Checking for hit a curb damage after a slide on ice starts at the tire and works inward, because a wheel that looks fine can still hide a bent rim lip, a bent tie rod or a hurt wheel bearing. If the truck now pulls, the steering wheel sits crooked or the sidewall has a bulge, have it looked at before you drive much further, and if the hit cracked or bent anything you can see, start with our collision department in Portage la Prairie.
If nothing looks broken but the truck drives differently, book an alignment check and front end inspection with our service team. The alignment readings are often what shows whether something is bent.
Key Takeaways
- Look at the tire and the rim first. A bulge, blister or cut on the sidewall means you stop driving on that tire.
- A crooked steering wheel after the hit is a clue. It often means the toe moved on the side that hit, and a bent or shifted tie rod is one possible reason.
- A sideways hit can bend more than the wheel, including steering and suspension parts, and it can damage a wheel bearing.
- An alignment that will not come into spec usually points to a bent part, which is replaced before the truck is aligned.
- Get the estimate before you decide on a claim, and compare it with your own MPI deductible.
Why the First Freezing Rain Puts Trucks Into Curbs
The first freezing rain of the season in Portage la Prairie turns a stop sign approach into glass. You brake for the corner off Saskatchewan Avenue, the tires stop biting, and the truck slides at a walking pace until the front wheel meets the curb at the end of a polished approach. Nobody is hurt, the bumper is clean, and the truck drives away. The same slide happens on a Winnipeg side street or a Brandon crescent after a melt and a hard freeze.
That is why this hit gets driven on for months. A curb pushes the wheel sideways, a different load from the up and down bumps a suspension is built to absorb, and the parts that hold the wheel's angle do not show from the driver's seat.
Where Hit a Curb Damage Hides, in the Order a Tech Looks
Start With the Tire Sidewall and the Rim
Look at the outer sidewall of the tire that hit, then turn the steering wheel to full lock and look at the inner face too. A bulge or a blister usually means the cords inside the tire are damaged. Transport Canada's tire guide, Riding on Air, is plain about it: "Tires with deep cuts, slits, cracks, blisters or bulges are potentially dangerous and should be replaced."
Then run your eye around the rim's edge. A scraped finish is cosmetic. A flattened or bent lip is not, because it can let air seep past the tire's bead, and a slow leak can show up a day later as a tire pressure warning on a cold morning. If the wheel wobbles or clunks as you roll away, stop and have the wheel nuts and the wheel checked before you drive any further.
Then the Steering Wheel That Sits Off Centre
Drive a straight, level road at a steady speed and look at the steering wheel. If the spokes were level before the hit and are not now, the toe on one side has likely changed. Toe is the direction the front tires point relative to each other, and the tie rod sets it. On a solid front axle, look at the whole steering linkage, not only the tie rod.
Then a Pull
A pull to one side on a level road can come from toe, camber or caster changing on the side that hit. Check the tire pressures first, because a soft tire can pull too. If the truck drifts on its own rather than pulling one way, our post on loose steering and a truck that wanders covers that different feel.
Then the Parts a Side Load Bends
On an independent front suspension, the side load runs through the tie rod, the upper and lower control arms and the steering knuckle that carries the hub. A bent tie rod changes toe. A bent arm or knuckle changes camber or caster, which adjustment alone often cannot bring back.
On a solid front axle, the track bar holds the axle in place side to side, so a curb strike loads it and its mounts directly. The tie rod and drag link of the steering linkage, and the knuckle at the end of the axle, are next.
On either design, a hard sideways hit can damage the wheel bearing. One sign is a growl or hum that rises with speed and can change as you steer.
If a rear wheel took the hit, the tire and rim come first there too, and a hard strike is a reason to have the rear axle and the spring mounts looked at.
The Tell: An Alignment That Will Not Come Into Spec
An alignment machine measures camber, caster and toe at each wheel against the manufacturer's specification, and each setting has only so much adjustment built in. When a reading will not reach spec within that range, or one side reads far from the other, the usual answer is a bent part. The part gets replaced first, then the alignment is set.
Transport Canada's Riding on Air guide says "It's a good idea to have your wheel alignment checked once a year or if you notice uneven or rapid wear on the inside or outside edges of the tire." After a curb strike, there is no reason to wait for that wear to show. Our post on wheel alignment on Manitoba roads explains what the readings mean.
