[Steelers6891]

Hey guys, Long story short I was coming home from dinner last night and was merging on the highway when my front tire hit a pretty deep pothole (i believe it was only the front left) it scared the sh*t out of me. I quickly checked the vehicle info to make sure all my tires were inflated which showed they were all green. Immediately after i started to feel this weird vibration/shaking feeling like its coming from under my drivers seat at all speeds. I am not experiencing any shaking in the steering wheel or is my car pulling to the left or right.. Could I have knocked it out of alignment or bent a rim? The earliest appointment i could get at my dealer is Friday. Very anxious to find out whats wrong because my car doesn't even have 1000 miles yet.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Probably bent a rim...

[Steelers6891]

I hope not. Are the OEM m sport 18" wheels know to be weak? I'm pretty sure this was the first pot hole I hit with the car

[chiefneil]

Originally Posted by Steelers6891

I hope not. Are the OEM m sport 18" wheels know to be weak?

You hit a deep pothole with 18" low profile tires at highway speeds hard enough to scare the sh*t out of you.

I don't think a rim has to meet the definition of "weak" to be damaged under those conditions.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by chiefneil

You hit a deep pothole with 18" low profile tires at highway speeds hard enough to scare the sh*t out of you.

I don't think a rim has to meet the definition of "weak" to be damaged under those conditions.

^^^ This. This. This.

There's no "throwing out of alignment" without bending stuff. There's no reason, ever, to have a car aligned unless you've had it disassembled or something is very bent or broken.

[floydarogers]

Check with your insurance co to see if they will cover cost - if you have a high deductible maybe not. This was a "collision". Also, might see if state/county/city will cover it since it's their pothole.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

Check with your insurance co to see if they will cover cost - if you have a high deductible maybe not. This was a "collision". Also, might see if state/county/city will cover it since it's their pothole.

Neither of those will ever happen. Hitting a pothole does not fall under the definition of a collision. And no municipality since the beginning of time has ever been culpable for damages sustained to vehicles due to poor roads.

[floydarogers]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Neither of those will ever happen. Hitting a pothole does not fall under the definition of a collision. And no municipality since the beginning of time has ever been culpable for damages sustained to vehicles due to poor roads.

You're wrong on both counts. I had my '01 330xi get it's under-body cover and wheel-well cover repaired under an insurance claim. And if the pothole is due to construction it's quite clear that it's the construction company's responsibility.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

You're wrong on both counts. I had my '01 330xi get it's under-body cover and wheel-well cover repaired under an insurance claim. And if the pothole is due to construction it's quite clear that it's the construction company's responsibility.

No I'm not. You're referencing two personal experiences that are absolutely unrelated to what the OP posted and I commented on. You did not bend a wheel in a pothole. And you added that if the pothole was due to construction activities that the construction company would be responsible. There was no mention of construction. Don't twist the facts to support your argument.

[KGB_123_99]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

^^^ This. This. This.

There's no "throwing out of alignment" without bending stuff. There's no reason, ever, to have a car aligned unless you've had it disassembled or something is very bent or broken.

Wouldn't the RFT bubble before bending a rim??

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by KGB_123_99

Wouldn't the RFT bubble before bending a rim??

I'm not following your logic here. Tearing belts in the sidewall and bending a rim can both result from impacting a pothole, but the two are totally unrelated. You can definitely bend a rim without damaging a tire.

[Steelers6891]

Originally Posted by chiefneil

You hit a deep pothole with 18" low profile tires at highway speeds hard enough to scare the sh*t out of you.

I don't think a rim has to meet the definition of "weak" to be damaged under those conditions.

Thanks everyone for the quick responses.. I wouldn't say I was going high way speeds it was 25 maybe 35 Mph i was merging on the highway.. I was just asking about the rims being weak because my past car I had 19" and 20" inch rims with lower profile tires and have hit potholes with them and they were fine

[floydarogers]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

...You did not bend a wheel in a pothole. ...

I neglected to add the words "when I hit a pothole". Bent wheel, torn underbody/wheel well liner: no difference in the eyes of the insurance co.

And your experiences in PA have no relationship to other jurisdictions:
http://community.seattletimes.nwsour...4&slug=2736231
http://community.seattletimes.nwsour...4&slug=2736230
http://community.seattletimes.nwsour...5&slug=2533964

So, no, I'm not trying to "twist facts". You need to lighten up IMHO; I'm not posting to try to put you down, only to put forth possibilities for the OP.

Of course NJ and PA probably don't have the most responsive govts in the US.

[isthunidal]

I'm pretty sure this was the first pot hole I hit with the car

[Steelers6891]

Originally Posted by isthunidal

I'm pretty sure this was the first pot hole I hit with the car

I guess your trying to make a joke? The car has 650 miles on it this was the only real pothole I've hit with the car

[KneeDragr]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Neither of those will ever happen. Hitting a pothole does not fall under the definition of a collision. And no municipality since the beginning of time has ever been culpable for damages sustained to vehicles due to poor roads.

Incorrect, VDot pays out for pothole repairs if significant time had passed since the pothole was first reported.

http://www.virginiadot.org/info/faq-potholes.asp

Last year they were paying out tons of money due to the bad winter and potholes not being fixed for weeks.

[NateDog07V]

ever find a resolution to your issue ?

[55Nomad]

Originally Posted by NateDog07V

ever find a resolution to your issue ?

+1

I'd like to know as well.

[smithf80]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

^^^ This. This. This.

There's no "throwing out of alignment" without bending stuff. There's no reason, ever, to have a car aligned unless you've had it disassembled or something is very bent or broken.

Uhm, so you're saying that 3 years of driving through NY potholes and what not you should not have to have the car aligned?

Are you really saying there is no point in getting an alignment unless something was done suspension wise or something is broken?

[Golden Arrow]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Neither of those will ever happen. Hitting a pothole does not fall under the definition of a collision. And no municipality since the beginning of time has ever been culpable for damages sustained to vehicles due to poor roads.

Which state issued you your bar card? Some cities/municipalities allow claimants to file for reimbursement within a certain timeframe.

If it's a state-maintained road, you might as well forget it. My advice to the OP: if damage is found, speak with an attorney in your area specializing in auto accidents/personal injury. He can give you information and a realistic idea of what you should expect.

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Neither of those will ever happen. Hitting a pothole does not fall under the definition of a collision. And no municipality since the beginning of time has ever been culpable for damages sustained to vehicles due to poor roads.

They do pay for damage up here. It's a lot of work but they do.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by smithe90

Uhm, so you're saying that 3 years of driving through NY potholes and what not you should not have to have the car aligned?

Are you really saying there is no point in getting an alignment unless something was done suspension wise or something is broken?

That's exactly what I'm saying. The entire suspension is hung from rubber bushings and isolators designed to take the impact. If nothing is bent, there's nothing to "align".