Last night I was driving about 65-70 mph on the freeway when I heard an enormous BANG that sounded like a gunshot. I realized I had hit a huge pothole, but miraculously, the car kept going without any shimmying or shaking – the tire didn’t blow out. BUT, can this type of thing damage or weaken the rim or axle ?
[i] can this type of thing damage or weaken the rim[/i]
Sure can. I don’t know about the axle, I suspect it might depending on the axel design etc.
It certainly does no good to your car. I might add that standard cheap steel wheels are less likely to be damaged as they are stronger than most alloy wheels.
it also can damage the tyres.
It might be a good idea to have your car, wheels and tyres checked out. A good tyre shop should be able to handle it for you. Good Luck
It can bend the wheel. It may have damaged the tire. Take a close look on both sides of tire for any sidewall buldges or splitting.
Yes. I would have the entire suspension system checked as soon as possible. If a tire blows or the suspension fails the next time you are traveling at 70+ miles an hour it can ruin your entire day or worse. That gunshot noise you heard was something on your Accord taking a direct hit.