You know the sound. KA-THUNK. It’s the sound of your suspension crying. It’s the sound of your coffee spilling. It’s the sound of Pothole Season officially arriving.
As the winter freeze-thaw cycle does its thing, our roads start looking a little less like "smooth pavement" and a little more like the surface of the moon. And while dodging them can feel like a high-stakes video game, sometimes you just can’t miss that crater in the middle of your lane. Here is what you need to know about the post-freeze pothole invasion—and how to keep your car from becoming a casualty.
The "Silent" Damage
Hitting a pothole is obvious. But the damage? That can be sneaky. You might not see a flat tire immediately, but that impact can knock your alignment out of whack faster than you can say "Chip Wood."
A misaligned car eats tires. It causes uneven wear, lowers your gas mileage, and makes your steering wheel pull to the left like it has a mind of its own. And it’s not just alignment. When your wheel slams into a pothole, the force can bend or crack your rim. A bent rim can cause vibrations, poor handling, and even air leaks that lead to slow tire deflation.
Even worse? Impact fractures. That’s the technical term for those bubbles or bulges you sometimes see on the sidewall of a tire after a hard hit. They happen when the internal structure of the tire is compromised, and they’re a ticking time bomb for a blowout. If you spot a bubble, don’t wait. Get that tire inspected immediately.
The Suspension Stress Test
Your shocks and struts take the brunt of every bump. If your ride feels bouncier than usual, or you hear a clunking noise when you go over bumps (even small ones), your suspension might be waving a white flag. Ignoring it can lead to bigger, more expensive repairs down the road.
We Fight Back (For Free)
We can't fix the roads, but we can fix what the roads do to your car. If you’ve had a run-in with a pothole recently:
• Swing by for a Free Inspection: We’ll check your alignment, suspension, and tires to make sure everything is tight and right.
• Remember the Golden Rule: At Tire Discounters, an alignment is free with every 4-tire purchase. So if that pothole did ruin a tire, we’ll make sure the new ones are set up for success.
Don’t let a pothole ruin your day (or your bank account). Come see us, and we’ll get you back to smooth sailing.
