Old school 4x4's cope well with them, at least those on sensible tyres with at least 60 aspect ratio and designed for some general use do.

I believe 60 aspect is as low as you should go if possible whatever your car, and some research via owners forums to make sure your chosen car doesn't have some eye watering suspension bills waiting to bite, ie my own old Merc where the bottom ball joint (takes a hammering on all cars) is part of the wishbone whilst smaller engined of the same model were replaceable joints, difference of some £15 and last time i checked some £300 a side.

Though they pale into insignificance when some air supsension Mercs need new struts at over £1000 a side, again ball joint integral.

I've never had a broken spring or worn ball joint on my Toyotas (nor punctured airspring, yet though cheap and easy to change if it comes to pass), nor SWMBO Subaru Outback, now replaced with another, Forester this time, despite high miles on the former, and neither have they shown any tendency for the tracking to be bashed out of line, ok they are both 4x4 designs and not everyone wants such vehicles, but our roads are getting to the point that standard cars can't cope, and nor can our older bodies via the elastic band tyres and rock hard suspensions anything other than the base model must be fitted with.

A V70 should be fine though, especially if its on the smallest wheels and highest aspect available for the model.

Edited by gordonbennet on 10/03/2018 at 09:40

I straddle speed cushions for comfort. I come across so few I can't believe they cause wear on the inside edges of my tyres.

I can assure you that the type of speed cushion that you can straddle where the inside shoulders of the tyres are taking the load will cause tyre damage if you do it regulary.

A friend of ours who came to live in France used to be a ward sister at a big hospital before retiring and brought her Mitusbishi Outlander with her. I noticed the front tyres were wrecked on the inside shoulders and asked her how often she drove over speed cushions.

She said the hospital car park and approaches had dozens of them and she used to drive over them by straddling them twice per shift.

Edited by focussed on 11/03/2018 at 22:56

Engineer Andy

"HJ has recommended on his 'Agony Column' many times that the 'cushion' type speed humps should be straddled if you run a medium or smaller car, never mind what the tyre depth to height ratio is.

As others have said already, I doubt if the occasional trip in such a way (e.g. once a week or less) over such humps will do any meaningful damage long-term that couldn't be rectified when you get new tyres anyway, but if you have to go down a road on a regular basis, or the cushion humps are damaged at the edges, then HJ suggests that you slow down to (I would guess) 10mph or less and put one pair of tyres (front and rear) directly over the centre of the cushion so that the load is just in the vertical plane and reduced as to not put too much force into the suspension strut; the other pair just on the flat road. The problem can come if the road is busy and this isn't possible."

The first paragraph suggests that you straddle the cushions but the seond paragraph suggest theat you put one wheel over the centre of the cushion. I use the second method, slowing down to do so. That annoys some drivers but I have never had a broken spring or had to have the steering realigned.

As for GB's note about everybody not wanting all wheel drive, it does increase your fuel consumption. But, the Subaru Outback is a rugged piece of equipment.

Just brake before humps, release barke pedal as or just before you hit hump. As you brake, front suspension loads up and rear rises, when you take foot off brake, front rises.. so over bumps more easily..

If you drive an Audi go over at 40mph (in a 30 limit)...

Or a Merc/BMW most seem to like racing over humps or cushions, or even tailgate others who do slow down?