6 Things that Can Damage Your Car Tires, Wheels or Suspension

Your car is likely to be one of your most valuable if not your most valuable possession. Therefore, it is important that you are aware of some of the things that can cause damage to important parts of your vehicle. Your tires, wheels, or suspension can be affected by both vehicle causes and external road causes. This is because, without adequate maintenance, changes can take place in your vehicle that lead to long-term and severe consequences. Similarly, with any amount of debris and elements on the road, external factors could also affect your ride. Here are 6 things that can cause damage to your vehicle.

1. Inadequate Air Pressure in Tires

Too much or too little pressure in your tires can cause impactful damage to the suspension body of your car. Low tires lead to a greater impact on the suspension when it comes to any type of bump, curb, or impact with the road. In addition, your tires will get more worn than they should and your rims can also be affected in the process.

At the same time, having too much air is also a problem. This will lead to uneven tire wear and it can also decrease the surface of the tire that is in direct contact with the road. When this happens, you are in greater danger of being involved in an accident. Especially when rainy or snowy weather is involved.

The good news is that most cars released after 2007 have a system that allows you to monitor your tire pressure. This way, you get an alert if there is a drop in the air pressure of one of your tires. It is important to get this fixed as soon as possible when you get the alert. By making sure the tire pressure is correct you prolong the useful life of your tires, your custom rims, and the suspension body. This way you will ride safely and will also save some money in the future.

2. Curbs

They might seem quite harmless but curbs can be one of the greatest enemies of your whole tire-rim complex and your suspension body. This is because impact with a curb is often underestimated, and most people fail to take a closer look at their tires after this happens. However, a strong curb impact can cause alignment issues, bent rims, and for your tires to wear unevenly. Furthermore, you might experience issues such as increased bouncing when you go over speed bumps, which is a sign that your suspension has suffered as well.

Some issues might come up, such as transmission problems, which manifest as shifting difficulties. Also, if you see the “check oil” light turning on, greater problems might have arisen from that forgotten curb impact you experienced weeks ago.

3. Poor Wheel Alignment

The problem with alignment is that it is not as easy to notice as suspension issues. When the car is misaligned, you will eventually start to experience a pull towards one side or the other. The problem with this is that it will lead to uneven wear of most of your suspension and tires and it can also make your car more difficult to maneuver. If you need to do a defensive move or change directions quickly for any reason, having your wheels incorrectly aligned could predispose you to lose control of your vehicle.

In general, your wheels have to be pointing in the right direction so that you have a centered steering wheel. Whenever you get a new tire, you should always check the suspension and the alignment of your car. Some experts recommend trimestral evaluation made by a mechanic to make sure all is as it should be.

4. Hazards and Debris

It would be great if roads were always clear, with no debris that could harm your tires. However, this is rarely the case. While tires are incredibly resilient, it is important that you avoid debris when possible, and that you check your tires after you go near a construction site or a place when any type of road work is being done. This is because it is very common to find things such as nails as the culprit of a flat tire, and these come directly from the road.

Also, some people throw garbage on the road and it is not uncommon for objects to drop from large trucks. Therefore, it is very important to be on high alert while driving. This will allow you to avoid any large obstacles on your way that can cause damage.

5. Potholes

Potholes are one of the biggest dangers to your tires and your suspension system. Small potholes, while looking harmless, can have a cumulative effect. At the same time, they are the perfect place for dangerous debris to accumulate and cause damage. Large potholes can be incredibly harmful to your suspension even if the tire looks intact. If there are potholes on the road to your daily commute, it is important that you keep them in mind as you are driving. This will allow you to avoid them and save your care from constant damage.

Whether it is a known road or not, you should always be on the lookout for potholes and road signs(if not missing) to avoid landing on them as much as possible. If avoiding them is not an option because of other cars or the type of road, then try to go as slowly as possible to avoid further damage caused by a high-speed impact.

6. Salted Winter Roads and Corrosion

While salting roads is a safety measure to avoid the formation of black ice and accidents related to poor winter weather, these can be harmful to your tires. When possible, minimizing your driving time on these roads just after these have been salted would be ideal. Other chemicals might end up on the road one way or the other, which can be equally harmful to your tires.

Overall, there is always a certain degree of corrosion taking place. This is why it is important to inspect your tires at least once a week. At the end of the day, prevention is one of your main resources when it comes to taking care of your vehicle. Take a close look to examine if there is any excessive wear, and make sure you can identify when it is time to get new tires.