Pothole Season Is Keeping Auto Body Shops Busy

(KNSI) – St. Cloud area body shops are busy as we enter pothole season.

Granite City Tire and Auto General Manager Jesse Nelson tells KNSI News it doesn’t take much to damage a vehicle. “Even if it’s not the biggest pothole, or if you don’t hit it like super hard to where all of a sudden your vehicle starts shaking immediately afterwards, or your steering wheel is off center. You can damage tires and the wheels themselves very easily. It’s also very hard on suspension components.”

He says to pay attention to how your car is driving after hitting potholes. “If you notice that your vehicle is driving differently, maybe it’s pulling one way, the steering wheel is not straight, you’re getting a shake. It is a really good idea to get the vehicle in so we can get it up on a hoist and inspect the front end.”

Nelson tells drivers to avoid hitting a pothole whenever they can and slow down as much as they can if they can’t avoid one. He suggests if you blow a tire, get your spare on and bring your vehicle to a shop as soon as possible.

Nelson mentioned pothole season started early and is lasting longer than in prior years because of our wet, snowy winter. Nelson added that the city has been patching potholes, but many are being scooped out by plows trying to clear the roads from the latest snowfall. He also says the constant freezing and thawing have made it hard for asphalt patches to stay in place.

The St. Cloud area is in line for more snow Thursday through Friday.

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