We’ve all been there. You’re cruising along, humming to the radio, and suddenly BAM. Your coffee splashes out of the cup holder, your teeth rattle, and for a split second, you’re pretty sure your front axle just stayed behind on the pavement. Pothole season is a real thing here at the shop. As the weather fluctuates and the asphalt expands and contracts, the roads start looking more like the surface of the moon than a city street. While it might seem like a silly question, should you dodge them?
The answer actually involves a bit of strategy. Swerving wildly to miss a hole can be just as dangerous as hitting one, but ignoring them altogether is a fast track to an expensive appointment with our alignment rack.
What Happens?
When your tire hits a deep pothole, it isn’t just a loud noise. It’s a violent physical event. Your car’s suspension is designed to absorb bumps, but a crater in the road is an "extreme impact" that pushes components past their limits.
Here’s what we usually find when a car comes in after a bad encounter with a pothole:
- Wheel Misalignment: This is the most common casualty. The force of the impact can knock your steering and suspension out of their precise factory settings. If your steering wheel is suddenly crooked when you’re driving straight, you’ve got a problem.
- Tire Bubbles and Blowouts: The impact can pinch the tire’s internal structure against the metal rim. This causes a "bulge" or "bubble" in the sidewall. If you see one of these, change the tire immediately—it’s a blowout waiting to happen.
- Bent or Cracked Rims: Modern aluminum alloy wheels are beautiful, but they can be brittle. A deep enough hole can bend the rim, leading to a slow air leak or crack it entirely.
- Blown Struts and Shocks: Your shocks are filled with hydraulic fluid. A sudden, massive compression can blow out the seals, causing the fluid to leak and leaving you with a car that bounces like a trampoline.
To Dodge or Not to Dodge?
So, should you swerve? The answer is: only if it is safe for everyone else. We see plenty of "pothole-adjacent" accidents. A driver sees a hole at the last second, jerks the wheel to the left, and ends up sideswiping the car in the next lane or, worse, losing control. From a purely financial standpoint, a wheel alignment is much cheaper than an insurance deductible and a hiked premium from a multi-car collision.
If you have plenty of room and no one is in your blind spot, go ahead and steer around it. But if you’re in heavy traffic or on a narrow road, sometimes you have to take the hit.
How to Hit a Pothole Correctly (Yes, Really)
If you realize you can’t avoid the crater, there is actually a "right" way to hit it to minimize the damage to your car.
Brake Early, Then Let Go
Slow down as much as possible before you reach the hole. However, the second before your tire enters the hole, take your foot off the brake. When you brake hard, the nose of the car dives down, compressing your front suspension. If you hit a hole while the suspension is already compressed, there’s no "cushion" left to absorb the shock. Letting off the brake allows the suspension to relax and travel more freely.
Straighten the Wheels
Try to hit the hole with your wheels pointed straight. Hitting an impact at an angle puts massive lateral stress on your control arms and tie rods, which are much more likely to bend than if the force is directed straight up.
Check Your Pressure
Keep your tires properly inflated. An underinflated tire doesn't have enough "structure" to protect the rim from the pavement, making a bent wheel almost certain.
After the Impact: The Warning Signs
Don’t just keep driving and hope for the best. After a major "thump," turn off the radio and pay attention to how the car feels. If the vehicle pulls to one side, if the steering wheel feels "loose" or vibrates, or if you hear a new thumping sound that changes with your speed, the damage has been done.
Wheel Alignment at Monkey Wrenches
Whether you’re dealing with a steering wheel vibration, a mysterious pull, or you just want a professional to make sure nothing is bent under the hood, we’re here to help. Swing by Monkey Wrenches in Brentwood, CA for an alignment check and a suspension service. We’ll get you straightened out and back on the road safely!