Dumb Question - Speedbumps

[kanniballl]

This is a real dumb question, but as my CTS is my first new car I'm still babying it.

Anyway, how concerned should I be about speed bumps?

I ask, because a few years ago when I was still driving my parents' car (96 Buick Regal), I had to go through many large speed bumps at my office. Anyway, one day I hit a bump and broke my back-right sturt. It came off its mounts from the top. Now I'm at a new place, but there are more (but normal sized) speed bumps around.

How careful should I be taking these? I don't want to kill one of my struts again, and now there're a lot more sensors around that I don't want to mess up. After my parents car I was driving my own 91 Oldsmobile and I didn't care so much if about it. But now that I'm on a nice new car, I want to be careful.

[Kael]

our suspension is very tough, but take speed bumps slowly, like at 5 mph which is what you are supposed to take them at.

[dkozloski]

I broke the right rear shock on my CTS driving on a major U.S. interstate highway. I don't believe you can drive too slowly over speed bumps. That is why they are there. There are consequences for a mad dash across the parking lot.

[DDS rollin a CTS]

I always take speed bumps very slowly or try to drive around them. This always annoys the heck out of people behind me because they seem to have the mindset I used to of: "if I drive over them faster, they get smoother".

[2004CTS]

Originally Posted by DDS rollin a CTS

I always take speed bumps very slowly or try to drive around them. This always annoys the heck out of people behind me because they seem to have the mindset I used to of: "if I drive over them faster, they get smoother".

Agree with taking them very slowly. Faster = smoother, but at the expense of your suspension (or even wheels & tires).

[RobertCTS]

I run a slalom thru the speed bumps when I come across them. If I can't, I cross them extremely slow. A young kid I know blew his struts racing across speed bumps with his Ford Probe.

[kanniballl]

Thanks all.

I've been trying to take them under 10mph, though the people behind me usually get ticked. I've also tried to find parking lots at work that would let me avoid as many as possible. Alas, I have to hit at least 1 each time I come and go.

I'll drop my speed a little more, to sub-5 speeds.

Thanks all.

[haute_heir]

I go very slow over them. I have a buddy that doesnt seem to give a shit though and he's ran into problems! He smunched up the side skirts on his CLK when he was flying threw a parking lot. He got an SL500 after that and hit a speed hump going over 60mph and ripped apart his oil pan i believe. He smoked so many speed bumps in the SL that everytime you hit a bump, the roll-over bar would pop up...lol. I guess everyones different, he still drived over boulevards and curbs, and smokes speed bumps...

[DDS rollin a CTS]

I definately wont be buying any used CLK or SL500's anytime soon, especially if they come from Canada!