Why does a car make a loud bang when hitting a pothole without slowing down?

[OSawyer]

Here are the reasons why a car makes a loud bang when hitting a pothole without slowing down: Due to the car's heavy weight and high speed, suddenly hitting a pothole will inevitably cause the shock absorbers to compress significantly. Since the shock absorbers have limited travel, they may bottom out when hitting the pothole, resulting in a loud 'thud' sound. Generally, shock absorber assemblies include a limit buffer block, which prevents damage to the bottom valve when the shock absorber bottoms out. As long as the impact is not extremely severe, it usually won't cause damage. After hitting the pothole, you can check if the suspension is damaged by observing whether the steering is misaligned, if there are any unusual noises while driving, or if the shock absorbers are leaking oil. If you're still concerned, you can have the car inspected on a lift if possible.