The scenario: Imagine a West Footscray driver who hits a deep pothole on Barkly Street one wet evening — hard enough to feel through the steering wheel, but with no obvious damage afterward, so they keep driving. A few weeks later, they notice the car pulling gently to the left on a flat, straight stretch of road, and the steering wheel sits slightly off-centre even when driving dead straight.
On inspection, there's no damage to the wheel or tyre itself, but the alignment reading confirms what the symptoms suggested: the pothole strike knocked the front-end geometry out of specification, even without any visible damage. Left unaddressed, this kind of misalignment doesn't just mean pulling to one side — it wears the edge of the tyre unevenly, at a rate significantly faster than normal, even tread wear.
The alignment is corrected in one session, and the tyres are checked while the car's on the machine — caught early enough that wear is still minimal, meaning the existing tyres don't need replacing yet. Left another few months, that outcome would likely have been different.
What this illustrates: A hard pothole strike is worth a follow-up check even without visible damage — alignment issues don't always announce themselves immediately, and catching them early is the difference between a quick, inexpensive correction and a premature set of tyres.
For the signs to watch for after hitting a pothole or kerb, see our FAQ: How Do I Know If My Car Needs a Wheel Alignment?
Hit a Pothole on Barkly Street Recently?
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