Goddamn ?£$@@~#!! potholes on the road!!
- Thread starter Merlin
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I can fully appreciate your angst here Merl, I've also hit a whopping great pothole lately and managed to write an alloy wheel off!! 
I remember the head splitting BANG!! as I hit the pothole and after a quick inspection, could see no visible damage to the outside of the wheel or tyre. It was only when I popped into Kwik Fit to get the balance and tracking checked that I found out my front nearside wheel was fuXXOred on the inner rim. Aaarrgghhh! (Pics below)
After a quick look around at part dealer prices, I'm looking at best part of £180 for a new 17" alloy for my new Fiesta ZS. It's all very well having a low slung car with lo-pro tyres but mixed with crap roads peppered with potholes.. well, they just don't mix at all. :banghead:
I'm definately going to be making a claim against the council, as I don't see why I should front the cost of a new wheel becuse of their shite, poorly maintained roads. For additional info on making claims and logging info etc. have you tried visiting http://www.potholes.co.uk
Some sound info on the site and good advice. Let's all bombard our complacent, crap councils together!
I remember the head splitting BANG!! as I hit the pothole and after a quick inspection, could see no visible damage to the outside of the wheel or tyre. It was only when I popped into Kwik Fit to get the balance and tracking checked that I found out my front nearside wheel was fuXXOred on the inner rim. Aaarrgghhh! (Pics below)
After a quick look around at part dealer prices, I'm looking at best part of £180 for a new 17" alloy for my new Fiesta ZS. It's all very well having a low slung car with lo-pro tyres but mixed with crap roads peppered with potholes.. well, they just don't mix at all. :banghead:
I'm definately going to be making a claim against the council, as I don't see why I should front the cost of a new wheel becuse of their shite, poorly maintained roads. For additional info on making claims and logging info etc. have you tried visiting http://www.potholes.co.uk
Some sound info on the site and good advice. Let's all bombard our complacent, crap councils together!
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tokyoracer
(Not actually from Tokyo).
How does a road defend itself in court?
No your on about the Vitara.A Suzuki Jimny? Are you a hairdresser or something..??
Yes the Vitara is a tanning salon owners car
I like the good old Suzuki SJ413... a "real" off roading vehicle
oh yeah lol, I dread to think what the X-90 would be. A blind (or bad taste) tanned hairdresser perhaps?
[EDIT] Cor! That's a whopper Dazza.
Ok here is the trick to getting a pothole fixed, go out late a night with a tin of white paint and about 50m before the pothole write "fix me" in big letters on the road. Someone did that over here with a hidden pot hole, so you'd wonder what the message meant for a few seconds, then the suspension bottoms out.
Works really well of roads the council workers have to drive down on a regular basis.
Works really well of roads the council workers have to drive down on a regular basis.
Interesting idea. Although if caught over here I'm sure the police and a fine would be the result. Lucky for me Hampshire and West Sussex sem petty good at fixing the roads since the bad weather earlier this year. A huge pot hole appeared at the end of my parent's road, and within a week, rather than just filling the hole for it it fall out again, they actually dug the whole section out and redid that part again properly.
I'm sure you can sue the council for damage caused by poor road surfaces. Worth finding out.
BTW, for cheap tyres look at http://www.blackcircles.com/ I use them all the time and save a lot of money on tires. You order them and pay for them online, then pick a local garage from their list to get them fitted on a day that suits you. They then deliver the types to that garage the morning you are having them fitted. Great service and great prices.
I'm sure you can sue the council for damage caused by poor road surfaces. Worth finding out.
BTW, for cheap tyres look at http://www.blackcircles.com/ I use them all the time and save a lot of money on tires. You order them and pay for them online, then pick a local garage from their list to get them fitted on a day that suits you. They then deliver the types to that garage the morning you are having them fitted. Great service and great prices.
Justin
Active member
I assume you've charged the council for this? they do pay for repairs you know?
Also EXACTLY what tyres do you have?
Also EXACTLY what tyres do you have?
I got home late from work tonight.
Why? That's because I hit a
This is gonna cost me a new bloody low-profile typre for my Pug 1007, I bet that won't be cheap.
The
Humbug!! Not happy at all!!
Edit: I've just started Googling around and £90 :wooha: for a tyre? Is it made of Gold-Pressed Latinum, FFS?
I think I need to lie down..... Prices start at £53, but that's for a cheapy-cheap tyre of unknown brand. The cheapest decent brand at national tyres is £103.80 all-in. I feel faint......
@ Juvster
The tyre size is 195/50R16 V 84 and the type is Dunlop SP01, which I think aren't made any more. A colleague has a Skoda Octavia which has the same Dunlop tyres and he couldn't get them recently.
Dunlop SP01
The Dunlop SP01 has an asymmetrical tread pattern divided into three tread segments. Longitudinal-Rail-System, Hydro-Paddles and Parallelogram-Block-Design delivering for sport, safety and silence.
