Top Auto Body Issues Caused by Bumping the Curb

Arizona’s monsoon season is fast approaching, and the need for collision repair in Gilbert, AZ increases during poor weather conditions. It’s important to slow down when driving in the rain. The first 10 minutes of a rainstorm are the most dangerous as that’s when the film of oil coating the road surface creates the most slippery conditions before it begins to wash away. After the oil residue begins to wash away you still need to be wary of hydroplaning. When your car’s tires are contending with more water than they are able to scatter they can become separated from the road surface by a film of water. This causes a loss of traction which results in a loss of control of the vehicle. If you are lucky this loss of steering and braking control only lasts for a second or two, but it can easily result in a slide off.

When thinking about Gilbert, AZ, snow is one of the last things to come to mind. Nevertheless, it really does snow in areas of Arizona throughout the winter, most notably in Flagstaff. Many Arizona residents are not familiar with driving in snow, they don’t realize how much they need to slow down and how much extra stopping time is required on snowy roads. When driving on snow covered roads it’s easy to slide off into a curb, necessitating a trip to the body shop.

Gilbert body shops see many vehicles that have been damaged by sliding off a slippery roadway into a curb. Hitting a curb seems fairly harmless as accidents go, but you’d be surprised by how much damage it’s possible to incur by merely hitting a curb. Even simply turning a corner too sharply and bumping the curb at 5 to 10 miles an hour can cause problems.

Various front end issues can result from hitting a curb. Often the first sign of damage is a shaking in the steering wheel, since these front end parts are involved in safely steering your car. Some potential issues include:

Tire and Wheel Damage

Although tire damage may not be visible now, after a few hundred miles you may begin to see uneven wear. It is also possible to crack the layers of rubber or break the steel belts within your tire, which would leave a weak spot that can turn into a bubble or result in a blowout while driving in the Arizona heat.

Your wheel may also be bent, which can result in either a fast or slow air leak. Sometimes your auto body shop can repair the dent, but if it’s bad enough you may need to replace the wheel.

The least serious problem you may face would be a broken or lost hub cap.