I'm an idiot and drove over a curb, at more than a crawl

[Howard]

Now at fast highway speeds (>120km/h... roughly) I feel a mild-to-moderate vibration that increases with speed. I don't believe I had this vibration before. I cannot pinpoint where it is coming from but I may also be feeling a slight shake in the steering wheel.

All four wheels went over the same curb. What is the most likely scenario here? The wheel weights should be fine, right?

2005 CTS

 

[Throckmorton]

I'd be more concerned that the frame is bent than anything... Broken suspension arms can be replaced, the unibody can't.

Might just be the alignment being off.

 

[LTC8K6]

Damaged tire?

 

[Howard]

I'd be more concerned that the frame is bent than anything... Broken suspension arms can be replaced, the unibody can't.

Might just be the alignment being off.

Really, bent frame? The body is still in great condition, no rust at all, so if the impact force was really that great, it would show on the subframes, right?

 

[Throckmorton]

Really, bent frame? The body is still in great condition, no rust at all, so if the impact force was really that great, it would show on the subframes, right?

How fast were you going? Do you think the force was close to what the frame would experience in a fender bender? I've run over a curb at parking lot speed in my Jeep and the frame doesn't look bent, but it's a Jeep and the tires are much bigger and have more rubber/air to cushion the blow.

 

[thescreensavers]

Take it in for an alignment to get the suspension checked out.

Nothing we can do here. Frame Bent? Not likely.

 

[Black2na]

Really, bent frame? The body is still in great condition, no rust at all, so if the impact force was really that great, it would show on the subframes, right?

unibody is fine dont worry about that you might have a bent wheel or a broken belt in the tire. find a place that you can have the wheels and tire ROADFORCE balanced. only way your gonna figure out if a belt is broken. vibration i would say something in the wheels and tires start there and into the suspension after.

 

[Howard]

How fast were you going? Do you think the force was close to what the frame would experience in a fender bender? I've run over a curb at parking lot speed in my Jeep and the frame doesn't look bent, but it's a Jeep and the tires are much bigger and have more rubber/air to cushion the blow.

Maybe 15-20 km/h over a ~7" curb?

 

[herm0016]

get the wheels, tires and suspension checked out. may just need an alignment. I would not think it did any major damage.

 

[chusteczka]

A dented rim/wheel has created the described symptoms in my car after driving over a large pothole once.

 

[jlee]

If I were a betting man, I'd go with bent wheel (or as black2na said, damaged tire).

I'd be more concerned that the frame is bent than anything... Broken suspension arms can be replaced, the unibody can't.

Might just be the alignment being off.

LOL. No.

 

[Throckmorton]

LOL. No.

Why not? When you hit a curb you're putting a lot of force into the frame, especially since it's multiplied by the leverage of the suspension arm

 

[jlee]

And also absorbed by. You seriously expect a bent unibody from an impact to a wheel that didn't result in obvious damage to the wheel itself?

I'd like to see these miracle wheels you have.

 

[Black2na]

Why not? When you hit a curb you're putting a lot of force into the frame, especially since it's multiplied by the leverage of the suspension arm

Suspension it works! the suspension actully decreases the force felt on thr unibody by absorbing that force. now IF the suspension bottoms out it could possibly effect the unibody which is unlikely at 5mph. if he hit one doing say 50 id be more inclined to agree with you. but you really more or less need to jump a car pretty hard for it to effect the unibody of a car. the rubber bushings shocks and springs do a really good job absorbing all these forces. if they didnt all them bumps and lumps would go to you which would make for a horrid ride.


and personal experence abound with this. i bought an MR2 spyder that was totaled due to the suspension knuckle getting ripped off the car with and impact with a curb and subsquent other objects and the unibody was straight *frame machine measured* they can take quite a beating and not get damaged.

just for the record. the wheel got bent to hell and back on the inside. and you can see the knuckle and brake assembly inside the wheel. just reaffirming my stance your not wrong but its gonna take WAYYYYY more force then a 5mph hit

 

[SuperSix]

Closely inspect the rims and tires, inner and outer, for blemishes.

If you can't find them - get an alignment, and get the tires balanced. During those procedures - it will be easier to find any possibly damaged components, and balancing the wheels will help find damage you may have missed. (It can't hurt, either)

I wouldn't tell the shop you smacked into a curb - see what they find on their own.

 

[bruceb]

I would say most likely the rim is damaged or maybe the tire has sidewall damage that you can not see. It is also possible a wheel balance weight fell off. I know I have messed up many a rim and tire with things like potholes.

 

[Baked]

You drive like a girl! My friend drove my car not long ago and went over a curb while pulling out of a parking spot. I was speechless...

 

[SpatiallyAware]

My bet is on a broken belt. I would take it to a good tire/alignment shop, tell them what happened and see what they recommend.