What You Notice and What to Do
Only an inspection confirms the cause, but this sorts the urgency.
| What you notice after the hit | What to do |
|---|---|
| A bulge, blister or cut on the sidewall | Stop. Fit the spare if your truck carries one, or have it towed |
| The wheel wobbles or clunks as you roll | Stop and have the wheel nuts and the wheel checked before driving further |
| A tire pressure warning, or a tire that keeps going soft | Stop and check the pressure; do not drive on a soft tire |
| The steering wheel sits crooked going straight | Book an alignment check and front end inspection promptly |
| A pull to one side on a level road | Check tire pressures, then book an alignment check promptly |
| A new growl or hum that changes when you steer | Book a wheel bearing inspection promptly |
| A bent or cracked panel, bumper or wheel opening | Ask our collision team for an estimate |
Pay for the Alignment and the Rim, or Open a Claim
Manitoba Public Insurance's Basic deductibles page says "Your deductible is the part of your Autopac physical damage claim you are responsible to pay." It also says "The Basic deductible for most cars, SUVs, light trucks and motorcycles is $1,000, for policies that take effect after April 1, 2026."
MPI's same page says "If another driver insured through Autopac is at fault for damaging your vehicle in a collision, we will reimburse your deductible based on that driver's fault." A slide into a curb has no other driver, so that rule has no one to apply to.
If the inspection finds a tire, a rim and an alignment, set that estimate against your deductible; bent steering or suspension parts can change the total. Ask your Autopac agent how a claim would sit on your Driver Safety Rating before you decide. Our post on the MPI deductible on a collision claim goes deeper on that side.
If you report it, MPI's Direct Repair page says "Direct Repair enables customers with eligible claims to proceed directly to a participating repair shop for a vehicle damage estimate after reporting the claim to MPI, instead of attending an MPI Service or Claim Centre." It also says "Only certain claims are eligible for Direct Repair, and not all repair shops are eligible to perform vehicle damage estimates." If you take part, you call the shop with your claim number and licence plate number. If MPI tells you your claim is eligible, ask our collision team whether they can book your Direct Repair estimate.
The same MPI page says "It is important to take your vehicle to an MPI accredited shop for repair." Dunn Ram Trucks is an MPI accredited repair shop. The steps from reporting to pickup are in how an MPI claim works after a collision.
Getting a Curb Strike Looked At
At Dunn Ram Trucks in Portage la Prairie, our collision department does collision repair and refinishing, and our service department does front end, steering and suspension repair and four wheel alignment, and supplies and installs new tires. For a rim or a wheel bearing on its own, ask our service team when you book.
If the inspection turns up enough on an older truck that you start weighing repair against replacement, you can see what your current truck is worth and apply for financing online. Any approval, rate or term is on approved credit.
FAQs
Can I keep driving after hitting a curb?
A truck that tracks straight with a level steering wheel, no new noise and an undamaged tire can usually be driven to a booked inspection; a bulged sidewall, a tire going soft or a wheel that wobbles or clunks means stop. A crooked steering wheel or a new pull after the hit should be booked promptly, because a bent steering part can be behind it.
Should I open an MPI claim or pay for curb damage myself?
Compare the estimate with your deductible first. Manitoba Public Insurance lists a $1,000 Basic deductible for most cars, SUVs, light trucks and motorcycles on policies that take effect after April 1, 2026, and a slide into a curb has no other Autopac driver at fault to reimburse it. Bent steering or suspension parts can change the total, so ask your Autopac agent how a claim would affect your Driver Safety Rating before you decide.
Who fixes curb damage at Dunn Ram Trucks?
Our collision department does collision repair and refinishing, and Dunn Ram Trucks is an MPI accredited repair shop. Our service department does front end, steering and suspension repair and four wheel alignment. For a rim or a wheel bearing on its own, ask our service team when you book.
The Bottom Line
A slide into a curb on ice is easy to shrug off, and that is the risk. Work from the tire inward, and get the estimate before you choose between paying and claiming.
Bring anything you can see to our collision team in Portage la Prairie, and anything you can feel to a front end and alignment booking with our service team.
Tyler Dunn, Dunn Ram Trucks, Portage la Prairie
