From the experience I just had today, here are a few tips on how to avoid these debris or objects on the road that can have the potential of damaging your car's underside and/or tires.

A while back, this rubber object flew from back of a truck and landed on my hood, denting it really bad. Ever since, I avoid following any trucks big or small. That car was old, so I didn't mind it so much.

Today I was driving in my 15 fit around 65 miles when I ran over this metal object. All four of my tires made contact. I tried to avoid it, but it was too late. I heard my tires running over it & I was like ouch, it was loud. I just hope it didn't scrape anything from underneath. I don't think so at that speed.

Anyway, so yeah try to keep an eye out for big objects such as metal or rubber. Stay away from big rigs and trucks with open cargo because sometime it can fly over and hit your windshield or something.

I'm kind of frustrated as to why can't these trucks better secure their load. Running over that metal plate is a very unpleasant feeling especially in a new car.

 

How am i supposed to hyper mile and get over 50mpg then? lol.

 

I got my first paint chip on the hood of my Fit when a truck I was following on the freeway kicked up a small stone. I generally try not to follow large trucks or pickups with junk in the back but on crowded freeways that is easier said than done.

I also hate scrapping sound on the front underside when driving up and step driveway. I try to approach at an angle but I've had my fair share of cringe inducing scrapes. I don't even want to look at the underside lol!

 

Hear on those semi's and open trailers. We just never know what they have on thats loose (especially debris that stuck in between the side-by-side trailer wheels) and will fly off towards our hoods, windshields....etc.........

For the paint chip, one of the FF posts had this, and the video results are amazing.
Dr. ColorChip Automotive Paint Chip Repair Kit - Dr. ColorChip: Automotive Paint Chip Repair Systems
Alternatively, OEM paint stick is about $15.

Figure, my previous GD came out basically unscathed since '08 but my previous '07 FJ was just a magnet for flying road damage.

Our driveway's slope is similarly steep. Lowering the Fit (and it will look great just like all the lowered GD's and GE's here) was never considered. With the standard suspension, am sure there will be scraping so to prevent this, will put a couple a 1' x 4' wooden boards in the street gutter fronting the driveway to allow for additional clearance.

Wanted the Fit but not modded to the point where my home surroundings would cause me grief.

 

This is a scary video. This is what I was afraid of when I ran over that metal plate, but the metal I ran over was big square shape. I don't think It had time to bounce around at 65 miles. I heard both front and rear of my tires running over it a second apart from each other.


Try to avoid small objects as seen in the video, can be very dangerous. Everyone be safe

 

Road debris can definitely be dangerous. Two years ago we were in a small motorhome on a two lane rural highway. We topped a steep hill, with a very narrow bridge at the bottom of the hill. As I got close to the bridge I noticed something small in the far right hand side of my lane. I moved over to the center as far as I could with steady on-coming traffic and hoped it was tire tread, but when I heard the metallic sound I knew I was in trouble. Made it to the top of the hill where the road widened and I could pull off. I still don't know what I hit, but it shredded the outside dual tire, cracked and busted the fender skirt that surrounds the wheels, and tore open the door to a storage compartment. I checked the inner tire and it was fine so we limped very slowly about 1/2 a mile until I could get completely off the road into a parking lot and we called roadside assistance.

When we took the ruined tire off, it looked like I only needed about 2 more inches and I would have missed it completely. Initially we were pretty upset, but the more we thought about it we realized that it could have taken out brake lines, fuel lines, etc. and we decided to just be thankful that we were fine and it wasn't any worse than it was. We made it home on the spare, replaced the tire, patched the skirt, and fixed the storage compartment. Still a pretty expensive trip.

But now I'm paranoid about watching for road debris!

 

Wife & I took our 13 Fit from Phoenix to Safford. Out on the open road, we nailed a quail. There were about 5 crossing the road, and we couldn't avoid hitting them. Heard a thunk and no problems, so kept driving. No damage except small chip to bottom of front bumper. I was expecting to see bird parts in engine compartment, but thank God nothing. On the back roads in So. Arizona, I have clobbered a road runner and had a bird fly into the windshield (other cars I've owned). Arghh

 

Trucks own the road we just drive on it. If you bought it, a truck brought it! Don't forget that!
Hurmmm, I wonder how do those Fits get delivered to the dealer....I take the open road and everything it give me, for, man does not need to drive but chooses too do so.

 

True, but still they can secure their load better. My fit was driven by a driver argh!! He drove it 121 miles just to deliver it from another dealer. It was either that or wait longer to get the trim & color I wanted. The dealer told me it was delivered that way after I went in the dealer.

Anyway, to the road debris, I wonder if these objects we run over time to time have any affect on the alignment and/or shocks in the long run.

 

Trucks own the road? I can't speak for Canada but here in the U.S. the amount they pay for road use (lots) pales in comparison to how much they wear out the roadway.


Yes, everything got delivered by a truck, and if you can read this thank a teacher. Also thank a printer, a trucker, a typesetter, a logger, a petroleum engineer...

 

I hate road debris. I have white marks and chips ALL over my hood. Not sure if its through the clearcoat or what but I can't get any of it out. The sheen and reflectivity of my paint is excellent but it's like everything underneath it is terrible.