COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Spring is just a month or so away. Along with the changing weather comes the inevitable potholes.
They can be just an annoyance, or an expensive trip to the shop if they cause damage to your vehicle.
Tire rims don’t come cheap and if you hit a pothole hard enough, an expert said the tire or rim almost always loses the battle.
“In this particular instance the customer had to get a whole new tire and rim assembly,” said Jack Jones Owner of 2 Brothers Towing and Recovery.
He was demonstrating with an aluminum sports rim, showing the missing chunks in two places where the tire meets the rim.
Jones’ company sits on SR 161, and manages 28 tow trucks. He said drivers need to be aware that sometimes pothole damage is not always visible.
“This sports rim is some of the worst damage you might see, normally the customer complains of a vibration or low tire,” said Jones.
The Ohio Department of Transportation maintains all Interstates and some of the US and state routes. Spokesperson Nancy Burton said their crews and contractors spent 12-hour shifts over the weekend filling potholes on Interstates 70, 71 and 670, but that cannot happen during rain.
The state provided this graphic which shows the amount of pothole patching workers have done up to this weekend.
Jones said not even his tow trucks are immune to pothole damage, pointing to a steel rim being tested.
“This rim is off of one of my F350 wreakers, the driver hit a pothole this weekend. It was big enough that it did not damage the rim, but it busted a belt, so now we have a tire that is egg-shaped,” Jones said.
Weather is a big factor in the production of potholes. Heavy rains the last few days and drastic temperatures fluctuations are perfect ingredients for potholes.