The majority of us abuse our cars by using them to transport more than the standard number of passengers, or more than the normal cargo we are supposed to. This might be as a result of trying to save travel costs or save time or any other reasons, but it is totally wrong. Carrying excess weight on your car is very dangerous both to the occupants of the car and the other road users. So in this article, I’ll be running through a few dangers associated with carrying too much weight.
The strain on tires and engine
Carrying too much weight in a car will put a whole lot of strain on the car, which will in turn affect the tires. This extra heavyweight will inevitably cause the tires to wear out very quickly and also overheat. The result of this is a potential tire failure and a possible nasty tire blowout.
The strain caused by the excess weight will also cause the engine to work even harder in order to push the extra weight. This can cause the engine of the car to get damaged, leave you stranded on the road, and also leave you a huge repair bill.
Damage to vehicle suspension and chassis
Your vehicle’s chassis and suspension are at great risk if you frequently overload your car. Too much weight will cause unnecessary stress on the shock absorbers, and faulty shock absorbers will lead to uneven tire wear which will also lead to unstable driving.
Also, overloading your vehicle will cause the chassis to carry more weight. This will weaken the chassis and it will affect the rigidity of your car.
Steering difficulty
The lighter your car the easier it is for you to drive. So it explains why driving an overloaded car will be very difficult. When you carry too much weight in a car, there’s a possibility that the weight will be towards the back of the car. This will automatically affect the weight distribution of the car and lead to the front wheels being lighter on the ground. In extreme cases of loss of steering and traction control, the front wheels might eventually lift off the ground.
Let’s say the car doesn’t lift off the ground, with that amount of weight on it, it will be extremely difficult for you to steer the car in a straight line and even more difficult in corners. You could be in serious trouble if you hit a pothole or any other form of obstruction even at low speeds. Even trying to manoeuvre around an obstruction will be very difficult and it could cause your car to spin, or flip.
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