Things that can break your vehicle’s axle include poor maintenance; an auto accident; hitting curbs, potholes, or bumps too hard; and overloading your vehicle beyond its weight-bearing capacity. The axle is responsible for transferring the engine’s power and transmission’s torque to the wheels. Crossroads Automotive advises you might have a broken axle if you notice any of the following three signs.
Excessive Vibration
If your vehicle suddenly starts vibrating excessively, one cause could be damage to your axle. For example, if you just ran over a huge rock that you couldn’t avoid and then your automobile starts vibrating like crazy, you could’ve cracked the axle or caused other vehicle suspension damage. If your car, truck, or S/CUV vibrates no matter how slow or fast you are going, increases vibrating as you pick up speed, and vibrates as you go around corners, you have axle problems and should stop driving ASAP.
Clunking Noise
If something is going on with your axle, or transmission for that matter, you might hear a loud clank or clunk when you shift your vehicle into gear and get ready to drive. If the axle is the issue, the clunking sound you hear indicates your automobile’s inability to transfer the power and torque from the engine and transmission to the wheels to get them moving. It might be that the power/torque transfer stops at the broken axle. Your transmission could be dying, as well, so call for a tow to our auto service shop.
No Movement
Finally, because the axle transfers power and torque to get the wheels spinning, a broken axle will stop your vehicle dead in its tracks. Oftentimes, what has happened is that the axle has broken at the universal joint, so even though you’re stepping on the gas and your engine is revving, the wheels aren’t turning. This is a clear sign of a broken axle and, yes, the break can occur while you’re driving, so if you notice sign one or two listed above, have your axle inspected right away to ensure it isn’t cracked.
Crossroads Automotive is located in Topeka, KS, and we’d be happy to inspect your axle and the entire vehicle suspension and undercarriage to ensure all is well. If not, we can fix it, so call us today today. If you do suspect you’ve got a cracked or broken axle, we recommend that you have your vehicle towed to our shop. Our shop’s address is 331 NW Reo Street, in Topeka.