Features:
The tyre size is 195/50R16 V 84 and the type is Dunlop SP01, which I think aren't made any more. A colleague has a Skoda Octavia which has the same Dunlop tyres and he couldn't get them recently.
Dunlop SP01
The Dunlop SP01 has an asymmetrical tread pattern divided into three tread segments. Longitudinal-Rail-System, Hydro-Paddles and Parallelogram-Block-Design delivering for sport, safety and silence.
Features:
- Excellent sport handling and substantial noise reduction
- High degree of driver comfort and control
- High level of aquaplaning safety
- Speed Index: 40, 50, 55
- Available Series: VR, ZR
- Excellent sport handling and substantial noise reduction
- High degree of driver comfort and control
- High level of aquaplaning safety
Dazza (ouch! 
) and Merlin
You have my utmost sympathy. I run a Motability car, and tyres are covered, although I have a similar story. The previous car I had (Vauxhall Corsa) proved an absolute swine to get tyres for, even from Kwik-Fit (I have no choice, its who motability contract to)
Anyways the story being, I ended up with a bulge in my right front tyre after clipping a kerb... limped to Kwik fit and they put my spare on, saying that they didn't have any in stock but would order one and it would be there the following day. Which they duly did, although it took 3 days.
I was informed that my car had an odd size tyre, and whilst they had "run-flats" in the correct size, mine wasnt a run-flat type wheel, so it took longer (the car was new -ish to market as well which probably didn't help)
Fun and games, the tyre was replaced, and on my merry way I went.
Three weeks later I hit a pothole (a road around where I live puts craters on the moon to shame, and its uphill as well so you cant always see.) Was so concerned that I stopped and got out to look. Yup bulge on the tyre again
Back to Kwikfit - same process, this time, Motability were less than pleased and although they replaced the tyre, I got a rather oddly worded letter asking me why I was going through tyres so quickly.... any more and I may have to start paying for them myself (again, new tyre type, not mass produced = Pricey).
I went back and took photos of the offending road and forwarded them with a letter explaining the situation, something along the lines of I didn't deliberately ruin my tyres so quickly, but the roads I was forced to drive on were so bad that smooth and incident free travel were not guaranteed.
They took my point but still grumbled, and that was that. I wrote to my local council explaining the situation, and was told because it isn't a main road, it is not on their priority list (and/or they had run out of money... typical). Two years later and it is like a cart track - in fact you can see the cobbles under the Tar-mac it is so bad :wooha:. The cold winters don't help either...
I know the road well, and have become 'almost' adept now at missing the potholes, I say almost because there is one that is impossible to miss, and it makes me cringe every time I go through it.
Avoid the road - sure, but its not always that simple with the amount of building and other works going on round here its kinda difficult at the mo.
) and Merlin You have my utmost sympathy. I run a Motability car, and tyres are covered, although I have a similar story. The previous car I had (Vauxhall Corsa) proved an absolute swine to get tyres for, even from Kwik-Fit (I have no choice, its who motability contract to)
Anyways the story being, I ended up with a bulge in my right front tyre after clipping a kerb... limped to Kwik fit and they put my spare on, saying that they didn't have any in stock but would order one and it would be there the following day. Which they duly did, although it took 3 days.
I was informed that my car had an odd size tyre, and whilst they had "run-flats" in the correct size, mine wasnt a run-flat type wheel, so it took longer (the car was new -ish to market as well which probably didn't help)
Fun and games, the tyre was replaced, and on my merry way I went.
Three weeks later I hit a pothole (a road around where I live puts craters on the moon to shame, and its uphill as well so you cant always see.) Was so concerned that I stopped and got out to look. Yup bulge on the tyre again
Back to Kwikfit - same process, this time, Motability were less than pleased and although they replaced the tyre, I got a rather oddly worded letter asking me why I was going through tyres so quickly.... any more and I may have to start paying for them myself (again, new tyre type, not mass produced = Pricey).
I went back and took photos of the offending road and forwarded them with a letter explaining the situation, something along the lines of I didn't deliberately ruin my tyres so quickly, but the roads I was forced to drive on were so bad that smooth and incident free travel were not guaranteed.
They took my point but still grumbled, and that was that. I wrote to my local council explaining the situation, and was told because it isn't a main road, it is not on their priority list (and/or they had run out of money... typical). Two years later and it is like a cart track - in fact you can see the cobbles under the Tar-mac it is so bad :wooha:. The cold winters don't help either...
I know the road well, and have become 'almost' adept now at missing the potholes, I say almost because there is one that is impossible to miss, and it makes me cringe every time I go through it.
Avoid the road - sure, but its not always that simple
with the amount of building and other works going on round here its kinda difficult at the mo.
Justin
Active member
ok, so this tyre is readily available (although on back order from Dunlop) you are correct, they ain't cheap £71.95 plus the dreaded 
lol I was ready to mention it ...
SkydivinGirl
Retro Girl
I was cruising down the information super highway last night and I hit a HUGE pothole and crashed into a data trunk. Here's what's left of my laptop.
