10-02-2016, 08:01 AM | #1 |
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Potential damage from hitting massive pothole at 80km/h?
Was driving on a sealed country road today. Lots of potholes, managed to dodge a lot of them but didn't see a big and deep one in the shade until too late. Couldn't swerve too much due to on coming traffic.
Hit it with both the left front and left rear at approx 80km/h. Sickening crash shook the cabin. The jolt was so great that even the e-tag fell off its mounting, and the rear view mirror shifted it's position. Pulled over and checked the tyres and rims. To my big surprise, there was no damage to the tyres or rims. Could clearly see where the impact was on the tyres (marks on the sidewall where it flexed), but no cracks, and no bulges. Drove carefully for the next few kms, steering was tracking dead straight, no vibrations anywhere. Could I really have got away with no damage whatsoever after such a big impact at 80km/h? Any suggestions on what else I should check? Should I get the suspension components / subframe checked for any potential damage? |
10-02-2016, 11:15 AM | #2 |
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If your in a 235 with 18 inch wheels and 40-35 aspect ratio then a lot of the impact will transfer into the springs and shocks and into the front bulkhead areas into and around the A-pillar. Possible you got away with no damage.
Were you on the brakes when you hit, because if you were that can transfer a lot of the impact into the chassis. Tire bubble if you knock the sidewalk into the verticle edge of the pothole. Then knocking a wheel out of balance, then transfer the shock into the shock-tower. Usually sliding into a curb will bend suspension components like steering and locating arms. If your car is tracking straight, if your tire's are balanced. And you check inner and outer surfaces of the wheel for bubble or lip crack or spoke crack and find nothing, chances are you did no damage. |
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10-02-2016, 06:33 PM | #3 |
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Take off the wheels and have a good look at the inside too. I'd get a wheel alignment asap too.
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10-03-2016, 06:10 AM | #4 |
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Thanks for your suggestions. Yes, car has 225/40/18 at the front and 245/35/18 at the back. Don't think I was on the brakes when I hit, don't think there was enough time to get on the brakes.
Had a closer look tonight, there is a very small bulge on the outside sidewall of the front left tyre. It's not visually obvious at all, I had to run my fingers over it many times to confirm there is a slight bump. We're still away on our driving holiday at the moment, will take the wheels off the car when I get back home to have a closer home. Will get the alignment checked as well. Still amazed there isn't any more serious / obvious damage from such an impact. |
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10-04-2016, 05:58 PM | #5 | |
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Would you take it to a BMW specialist or someone like Jax / Pedders would be ok? |
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10-20-2016, 02:37 AM | #6 |
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I'd just say you have a NCOCD (New Car Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)...
You wouldn't even think twice about it soon. BMW stress test their vehicles rigorously https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqqMWofj3ys |
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10-21-2016, 06:09 PM | #7 | |
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Attached is a photo showing the black mark which the tyre sidewall left on the rim. I don't think it is that easy for the sidewall to compress back onto the rim like that, especially one with a stiff sidewall like the PSS. I've only come across this once before in 20 years of driving, and that was a high profile "balloon" tyre on a SUV (235/65/17), which I assume would compress more easily. |
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10-21-2016, 06:38 PM | #8 |
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Description of the upcoming Michelin PSS replacement they talk about a rim protector designed into the sidewall, I've had my PSS leave a mark on my rim quite like the picture above, I think it's designed to do that? Whether the protection is for curb abrasion or what's happened in your picture - not certain.
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01-09-2017, 11:50 PM | #9 |
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Check with your RTA
Here in vic you can claim for damage caused by non repaired roads.
Check with your RTA if you needed to get your car repaired. Vic roads have a limit of around $1500 nsw would be something similar Good luck |
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