How bad is it...

[tazza0712]

...How bad is it if you go over a speed hump just a tad too fast and your car literally "bangs" on top of it? I've done it twice in the past two days as work is making me park on the top level of the carpark and there are these friggen hump like things all over the place that I'm not used to. Seemingly I've learned my lesson and I go so slow over them that people look at me oddly, but I was just wondering if any bad damage can occur from repeatedly doing that.

Thanks!

 

[Andre]

Depends which part of your car is hitting. Could be your oil pan, transmission, exhaust, rocker panels...
Yes, you can do some damage if you hit hard enough.

You should go over them at an angle, like a Jeep over a fallen tree - one front wheel, then the other, and go slow.

 

[mjbst111]

it would be pretty difficult to hit the transmission off of a speed bump. or impossible, so rule that out.

It’s supposed to be best to go over speed bumps straight on just to reduce twisting of the car from uneven weight distribution. Not something I would particularly worry about though.

Usually cars have some frame/metal a bit lower than the oil pan to help protect it from hard hits. Other than scratching off paint/undercoat, I would bet you are fine.

 

[tazza0712]

Thanks for the replies guys, feeling better over here. I'll be careful anyway.

 

[jrt67ss350]

Usually cars have some frame/metal a bit lower than the oil pan to help protect it from hard hits.

Yeah, that USUALLY is the case, except in E30 BMWs. The damn oil pan and steering rack are the lowest parts of the front half of the car. In an E30, if you bottom out your suspension, you'll likely smack the oil pan, especially if you are on a grade. I've scraped the front of my oil pan a couple of times. Many people have broken their oil pans in their E30s as a result of the way it sits in the car.