Damn Pot Holes

[MrG 3]

On the way back from an appointment last week, I hit a massive hole in the road and the pics enclosed show what happened to the wheel and tyre.

 

 

 

I didn't realise how much damage had been done, we changed the wheel and I carried on, it was only when I got another puncture that action was needed and when down the tyre place I found the damage.

 

Managed to locate another wheel, they're hard to come by so pricey but its needed. Keep your eyes peeled on those holes.

[James_m 0]

What wheel was it? Sl434?

[Lankylad78 0]

That's bad mate. It really gets my goat stuff like this. Surely "Road Tax" should be used to ensure our network is in good order. The clue is in the name.

 

I have a friend who had the same thing happen to them a few years ago. They went out and took pictures of the offending pothole and complained to the council. Not sure all of the in's and out's, but they eventually paid out for 2 new wheels. Definately worth trying. Make sure you get pictures first though, that hole may have been there 6-months, but you can bet your ass it'll be filled in within 2-hours of your complaint!

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

5 Holes so assume not a 205

[MrG 3]

its from my Volvo 850R, and yes I am going to present them with a bill, new tyre, new alloy, refurbed to match the others as the one I have located is far from perfect but will do fine. I thought the car had broken in two, the noise it made was pretty damn loud. The rim is flat spotted to, completely fubar.

[harryskid 193]

You should check the rest of your car out as well just in case there is any other damage. Then put your claim in!

[Anthony 1,003]

Jeez, that's quite some crack!

 

Are those Volvo wheels known for being weak in the same way as say the Audi RS wheels are, or was the pothole more akin to an open manhole to cause that level of damage?

[Cameron 16]

One of the guys I used to work with hit a pothole and damaged his wheel, ruined the tyre and damaged the suspension. He complained to the council and was eventually fully compensated for the damage. However, apparently they will only fork out if they are aware there is a pothole, since they can't be repairing things they don't know are broken, so it might pay to get a friend to call up and notify them of it before you phone to complain!

[jimbob 3]

yea i have a few friends that got good amounts back from the council so get on their backs and see if you can get some money out of them

[MrG 3]

Anthony, good question. There has been in the past (or when the 850R was first out) that Volvo had a number of warranty claims against wheel failure, and this was put down to the tyre profile. They run 205/40/17's. However the last one rolled off the line in 98 think.

 

The hole in question has been there for sometime, when I rolled over it it was full of water and looked like the repaired sections dotted about. But I take the point of reporting the hole and the necessary action but I'm sure its been reported before.

[205wrc 16]

Follow the guidelines on here http://www.potholes.co.uk/

 

My local council paid me £300 when I burst two tyres on my Subaru. That was for 2 new tyres, recovery (as I only had 1 spare), and 4 wheel alignment.

Don't expect a quick payout though as it took them nearly 6 months to pay.

[MrG 3]

thats good info, I damaged my M3 a few years ago due to uneven road surfaces etc and they paid me for the damage but again it took about 2mths to pay out.

[GLPoomobile 958]

I've noticed a huge decline in the state of the roads around the area of London that I live in, in just the last year. The bad weather last year really caused them to just disintegrate. I tend to notice it most often when I'm on a bus, as you'll be standing waiting to get off, and as the bus pulls nearer the kerb to stop at the bus stop, it'll be lurching all over the place and you get thrown about unless you hang on tight.

 

On the main road outside our flat, the top layer of tarmac - approx 4 inches deep - has completely vanished in numerous places, exposing the brick work underneath. It looks like an old cobbled street (like the sort you find in the Old Town areas of Edinburgh). They are just in the process of repairing this now, but this is the problem in itself - their repairs are totally unsatisfactory. Most councils seem to be the same in this respect. They don't have the time or the funds to do proper 'long term' repairs, so they patch up the damage. On our street all they have done is drop a fresh layer of tarmac over the damage. It's not even particularly flat either. I see this as Pikey tarmacing In fact, maybe they should just employ Gypos to do the work, as it would keep them busy so they don't need to be out thieving 'scrap metal'.

 

So they spend our money on this ineffective patch work quilt approach to repairs, causing traffic chaos in the process (as they only ever work each area part time, so it takes longer). The new tarmac alleviates the problem for a while, but 12 months later it'll be splitting up again and soon need reapairing again. Totally pointless.

Edited August 28, 2010 by GLPoomobile

[harryskid 193]

Pot holes in London, you want to see some of the ones in Somerset and Devon. Some of them are like mine shafts!

[SurGie 54]

apparently they will only fork out if they are aware there is a pothole, since they can't be repairing things they don't know are broken, so it might pay to get a friend to call up and notify them of it before you phone to complain!

 

Its the councils responsibility to check the roads to keep the roads safe, so the council will not pay out if they know about it, like when they put a yellow circle around it. When it has this it means they are not liable, its when they do not know about they are liable.

[timb1046 1]

I hit a pothole in the ol' mini earlier this year, popped tyre, but luckily no damage to the rim, I went out the next day and took photos of the offending 'hole and then wrote a letter to the council with photos attached. several emails and phone calls later they agreed to pay out and about 2 months after I recieved payment for the tyre and wheel alignment.

[boombang 2]

On the main road outside our flat, the top layer of tarmac - approx 4 inches deep - has completely vanished in numerous places, exposing the brick work underneath. It looks like an old cobbled street (like the sort you find in the Old Town areas of Edinburgh). They are just in the process of repairing this now, but this is the problem in itself - their repairs are totally unsatisfactory. Most councils seem to be the same in this respect. They don't have the time or the funds to do proper 'long term' repairs, so they patch up the damage. On our street all they have done is drop a fresh layer of tarmac over the damage. It's not even particularly flat either.

 

Issues are far worse in London part due to what you've said. The tarmac basecourse of a road is a 20mm stone in asphalt binder and need to be laid on a flat compacted base that can doesn't hold water.

 

So the reality is old brick/cobble/sett/block streets that are virtually impermeable to water, and indeed have recessed pointed areas that hold water, have had 20mm stones laid on top (which obviously means those recessed areas are still voids as there is not enough asphalt to fill them). Water gets in from somewhere, underneath, the edges of the carriageway, from the sealed tops of basements, water leaks etc, and the whole lot will start lifting from the bottom.

 

The wearing course (top 40mm) then over time wears out, once this splits or breaks again water gets in and that comes away from the base which is already falling apart. Whole lot breaks up and you get a potentially very deep pothole!

 

Modern roads are built completely differently, so if correctly constructed, you'll generally only get issues when the wearing course is worn, although most issues are from edges where not sealed correctly.

 

 

Big issue with last winters potholes is the red tape and budgets.

 

I put a tender together for some patching work for Croydon last November IIRC, we ended up pulling out in the end (Croydon Council are the harshest of all London Boroughs when it comes to streetworks - even working for them they'll pull your work to pieces and defect anything). To my knowledge, the appointed subby only recently started doing the work.

 

Come December guess all budgets for the year have gone, then when new tax year starts they have to act on all the promises and commitments before dealing with the routine maintainance.