suspension as the roads around London are not the best, although strangely enough the car feels no less or more crashy than the XC60 I had before with 20" wheels! Still thuds and taps its way through most uneven roads which does make me nervous sometimes!

Does the air suspension fail on XC cars due to speed humps and potholes, has it happened to anyone on here?

[canis]

I hit one last week some time. It was a 20mph zone, and that's what I was driving at. I didn't notice it because the road markings had worn away.

It has undoubtedly damaged my suspension, the loud rattling noise being the obvious clue.

There surely is a legal responsibility to maintain the humps? And surely the failure to maintain their visibility is culpable neglect?

I'd sure like some advice. I really didn't need this extra expense.

[Haldex]

The way it looks on google- that's really nothing.. I'd be more worried about deep potholes..

[DangerMUK]

Will take another photo as I think they've redone it since that Google street view, was more pronounced than in the photo.

Depends on the council area you are in, if you can get a report of suspension damage and had photos of the hump and the defect that caused you to hit it without seeing it and someone else has previously reported it and they haven't repaired it in a timely fashion, then you might be able to claim for the repairs or part of them.

Really is council dependant though, some do like to dig their feet in and then you really have to assess whether you want to waste all that time. Others are fairly good about the whole thing though as long as its a fair claim to make.

[techwatcher]

Originally Posted by canis

I hit one last week some time. It was a 20mph zone, and that's what I was driving at. I didn't notice it because the road markings had worn away.

It has undoubtedly damaged my suspension, the loud rattling noise being the obvious clue.

There surely is a legal responsibility to maintain the humps? And surely the failure to maintain their visibility is culpable neglect?

I'd sure like some advice. I really didn't need this extra expense.

Speed bumps are not considered to be 'road defects' as pot holes would be. Speed bumps are covered under The Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1999 (a riveting read). They have to be within size limits and have adequate signage but there's nothing in the Regulations at all about road markings, visible or worn away.

By all means complain to the Council but I suspect they will respond with a 'the speed hump meets the regulations' response.

Sorry about the damage to your car.