Potholes
Author
Discussion

LJF_97

Original Poster:

376 posts

62 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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Likely been covered a million times, but has anyone taken potholes into consideration when looking at cars?

I have hit one & its likely bent my alloy wheel, not even low profile tyres on my car.

I'm not sure about other areas of the country, but they are seriously bad around here with most being unavoidable & I'm pretty sure that this has a large part to play in the uprising of the crossover & SUV.

In fact, I have started looking at SUV's for my next potential car, which is something that was never on my radar before now.

Pica-Pica

16,665 posts

114 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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…and so the escalation begins.

Krikkit

27,938 posts

211 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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All you need is a higher-profile tyre... Buy something fun and fit smaller wheels and less daft tyres.

andygo

7,404 posts

285 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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Krikkit said:
All you need is a higher-profile tyre... Buy something fun and fit smaller wheels and less daft tyres.
I think my 981 would look and drive terribly on some 16inch 70 profile tyres. I'll just go a bit slower when I see a pothole.

It's a bit like always wearing a face mask in case I catch a cold off someone.

Lo-Fi

1,291 posts

100 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
quotequote all
LJF_97 said:
Likely been covered a million times, but has anyone taken potholes into consideration when looking at cars?

I have hit one & its likely bent my alloy wheel, not even low profile tyres on my car.

I'm not sure about other areas of the country, but they are seriously bad around here with most being unavoidable & I'm pretty sure that this has a large part to play in the uprising of the crossover & SUV.

In fact, I have started looking at SUV's for my next potential car, which is something that was never on my radar before now.
A heavier car will solve the problem?

LJF_97

Original Poster:

376 posts

62 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
quotequote all
Krikkit said:
All you need is a higher-profile tyre... Buy something fun and fit smaller wheels and less daft tyres.
My current car has high profile tyres and it has still bent the rim. My thoughts would be a larger wheel with a high profile tyre would solve the problem.

Evil.soup

4,047 posts

235 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
quotequote all
I do understand picking a car for a purpose, like an off road 4x4 for driving off road, but I would never select my car based on the fact the local council isn't doing their job properly.

That's a bit like only wearing hiking boots and using walking poles for the rest of your life because all the pavements are crap.

Honourable Dead Snark

597 posts

49 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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Yes denting the wheel on a pothole last year put me off having another car with stupidly expensive (to me) alloys.

LJF_97

Original Poster:

376 posts

62 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
quotequote all
Lo-Fi said:
LJF_97 said:
Likely been covered a million times, but has anyone taken potholes into consideration when looking at cars?

I have hit one & its likely bent my alloy wheel, not even low profile tyres on my car.

I'm not sure about other areas of the country, but they are seriously bad around here with most being unavoidable & I'm pretty sure that this has a large part to play in the uprising of the crossover & SUV.

In fact, I have started looking at SUV's for my next potential car, which is something that was never on my radar before now.
A heavier car will solve the problem?
What would you suggest?

Ninja59

3,691 posts

142 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
quotequote all
You say high profile, but what profile are they.

To some even a 40 profile is huge now, additionally tyre manufacturer may play a part as some manufacturers will have softer or more firm sidewalls.

Finally things like runflat or other qualities will impact what happens and how much load is transferred to the wheel.

Buying an SUV to solve a pothole issue won't solve it, and it won't solve it evven more if they come with low profile tyres.

LJF_97

Original Poster:

376 posts

62 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
quotequote all
Ninja59 said:
You say high profile, but what profile are they.

To some even a 40 profile is huge now, additionally tyre manufacturer may play a part as some manufacturers will have softer or more firm sidewalls.

Finally things like runflat or other qualities will impact what happens and how much load is transferred to the wheel.

Buying an SUV to solve a pothole issue won't solve it, and it won't solve it evven more if they come with low profile tyres.
175/70R14, so fairly small wheel with large sidewall.

There are also a lot of, imo, oversized speed-bumps near where I live that also play a part in vehicle consideration, however focusing on potholes, would a larger rim, with similar ratio profile tyres not solve this?

rfsteel

755 posts

200 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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Round by me, Surrey Highways have solved this issue by including a Space Saver wheel in the pot hole repair !!


JAMSXR

1,845 posts

77 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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TGTiff

500 posts

214 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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A recent one just near me.

Krikkit

27,938 posts

211 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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andygo said:
Krikkit said:
All you need is a higher-profile tyre... Buy something fun and fit smaller wheels and less daft tyres.
I think my 981 would look and drive terribly on some 16inch 70 profile tyres. I'll just go a bit slower when I see a pothole.

It's a bit like always wearing a face mask in case I catch a cold off someone.
I can't imagine it's on 17 inch 60-profiles already biggrin

Yes drive with care around the really big ones.

pmanson

13,388 posts

283 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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My wife hit this one the other week (1.6m long, 70cm wide and 18cm deep)



She wasn't the only one collected by this crater over the course of two weeks





But yes, I agree. Volvo in their wisdom decided to put 22" wheels on a family wagon

Evil.soup

4,047 posts

235 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
quotequote all
rfsteel said:
Round by me, Surrey Highways have solved this issue by including a Space Saver wheel in the pot hole repair !!

Convenient...

Enut

1,003 posts

103 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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It has got to the stage near me that it's no longer roads with potholes it's now just potholes with some small bits of road around them.

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to just go for a nice drive.


mrmichaelsankey

86 posts

171 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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Pretty grotty around my way, Chelmsford/Maldon.
Back roads are better than main roads, but often single track which means the odd bit of backing up, but you are safe from moon craters.

Some main road damage is pretty bad, if you forget where they are then good luck not bending a wheel!

Roger Irrelevant

3,392 posts

143 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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It does annoy me that manufacturers have decided that anything with even half-decent performance must have low-profile tyres on it. It's not potholes per se that make me feel like that - though living where I do it is handy if a wheel/tyre combo can take some stick - it's more that for an everyday car there's nothing really better about having big wheels/low profile tyres except looks. And I don't really think they look that particularly good a lot of the time - a lot of new stuff is starting to look like those funny American donk cars straight out of the factory.

I have for some time been considering an X3 for our next family car and while I'd like an M40d for obvious reasons, the fact that the smallest wheels they come with is 20" (and the smallest that will even fit is 19"), is one factor that's sending me towards the 30d instead. Or maybe I'll just get a Land Cruiser and in time forget what a pothole is!