Be prepared to spend ~$100 or so to find the problem, whether it's balancing all 4 tires or an alignment.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Closely inspect the rims and tires, inner and outer, for blemishes.

If you can't find them - get an alignment, and get the tires balanced. During those procedures - it will be easier to find any possibly damaged components, and balancing the wheels will help find damage you may have missed. (It can't hurt, either)

I wouldn't tell the shop you smacked into a curb - see what they find on their own.

Why??

 

[Throckmorton]

Suspension it works! the suspension actully decreases the force felt on thr unibody by absorbing that force. now IF the suspension bottoms out it could possibly effect the unibody which is unlikely at 5mph. if he hit one doing say 50 id be more inclined to agree with you. but you really more or less need to jump a car pretty hard for it to effect the unibody of a car. the rubber bushings shocks and springs do a really good job absorbing all these forces. if they didnt all them bumps and lumps would go to you which would make for a horrid ride.


and personal experence abound with this. i bought an MR2 spyder that was totaled due to the suspension knuckle getting ripped off the car with and impact with a curb and subsquent other objects and the unibody was straight *frame machine measured* they can take quite a beating and not get damaged.

just for the record. the wheel got bent to hell and back on the inside. and you can see the knuckle and brake assembly inside the wheel. just reaffirming my stance your not wrong but its gonna take WAYYYYY more force then a 5mph hit

The suspension moves up and down. It doesn't absorb rearward force except what the tire accommodates by rolling over the obstacle. And it doesn't absorb any sideways force. I'm surprised that MR2 didn't have the frame bent

 

[halik]

Now at fast highway speeds (>120km/h... roughly) I feel a mild-to-moderate vibration that increases with speed. I don't believe I had this vibration before. I cannot pinpoint where it is coming from but I may also be feeling a slight shake in the steering wheel.

All four wheels went over the same curb. What is the most likely scenario here? The wheel weights should be fine, right?

2005 CTS

Bent wheels for sure (if you nailed it as speed), that's what causing the vibration. Does the car pull in any direction? Either way it needs to go on an alignment machine to see how far off-spec it sits. It's also possible you lost a stick on wheel weight and the wheels are off-balance now.

 

[halik]

I'd be more concerned that the frame is bent than anything... Broken suspension arms can be replaced, the unibody can't.

Might just be the alignment being off.

Unibody damage would be immediately obvious and is unlikely. Aluminum suspension pieces yield before the unibody plus at least half of the impact get soaked up by shocks/springs.
Either way you'd see waves and creases in the external surfaces.

 

[exdeath]

The suspension moves up and down. It doesn't absorb rearward force except what the tire accommodates by rolling over the obstacle. And it doesn't absorb any sideways force. I'm surprised that MR2 didn't have the frame bent

It's called bushings and bending bolts. You're more likely to rip the control arms out of the torque boxes before you do any unibody damaged.

The control arms are aluminum or stamped steel. They will bend and absorb much of the energy in themselves. The castings and stampings are designed to deal with lateral forces (in/out through the hub) and vertical forces (weight, springs) but bend easily when sheared in the vehicle's front to back direction. This is dead obvious when you look at a steel stamping.

Also the control arms on most vehicles sit in a stamped steel subframe, which can be quickly and easily replaced in the event that it is damaged.

Oh and the sub frame is usually attached to the unibody in it's own bushings as well.

It's not wise to argue this with a guy who repairs collision damage for a living....

 

[Throckmorton]

It's called bushings and bending bolts. You're more likely to rip the control arms out of the torque boxes before you do any unibody damaged.

The control arms are aluminum or stamped steel. They will bend and absorb much of the energy in themselves. The castings and stampings are designed to deal with lateral forces (in/out through the hub) and vertical forces (weight, springs) but bend easily when sheared in the vehicle's front to back direction. This is dead obvious when you look at a steel stamping.

Also the control arms on most vehicles sit in a stamped steel subframe, which can be quickly and easily replaced in the event that it is damaged.

Oh and the sub frame is usually attached to the unibody in it's own bushings as well.

It's not wise to argue this with a guy who repairs collision damage for a living....

A unibody can be damaged by running over a curb though http://www.cadillacforums.com/forum...99970-bent-frame-after-hitting-curb-help.html

 

[Black2na]

A unibody can be damaged by running over a curb though http://www.cadillacforums.com/forum...99970-bent-frame-after-hitting-curb-help.html

i never said you were wrong that thread even says subframe bent not the unibody and most people couldnt tell you the difference. and these seem like crash avoidance movements at road speeds 30MPH+. he has told us he did it at 5MPH. so in this case i wouldnt be worried about it. and he has yet to post if he did the wheel balance/alignment to rule out wheels and tires first