Originally Posted by cheap ride
While in the Seattle area last week I encountered a concrete curb with the right front wheel. It was at night, a torn up intersection and the curb was hidden by a mound of dirt. It sounded bad, as though I had done major damage. We were only 1/2 mile from our Lodge so went there to inspect for damage. The tire was still fully inflated and I could only find a 7" long area on the edge of the wheel that was scratched rather badly. <snip> so be careful, but know that it is a tough wheel and not a lightweight like many of the pretty ones out there. <snip> We have a tough, and yet pretty, car and the more I drive it the more I like it.
I'm not proud to say that I had a similar experience - rainy night, difficult intersection, marginal driver judgement (not impaired, just not driving for conditions). I cut across a couple lanes and as I hit it, figured out I was about to launch over a traffic island. For some reason it didn't have those "Keep Left" signs marking it (perhaps a good thing - might not have seen that either). Anyway, I hit this fairly high curb dead-on and launched the whole car over the island. A friend was following me and said I was airborne.
When I landed I figured I was going to have four flat tires, four ruined wheels, and based on other "got air" experiences, bent suspension components. Guess what? Nothing! All I needed was to get the alignment fixed (slight toe-in adjustment) and I was good to go.
The wheels are straight, the suspension is not bent, nothing is scraped, and all is well. The tech at the (Mercedes) dealer told me a story about one launching over a pile of logs that had fallen off a log truck. Four flats but nothing broken! Not sure I believe it, but based on my experience, the wheels and suspension are pretty tough. Not that I want to test it too often!