What Can Be Damaged After You Hit A Curb

When you hit a curb, you may think it’s not a big deal, but in fact, it can do significant damage to your car, that is not good for a secure drive because multiple components can be damaged that do not come into physical contact with the curb.

These components work simultaneously to provide you a comfortable and safe ride. Sometimes, you may hit at turtle-like speed, and you imagine nothing happens.

But after driving some miles or the day after you hit, you notice some unusual changes while driving your vehicle, so don’t ignore these alerts. It would be best if you went for a quick inspection by a professional mechanic.

What Happens If You Hit A Curb

Hitting a curb or pothole can cause considerable damage to your vehicle. Some of them are visible to you, and some of them are not. Here are some common damages that can cause if your car hits a curb or pothole.

Hit A Curb Tire Damage

Tire damage after a curb hit is very common because tires have direct contact with the curb. Most of the time, the sidewall of the tire can be damaged, or sometimes a tire tear.

You can view them right after you hit. You can also view some scuff marks on the tire, which are not a big issue at the moment but could be a sign of upcoming problems, like uneven tire wear.

Because the sidewalls are thinner than the body tread, they have higher chances of being prone to cracking. A bulge in the tire after hitting a curb can also cause significant tire damage.

Bent Rims

A curb hit can also damage your rims, also called Wheels. If you hit a curb at the speed of 10 mph or 15 mph, it only causes some minor scuff marks on the edges or curb rashes, but if you hit at high speed, it may cause a rim bend. You can view them bent from the inner and outer edges.

These Rims are made from an alloy of aluminum and magnesium, so you don’t need to worry, you can repair them, but if the problem is serious, you have to replace them.

A severe bent can cause issues, like air leakage from the edges, and sometimes, air leaks very slowly, and you notice it after a day or two.

As the wheels are available in different kinds of designs, you may have to visit numerous online and offline stores to find a new one, or reading your vehicle’s manual can also assist you.

Wheel Alignment Issues

Wheel misalignment is another common damage to your vehicle after hitting a curb. When you hit, the force will move your wheel in a disparate direction; more often, the front wheel hits.

As a result, of this hit, the driver feels difficulty handling this situation, especially in controlling the steer. One of the most common hazards associated with wheel misalignment is uneven tire wear.

So if the Wheel Alignment is left unchecked, then this outputs in tire expiry, and your car will consume more fuel. Wheel misalignment also causes problems in handling your car steer control.

Check your steering wheel, if it pulls to one side, and is hard to drive, then you must go for a professional mechanic for Wheel Alignment. That’s the easiest way to figure out the wheel misalignment of your vehicle.

Transmission Issues 

In rare cases, if you hit a tall or jagged curb, it causes transmission issues for FWD vehicles. You may face difficulty in shifting, and sometimes this type of curb can also break your vehicle’s transfer case.

Suspension Problems

Hitting a curb at speed can cause numerous suspension issues because your vehicle’s front suspension consists of multiple parts which work simultaneously for a comfortable and secure ride.

For example, the spindle and steering knuckle contains the wheel hub, and the tie rod works like a stabilizer bar between your vehicle’s wheel and steering to stabilize and balance your car.

The most common sign of damaged suspension is your vehicle’s bouncing. You’ll feel a lot of bouncing on uneven surface roads. Your vehicle’s suspension keeps you from being tossed around while crossing speed bumps and potholes.

If you feel any of the above-mentioned symbols of damaged suspension, you should go for a professional inspection. If left unchecked, then it will cause more damage to your vehicle’s drive.

Steering Issues 

The steering and suspension in your vehicle are interlinked and work collectively to give you a smooth, comfortable, and secure drive. The tie rod is the main part that causes steering issues.

A damaged tie rod after a curb hit will compromise your vehicle’s steering, especially on wet and snowy roads. Due to a damaged tie rod, you will feel difficult to steer, and it also causes uneven tire wear.

If your vehicle’s tie rod has problems, you should fix it immediately.

Control Arm Issues 

If you hit at high speed, your vehicle’s control arms will most likely be damaged. As we have discussed earlier, control arms are part of the suspension and move your vehicle’s suspension up and down while holding other parts.

Damaged control arms affect your car drive, and you don’t feel comfortable on less smooth terrains due to the deviation of different suspension parts.

If you hear an unusual noise while turning and crossing over speed bumps, it’s a sure sign of damage to one of your vehicle’s control arms because most vehicles have two control arms, and some have four.

Another indication of damage to the control arm is shaking your steering wheel while driving, particularly at high speed. 

If you notice any of the issues mentioned earlier, immediately contact a professional vehicle maintenance specialist to fix these problems.

How To Fix Your Tire When You Hit A Curb

Most often, the tires run out of air instantly after hitting. Sometimes nozzle valve directly hits the curb, and due to minor damage, the air leaks very slowly, and tires may not immediately deflate.

But they will after a day or the next morning when you wake up and are ready to ride. You should visit your nearest tire expert and let the tire expert examine your tire. You should follow the instructions of the tire expert.

FAQs

Does Insurance Cover Curb hits?

It depends on your insurance plan, whether you have a standard liability coverage plan or a collision insurance plan.

What Should You Do If You Hit a Curb?

You should get out of your vehicle to assess the damage, and also, you should notice numerous things while driving after hitting a curb.

What Can Get Damaged After Hitting a Curb?

A curb hit can damage multiple parts of your vehicle, like bumper scraping, tire and wheel damage, suspension damage, etc.

Do I Need A New Tire After A curb Hit?

Yes, or No. Going for a professional tire specialist to check the tire condition first would be best. 

Can You Get A Flat Tire From Hitting A Curb?

If you hit at high speed, it will affect your vehicle’s tire sidewall, and your tire may flat immediately or after driving a few miles.

Conclusion

We should drive carefully and try to avoid hitting a curb. In this article, we’ve discussed all the possible damages of a curb hitting. You should go for your vehicle’s inspection after you hit a curb because if there is any issue caused by hitting the curb, it should be fixed.