Good thing i was safely on my couch!
Sorry about your tire though.
Heather
Good thing i was safely on my couch!
Sorry about your tire though.
Heather
@ SdG
They are tyres, actually *sniff* not tires.... us Brits don't say that we are 'tyred' out, do we..??
Lets see, £71.25 + VAT = £83.71 = $128.01 without fitting and balancing. Not cheap at all.....
They are tyres, actually *sniff* not tires.... us Brits don't say that we are 'tyred' out, do we..??
Lets see, £71.25 + VAT = £83.71 = $128.01 without fitting and balancing. Not cheap at all.....
First, I have no clue about cars.
Second, I know you're like us all into the retro thing.
But, do you have an over 1000 year old car or am I missing something?
Last year I was driving home late one night in heavy rain. I hit a pothole.
The car skipped to the side and the front wheel went into the side cut which was flooded with water, this is the point that I became a passenger.
The car then spun and slammed side-on into a tree... at 80km/h... into the drivers side door.
The drivers seat was pushed over to where the centre console was and the console was smashed out and sitting on the passenger seat.
Without a seatbelt I would be dead or seriously injured... I got out of the car without a single cut or bruise, all I had was a very, very small scratch on my pinky finger caused by the airbag throwing my arm into the window while the glass was shattering.
Pics attached, they are of the car the day I sold it, It may look totally fuXXord up but it still moves. Infact, the night I crashed it I got my dad to help me peel it off the tree and then I DROVE IT HOME!
The car skipped to the side and the front wheel went into the side cut which was flooded with water, this is the point that I became a passenger.
The car then spun and slammed side-on into a tree... at 80km/h... into the drivers side door.
The drivers seat was pushed over to where the centre console was and the console was smashed out and sitting on the passenger seat.
Without a seatbelt I would be dead or seriously injured... I got out of the car without a single cut or bruise, all I had was a very, very small scratch on my pinky finger caused by the airbag throwing my arm into the window while the glass was shattering.
Pics attached, they are of the car the day I sold it, It may look totally fuXXord up but it still moves. Infact, the night I crashed it I got my dad to help me peel it off the tree and then I DROVE IT HOME!
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@Merlin
That's hugely unfortunate about hitting the pothole in the car.
I'm a cyclist and as well as looking out for other road users, I'm constantly trying to look at the road to go around all the bloody pot holes. Apparently they only get repaired if their of a certain depth. Problem is by that time, you either fook your car or bicycle by accidently riding over the buggers. One reason why I refuse to drive, as nothing is ever spent on improving the roads !
That's hugely unfortunate about hitting the pothole in the car.
I'm a cyclist and as well as looking out for other road users, I'm constantly trying to look at the road to go around all the bloody pot holes. Apparently they only get repaired if their of a certain depth. Problem is by that time, you either fook your car or bicycle by accidently riding over the buggers. One reason why I refuse to drive, as nothing is ever spent on improving the roads !
@ MZ3540
The car in your photos, is that a Saturn? It has a General Motors look about it.
You were very lucky to walk away from that four-wheeled crumple zone, looking at the pictures.
The car in your photos, is that a Saturn? It has a General Motors look about it.
You were very lucky to walk away from that four-wheeled crumple zone, looking at the pictures.
Very close Merlin! It's a 1998 Holden Commodore.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Commodore
The car was based upon the 1994 Opel Omega platform only bigger. It's got that 3.8 litre V6 engine that GM seemed to fit to every car they made and a 4 speed turbohydramatic (the later electronic one).
Uninteresting fact: When Jack Tramiel decided to join the big bad world of business, the ex army man wanted a military based name for his company. General and Admiral were already over used as company names in the US.
While in Germany (I think) he saw a Opel Commodore drive past, Brilliant, a COMMODORE. Built by a GENERAL motors company... Jack now had a name for his new company.
History recalls CBM went bankrupt in the early '90s... but the car still exist today a GM Holdens staple product.
Uninteresting fact #2: The base model poverty-pack version of the current model Commodore is called the Omega... Hmm, Commodore Omega, Commodore Amiga... say that fast 3 times.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Commodore
The car was based upon the 1994 Opel Omega platform only bigger. It's got that 3.8 litre V6 engine that GM seemed to fit to every car they made and a 4 speed turbohydramatic (the later electronic one).
Uninteresting fact: When Jack Tramiel decided to join the big bad world of business, the ex army man wanted a military based name for his company. General and Admiral were already over used as company names in the US.
While in Germany (I think) he saw a Opel Commodore drive past, Brilliant, a COMMODORE. Built by a GENERAL motors company... Jack now had a name for his new company.
History recalls CBM went bankrupt in the early '90s... but the car still exist today a GM Holdens staple product.
Uninteresting fact #2: The base model poverty-pack version of the current model Commodore is called the Omega... Hmm, Commodore Omega, Commodore Amiga... say that fast 3 times.
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