Large Pothole

[KentRatke]

Hi Everyone,

I was driving through the country today and struck a fairly large pothole at about 70Km/h (40ish Mph). The bump was intense, it doesn't seem like there is any damage or anything. This is the 3rd massive bump that I've hit over my 3 years of ownership, after each I throw the hazards on and check for damage.

Any idea how resilient the suspension/steering on our cars is?

 

[2Hemis]

I live in Nor Cal which is basically a 3rd world country when it comes to roads. My car takes potholes and crappy roads/gravel like a champ. This car is made to traverse roads in places like Central and South America and Africa. You should be fine.

Unless it feels like it knocked something out of alignment or looks like you blew a strut, you should be fine. You can check for leaking fluid from the strut assembly under the car.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[Bretley]

I accidentally jumped a speed hump the other day. They put a new one in the neighborhood and didn't mark it... Was really surprised, didn't bottom out the suspension, just it took it like a champ lol.

 

[Thirty-Two]

Honestly I would be more worried about the tire bubbling and wheel bending/shattering.

This chassis and it's components can take a beating. Not to derail this thread, reminds me of when I was taking a popular driving/scenic route here in the city for the first time and came upon a railroad crossing. I had sped up from 35 (speed of traffic flow) to 45, I slowed down a bit for the crossing to 40ish, as it looked mostly graded correctly from the road on my end. Wrong the other side just drops, jumped off the lip. No rub noise, bottoming, crazy jarring. Just rolled into it.

Approaching

[/IMG]

Drop

Later I found out that that piece is popular for just that, launching drivers up.

 

[Zerodameaon]

I live in Nor Cal which is basically a 3rd world country when it comes to roads.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Hey now they will be fixed soon enough with these new taxes. /S

 

[jfdana]

Here, in Maine, the roads are horrible. There is a recent proposal for a 7ct increase in the gas tax to pay for repairs, which I really hope passes. What people generally don't understand is that bad (as in potholes galore, abrupt expansion joints, torn up pavement, giant frost heaves) roads exact a greater price on all of us who drive, in the form of broken wheels, broken shocks, premature tire wear, and rattles galore, than the tax ever would cost. We just have to make sure that the moneys raised actually are spent on road repairs.

That being said, the stock suspension seems quite durable. I went over potholes here and really bad bumps on 495 in Lowell MA that I thought would break me, let alone the car. No problems. The Meister coil overs I went with last fall have also done well, allowing me to soften up the jolt a bit while improving handling. If you don't find fluid from a broken seal you're likely all set.

 

[Zerodameaon]

If the taxes actually do something I am all for it, but we keep having increases and the roads just keep getting worse. Our last tax increase was in 2013 and nothing has changed, we currently have a 38 cent state tax on gas which will be going to 50c along with higher registration. It wouldn't be such a slap in the face if we actually got to vote on these increases but we didn't.


Sorry to hijack the thread, but OP check your wheels, if you didn't bend one you are likely OK. Check for abnormal tire wear as the worst that might have happened is you need an alignment now.

 

[OffTheWall503]

In Portland the city recently voted on a Prop that gives a 10 cent tax increase per gallon of gas and the tax money will only benefit the adding of more public transit and bike lanes. All county residents got to vote but it's silly when people that don't even drive get to vote on something that affects everyone.

Plus our roads are pretty shitty.

 

[Blindeye_03]

I blew out a tire on my FoST by hitting a huge pothole while merging onto the highway. But it didn't mess up the suspension one bit or even throw it out of alignment. I was rather surprised by that. The tire was totally fubar and went completely flat when I found a place to stop.

The tires on the focus and Fiesta are both really thin. 235/40/18 v 205/40/17

 

[Maxpowa]

I have come across some FoST and FiST owners (not many, mind you) who have had their suspension replaced for workmanship issues. I think in all cases, one or both of the front assemblies were changed. Never came across a post about the rear needing to be changed. I've never hit any potholes (amazingly), but I have noticed my driver-side suspension getting louder over moderate bumps; a knocking almost when the suspension unloads and rebounds. Car is 2 years old with 22k miles. No visible leaking around the strut and alignment is spot on. Tire wear is even. I'll monitor and let you guys know.

 

[speed_easy]

Is throwing your alignment out fairly common on these cars? I think I may be due for round two, at 31k.