Most of us are taught to avoid potholes while driving. This is probably the first thing when we learned driving. Although most of us know that driving in potholes will damage our car, few know exactly why this is the case. If you accidentally drive in potholes, you should check the following parts of the car:
steering system
Potholes can cause misalignment of the steering system. If you notice that the car is pulling left or right while trying to go straight, the steering system may be misaligned. Other signs include uneven wear on the tires, squeaking of the tires or bending of the steering wheel while going straight.
Tyres
Potholes can cause flat tyres, protruding side walls and excessive wear, which can damage the tyre. If you find a tyre damaged after hitting a pothole, check it out as soon as possible to avoid a flat tyre.
Chassis system / Exhaust system
Did you know that hitting potholes can pierce parts under the car and even damage the exhaust system? If exhaust is making a strange sound, or your car is leaking new liquid, let your mechanic know and check for problems.
Components
This is probably the most frequently mentioned problem when driving in potholes. Potholes can damage or even destroy parts related to car suspension systems. Even a single blow can damage the spring or shock absorber.
Wheel
Most cars are equipped with aluminum rims, which can cause dents if you hit the potholes. Bent or damaged wheels are bad news for your car, so make sure you check out the wheels when you encounter particularly bad potholes.
Wheel is an important driving part of automobile. The tire is a shoe and the wheel is a foot. With the growth of the auto parts industry, the wheel industry has gradually grown. Do you know why most cars use aluminum wheels? The history of wheels can be traced back to 6000 years ago, but the earliest materials were stone or wood. Nowadays, the use of aluminum alloy wheels is the most advanced, it bears an important part of the load when the car is driving. What kind of transformation has it gone through before it becomes today's wheel? Let me lead you through this mysterious history:
In the earliest days, the wheel of the car inherited the spokes. The dense spokes were the main feature of the wheel in this period, they radiated radially from the wheel to the wheel steel.
With the development of science and technology, the steel wheel that we are very familiar with has appeared. The first steel wheel is completely naked, but it looks heavy, simple and unsophisticated, but its advantage lies in the hardness of metal, which is suitable for rough and bumpy roads. Further development is the aluminum alloy wheels. Its advantages are obvious, light weight, high heat dissipation efficiency, superior and smooth shock absorption and very beautiful.
The advantages of aluminum alloy wheels are as follows:
1. Driving comfort
The aluminum alloy wheel has the characteristics of absorbing the vibration and rebound force. The CNC lathe has high dimensional accuracy, small yaw and runout and good balance, making the car smooth and comfortable.
2. Driving safety
The heat dissipation coefficient of aluminum alloy wheels is two to three times that of ordinary wheels. In addition to the structural characteristics of aluminum alloy wheels, the heat generated by the braking system is simply transmitted to the air. The system adheres to a lower temperature to ensure driving safety
3. Beautiful appearance of the vehicle
The aluminum alloy wheels are exquisite in planning, diverse in shape, and beautiful in appearance, they highlight the characteristics of publicity and dignity.
4. Driving stability
The widened tire advances the grip, braking function, stable handling and driving interest.
5. Reduce acceleration time
The use of aluminum alloy cast wheels can help reduce the overall weight of the car and reduce the acceleration time.
6. Save fuel consumption
The aluminum alloy wheels are light in weight, reducing the rolling inertia of the wheels, accelerating the forward car, reducing the energy requirements for braking, and then reducing fuel consumption.
7. Protect environment
Reducing the fuel consumption of wheels at the same time is of great significance to the environment, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions is of great significance to environmental protection.
8. Economical
The weight reduction of cast wheels can reduce fuel consumption by 2% to 6% compared with cast wheels, which has obvious economical efficiency.
Problems with repaired aluminum wheels
The aesthetic appeal, outstanding performance and lightweight quality of aluminum alloy wheels make it the standard rim for more modern vehicle types. Lightweight construction of aluminum alloy wheels helps better handling.
Alloy wheels seem to have all the positive characteristics that a magnetic ring should have, but lightweight construction is also considered to be the main reason for hitting potholes and bumpy roads. Because alloy wheels are usually equipped with low-profile tires, they are more likely to crack and bend during impact or collision.
Finally, low-profile tires associated with alloy wheels also have a higher risk of damaging car suspension and premature tire wear due to steering alignment issues.
Aluminum alloy wheels also suffer from corrosion due to frequent or prolonged exposure to moisture, excessive cleaning, and road salt. Although the aluminum alloy wheels are sturdy, if they are not properly maintained for a long time, they will have discoloration problems.
So those performances of the car indicate that car wheels need to be repaired?
If you are not sure about the condition of your alloy rims, we recommend that you arrange an appointment with a well-known aluminum alloy wheel repair shop. These signs indicate that you need a professional technician or wheel service specialist to evaluate and diagnose your wheels.
Check for visible and invisible damage
It's easy to spot curved wheels, especially if your magnet is made of aluminum. But in some cases you can bend the inside of the magnetic ring. It is difficult to detect these obvious damages by visual inspection alone. In this case, you will be notified immediately so they can make the necessary repairs to the rims.
Presence of vibration
If the front tire is damaged, you will feel a shock when you steer the steering wheel. Curved tires often manifest themselves in the form of swaying or vibrating vehicles. Although there may be other factors that can cause the vehicle to shake, you still need to go to an alloy wheel repair shop to accurately identify the problem and fix it immediately.
Tire PSI loss
If your tire pressure monitoring system begins to shut down regularly after encountering a deep pothole, it may damage not only the alloy rims but also the tire walls. In some cases, PSI losses are slow and may prompt you to pump down once or twice a month. If the wheel is badly damaged, you may only wake up to find a tire leak in the lane.
Bad braking
Damage from potholes may not directly affect the brake rotor, but this damage can affect the way your vehicle stops. Curved alloy rims may cause you to pull the car to the side while parking. This symptom is noticeable when you suddenly stop operating, such as avoiding a fender bender or braking under a yellow light.
The accident that most car owners often encounter is to suppress the rash. This happens when we park our car in a hurry or miscalculate a turn. If a roadside rash occurs, the wheel accidentally hits rough objects and jagged surfaces. This alloy wheel damage can be easily repaired through a reputable shop specializing in wheel repair.
Not all wheels need to be replaced
Aluminum alloy wheels are perfect for straightening. Unless the wheels are cracked and broken, you don't need to replace those expensive wheels at all. Unethical repair shops mistakenly think that a curved wheel cannot be repaired. Don't trust these stores and go elsewhere. Remember that you only need to replace the wheel if the correct X-ray diagnosis clearly reflects major cracks and breaks in the rim.
Skip expensive diagnostic procedures if minor scratches and curb rashes appear
Wheel repair specialists are usually equipped with machines, tools and equipment that maintenance personnel can use to diagnose specific damage to wheel.
Professional wheel repair shops will be equipped with wheel repair machines. Crystal wheel repair machine can ensure that your wheels are still perfect and even more shiny after repair. The wheel repair machine can achieve different repair effects according to your requirements. The repair speed is fast and easy to operate, so that your bruised wheel will bloom again.