You probably don’t need us here at Urb’s Garage to tell you that driving on a broken axle is dangerous. Basically, your axle is a large bar that connects to the engine, steering system, transmission, and wheels. The engine and transmission transfer power to the axle and drive wheels. This is what makes your wheels turn. Most cars have two axles, but if you drive a heavy-duty truck or large SUV, you might have more. Here are signs that you have a broken axle.
No Tire Rotation
The most common sign of a broken axle is that your tires won’t rotate. This might happen suddenly if your axle breaks while you’re driving, or it might happen when you’re trying to accelerate from a stop. No matter how much power and torque you try to send to the axle, it cannot rotate the wheels because it’s broken.
Hard to Accelerate
In some cases, you may still be able to drive on a broken axle, although we do not recommend it. Your wheels may rotate, but you may find yourself straining to get them to do so. If the axle is damaged or bent, you may find yourself pressing down much harder on your accelerator in an effort to get your vehicle going.
Clunking Noises
Another sign of a broken axle is unusual sounds. You may hear clunking or sputtering sounds, and you will hear this noise when your wheels begin to turn. In some cases, you may also hear when your axle breaks. You will hear a loud clunk. You can break an axle if you fly over a road hazard such as a pothole too quickly.
Wobbly Ride
There are many things that can make your wheels wobble while you drive. The wrong tire inflation, misaligned or unbalanced wheels, and even loose lug nuts can make the wheels wobble and your vehicle vibrate. If you have a wobbly ride all of a sudden accompanied by the other signs on this list, it’s possible that you’ve broken an axle.
Misaligned Brake Pads
Finally, if your axle is broken, the alignment between your brake pads, rotors, and wheels is going to be thrown off. Signs that your brake pads are not aligned properly include skidding or slipping to a stop. If you don’t have this problem addressed right away, you may actually lose the ability to stop your automobile.
Urb’s Garage in Burlington, KY, can inspect your vehicle’s axles to ensure that they aren’t broken. If there is axle damage, we can fix it or, if we can’t, we can replace your axle. Call us today.
