After a Pothole: Suspension, Tracking and Tyre Checks
Written by Petro Olekhnovych, mobile mechanic in Aylesham, Kent
What a pothole can damage
Every winter, frost gets into cracks in the road surface, freezes, expands and breaks it up. By February many Kent lanes and some main routes are full of sharp-edged holes. When a wheel drops into one, the force goes through the tyre, the rim, the suspension and the steering in a fraction of a second.
The parts most likely to suffer are:
- Tyres: sidewall bulges, cuts and pinch damage where the tyre is squashed against the rim.
- Wheels: dents or cracks in the rim, especially on low-profile tyres and alloy wheels.
- Tracking (wheel alignment): the angle the wheels point can be knocked out.
- Steering parts: track rods and track rod ends can bend.
- Suspension: coil springs crack, shock absorbers leak, and suspension arms or bushes can bend or split.
For reporting a pothole to the council and making a claim, see our guide to pothole damage in Kent. This guide focuses on the car itself.
Checks to do straight after
Pull over somewhere safe, away from traffic, and have a look. Do not crawl under the car.
- Look at the tyre sidewalls on both the inner and outer face if you can. A bulge, lump or cut means the tyre is damaged inside.
- Check the rim for a dent or flat spot on the edge.
- Listen and feel as you drive off slowly. A new knock, clunk, grinding or vibration is a warning.
- Watch the steering wheel. If it now sits at an angle when the car is going straight, the alignment or a steering part has moved.
- Check the tyre pressure at the next garage and again the next day. A slow leak from a damaged rim is common.
Need a service or brakes doing?
Servicing, pads, discs and fluids done on your driveway across East Kent.
WhatsApp for a free quote Call 07563 350335 Contact form
Labour £30 to £50 per hour depending on the job. Send your reg number and we will reply with a price before any work starts.
Signs of damage that show up later
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Car pulls to one side | Tracking knocked out, bent track rod or arm, or tyre damage |
| Steering wheel off-centre | Tracking or a bent steering part |
| Vibration at speed | Dented rim, damaged tyre or lost balance weight |
| Knocking over bumps | Broken spring, worn drop link or damaged bush |
| One corner sitting lower | Broken coil spring |
| Tyre wearing on one edge | Alignment out after the hit |
A broken spring can be hard to spot and often fails the MOT. Our guide to broken coil spring symptoms explains what to look and listen for, and our guide to a knocking noise over bumps covers the other common culprits.
When to stop driving
- A visible bulge or cut in the tyre.
- The tyre losing air quickly.
- Steering that feels loose, heavy or wanders badly.
- A loud bang followed by the car leaning or scraping.
- Any warning light for tyre pressure, ABS or power steering after the hit.
In those cases, put the spare on if you can do it safely off the road, or call your breakdown cover.
What a mechanic checks
With the wheels off the ground on proper stands, a mechanic can check for play in the track rod ends, ball joints, drop links and wheel bearings, look for bent arms, cracked springs and leaking shocks, and inspect the inside of the tyres and rims. If everything is tight but the car still pulls, the alignment needs setting on a laser or four-wheel alignment machine at a tyre or alignment centre. Tracking set on bent parts will not stay right, so the damage needs fixing first.
Many of these faults are on the list of common MOT failures, so it is worth catching them early.
How we can help
We can come to your home or workplace after a pothole hit and inspect the tyres, rims, steering and suspension, and tell you honestly what has been damaged. Where the repair is one we can do on your driveway we quote for it, and where it needs tyres or alignment equipment we tell you so you know exactly what to ask for. Labour is £30 to £50 per hour depending on the job, and we quote before work starts. Send your reg and postcode on WhatsApp 07563 350335 or use our contact page.
Need a service or brakes doing?
Message us on WhatsApp with your reg and postcode, or use our contact form, for a price before any work starts.
WhatsApp for a free quote Call 07563 350335 Contact form
Labour £30 to £50 per hour depending on the job. Send your reg number and we will reply with a price before any work starts.
Frequently asked questions
Can a pothole knock my tracking out?
Yes. A hard hit can bend a track rod or move the wheel alignment. Signs are the car pulling to one side, the steering wheel sitting off-centre when driving straight, or uneven tyre wear later on.
Is it safe to drive after hitting a pothole?
If the car drives straight, there are no new noises or vibrations and the tyre looks undamaged, it is usually fine to continue carefully. If a tyre is losing air, has a bulge or the steering feels wrong, stop and get help.
What does a bulge in the tyre sidewall mean?
It means the internal structure of the tyre has been damaged, often by a pothole impact. A tyre with a sidewall bulge can fail suddenly, so it should be replaced before the car is driven at speed.
How soon do pothole symptoms show up?
Some show straight away, like a flat tyre or the car pulling. Others, such as a cracked spring or a tyre wearing on one edge, can take days or weeks to appear, so it is worth checking again after a week or two.
