Forgive me if this has been covered before--I did a check.
I have it in my mind that speed bumps damage cars.
Rubber bushes I think.
Are cars built these days to cope with bumps better ?
Is there any make that suffers more than others ?
Are there any tricks to driving over bumps to minimize damage (apart from dead slow of course )
|
|
I wish these wretched things were banned! Just round the corner from me, the square bumps went it a few years ago. I drive over them at under 20mph (in a 30 zone - loads of schools in the area). I've been overtaken by almost everything from an MR2 to a Land Rover. Some people just have no regard for the speed limit and/or the suspension of their car.
|
|
|
If this thread goes down the "speed bumps are evil and should be banned" route rather than remaining on a technical level about what (if any) harm gets done to suspension components, etc, then I'll kick this thread over to discussion.
DD.
|
Seriously---I would like to know.
I will shortly change my car. What for I have no idea.
I find the whole car-change process very worrying. One of the factors I will take into account is how well or badly does it --whatever 'it' is ---handle speed bumps.
Why ? Because where I live there are hundreds ( I do mean hundreds ) of the things.They are certain to play a part in the way my car serves me over the time I own it.
Any views gratefully received
|
"... speed bumps damage cars. Rubber bushes I think ..."
Best just to regard replacing rubber bushes and suspension components as just another running cost, and don't worry about them.
Concentrate on the comfort problem - go for a soft suspension to float over the bumps, not a hard suspension which will loosen your fillings with every bump.
Ian
|
|
|
Doubt you need to worry. as suspension is more than capable of handling any type of pot holes/lumps you may come across. excessive pot holes would pose a prob as they do or can fracture a tyre.ie puncture.rest is a Myth.Think humps more annoying than damaging
--
Was mech1
|
As I had a letter published in the Daily Telegraph complaining about the long-term damage speed humps do to not only tyres but also suspension systems, and the huge cost it must involve in aggregate, I'm discomforted by the suggestion that it may be illusory.
Yes, we all encounter pot-holes and random lumps in the road surface, but the encounters are occasional and, with luck, not very frequent; indeed, with good observation, we can avoid them entirely. The problem with speed humps is that they are increasingly commonplace and there are plenty of drivers who can count their monthly collision tally in terms of four and five figures. The collision involves both front wheels simultaneously and then both back wheels likewise, which is very different from the glancing blow or diagonal crossing of random lumps and bumps. Furthermore, the collision is far more severe than with random lumps and pot-holes. And, what's more, I know of one bus route that has been withdrawn because of speed humps, and I saw only last week that bus drivers are beginning to complain of health problems caused by repeated bouncing over humps. I know for a fact that they infuriate the fire and ambulance services.
So, I can't come to terms with the idea that speed humps are of little consequence in terms of the long-term health of the vehicles crossing them. But if I am being fanciful, I'd like to know.
|
I fully agree with what you said.
I neglected to say. this is what a mechanic said to me after fitting a new set of Dampers to my old car. So can only assume humps give them a lot of work?
--
Was mech1
|
Tony Bee, aside from the damaging effect on whichever car you choose to own next, i would suggest that you make sure the testdrive takes in some of these bumps so that you can assess the difference in ride comfort over them.
In my family we currently have one of each of Fiesta, Escort and Mondeo.
Mondeo - Cruises over bumps effortlessly (ok its a lot newer than the other two cars, which helps), and if you position it right you can go over a typical 'bump' with hardly any disruption due to the wide wheelbase.
Escort - Manages ok but you need to get each bump lined up perfectly
Fiesta - Not a hope. The width of the car is such that even perfect positioning still means your wheels hit a considerable hill, and there is no way to reduce this, the car is simply too thin. Also the shorter wheelbase eccentuates the up-down motion.
In summary, if you want an easy ride with speedbumps, you've got to go for a larger car.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A few points: Current cars last a long time; legislation requires cars to be pretty safe; auto makers test them at the limits of driving to insure they are safe and don't self-destruct; hitting a pot hole or debris at highway speeds or higher is far more of a shock than a speed hump; therefore, a speed bump at street speeds is nothing to the car, just to the occupants.
|
As an aside,some recent work has been done showing that speed humps double fuel consumption and exhaust pollution. I would imagine that a vehicle with a diesel engine that has high torque and fuel efficiency at low speeds would be more suitable.
|
|
|
|
I've found that doing around 70mph + over these things seems to smooth out all effects of a speed bump. The springs might not like it too much though.
AdyBeee..
|
|
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that if you try to clear one of these bumps with two wheels either side of it, the exhaust will often drag across the top of it. Fortunately, near my home, so many people have done this that the result is the bumps slowly being worn away. Hurrah!
|
Yes, speed humps do damage cars, they cause wear and tear to bushings and balljoints which would not otherwise ocurr. Count the number of speed humps you go over to get to work, and multiply that by the number of journies, for me, this is 15,000 humps per year, 15,000 impacts on each corner of the car.
I am suing my council for the second time, this time for £478 for road hump damage.
My bundle includes a huge amount of local and national press clipping which show that they damage cars, taxis, buses, and ambulances.
Going over a few humps doesn't damage a car, but going over thousands wears it out prematurely.
|
As IanT stated, you need a car with soft floaty suspension for the most comfortable ride over these bumps.
Most French cars in my experience have soft suspension, especially Citroens with the hydronumatic variety ie Xantia, XM & C5.
My now elderly 95 XM 2.5TD barly notices these bumps at 30.
As most around my area are near schools I just cruise along at 20. This avoids having to break/accelerate for each one & so they have no impact on my already excellent fuel consumption on a big heavy car.
|
|
|
|
