AIBU to ask if overweight people damage the suspension in their cars?

[NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1]

Genuine question, unfortunately.

YABU

Depends HOW overweight I guess.

Me and DH and our kids all collectively in the car have never damaged the suspension. But none of us are very overweight.

I guess if you were 30-40 stone plus, then yep.

WHY do you need to know by the way? @NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1

It's me :(

I feel the car dipping a lot when I get in. Car is only 5 years old.

DH and I have a combined weight of about 40stone, fluctuates by maybe 3 or 4 stone from time to time, and we never have.
Our cars have always been older ones, never had one younger than about seven years old when we bought it.
Current car is an 11 year old Focus.

I'm approaching 22 stone :(

OK. Guess I'll just keep on with the healthy eating regime. Have got an appointment with a consultant soon and am going to ask for a mini bypass.

Hmm, 22 stone, then maybe yeah. It may have an effect on the car...

Good luck with your dieting.... Are you sure about a bypass though? It's very permanent!

Smiley should have been after the word 'dieting' sorry!!!!

If a car’s suspension can take four adults it can handle your 22 stone.

I mean that's no more than two 11 stone people... which certainly shouldn't damage a car.

Oh, I never thought of it like that. There's usually only me in the car so I never thought about the fact that they are designed for 4 adults. I feel a little better now but still gonna crack on with the healthy eating.

Yes a car can take that weight but if that weight is repeatedly concentrated in one corner (rather than being spread out as it would be with multiple people) then I suppose the suspension in that corner will get more wear over time.

It's nothing that isn't fixable though OP. Very best of luck with the dieting.

I’m certain my weight contributed to the front strut going on my car.

Op really sorry to tell you this but yes I think being seriously obese possible can damage suspension.

Purely because I was driving behind a small car on the motorway Peugeot 106 which was leaning to the drivers side. I was thinking something must be wrong with the car so decided to over take and get away from it. The man who was driving had the window down it looked like he'd squeezed himself into the car.

It could be the cars tyres were uneven or something but....I think the difference between him on his own and having 4 big adults is the weight was all on one side. It would probably be less noticeable in a bigger car.

That said that car is the only car I've ever noticed like that.

No!!

Cars weigh emormous amounts, like 100s of kilos. The people it carries are trivial compared to weight of vehicle. Also designed primarily for men plenty of whom are checking in around that weight. Plus, they are happy to carry 4 or 5 people plus baggage.

Check tyre pressures are as they should be, other than that, crack on!
Good luck with the diet :)

DH 20 stone dips when he gets in.

No suspension issues or uneven tyre wear or anything last 15 years since I've known him.

Yes, car used by one 20-21 stone driver for over a year and the shock absorber in that corner developed a leak

I'm not sure about the suspension but a friend of mine broke her seat suspension in her Clio. She told me that it was her weight which had caused it. Definitely made her re think her diet and she worked hard to lose weight.
As pp have said, the car should be fine to handle the weight. But it's putting it all in one area repeatedly so it does have an effect. :(

I am large and pregnant and have a tiny little car, I don't feel any dip when I get in but haven't had to have an MOT done yet so can't confirm if I have actually broken anything?

Yes. Happened to my parents when they gave my overweight aunt and uncle a lift back in the 1990s. Car was a new and rather expensive. Thinking about it I don’t think my dad has given a lift to his sister since...

Yes it is possible to damage the suspension, and also the roof if the person holds onto it to support themselves while getting into the car. My MIL ditched one of her oldest friends because she had gained significant weight and was wrecking MIL’s new car whenever they went out together.

Sorry to add this, but with 2 or more people the weight is distributed so the car won't dip but if it is all in one spot might it make the suspension a bit less even?

Although, thinking about that, there could be 2 people on the same side of the car, each weighing 11 stone, would that have the same effect? In which case perhaps it will be OK?

I've heard horror stories about this. So I know it happens.

However, I was damaging my suspension long before I became overweight. I never slow down enough before driving over bumps.