Heavy pothole damage is being reported on many major roads in Macomb County. Those include Garfield, Hayes, Romeo Plank, Metro Parkway, 10 Mile Road, Ryan, Dequindre, and particularly Mound Rd.
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Tire shops in the area have been overwhelmed with repair calls for damaged wheels, tires, and suspensions, and many drivers are reporting multiple cars pulled over along the roadsides.
Rick Wichtner, the owner of Rick's Tire and Wheel in Shelby Township, says he's never had more repair calls for pothole damage in 50 years of operation. "I had one guy in here yesterday had three blowouts at three different times in the last week," Wichtner says.
Hitting potholes can rupture the tire itself, damage the wheel, and damage the suspension and wheel bearings. Cars can also sustain damage to the undercarriage, exhaust system, and front end.
"I went past this one place on 14 Mile and Mound, and there were four cars pulled off to the side all with blown-out tires, and this guy was beeping his horn behind me wanting to get around me, so I let him around me. I went up the road about five miles further and all four of his tires were blown out," says Wichtner.
Wichtner has a simple piece of advice for drivers that want to prevent damage to their vehicles from potholes: "Stay off the roads."
