Roads...
 

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Where Does All the Money Go? Worst Roads in America are in the Most Expensive Cities – InvestmentWatch




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Meanwhile, in the land of frost heaves and low taxes, I've never replaced a tie rod, sway bar link or balljoint. But I sell them all the time.

Here in finland we often buy aftermarket components and then complain about them not holding

But if the OEM components hadn't failed, why would you even need to buy aftermarket ones?

OEM isn't perfect, it's just a benchmark. On the other hand just because something can be broken doesn't mean it's bad.

Not my point. Of course anything can be broken, if you try hard enough. It's just that it seems illogical to complain about aftermarket parts failing, when the only* reason for those parts to exist is because OEM parts fail.

*I'm of course not including customizations - things like lift kits and such that are different designs from the original part.

people buy aftermarket control arm/suspension/driveline/brake spares when OEM is too expensive.
but there are plenty exceptions to that rule

Meanwhile, in Japan...

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/a0ca8...sm=12&fit=max&
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/08/huge-sinkhole-japanese-city-fukuoka-railway-station

*click* Noice.

I'm asking a simple question here: most of us try to steer around things that might hurt our cars (obviously), but how far do you take it?
Do you even avoid smooth manhole covers, or is that over the top for you???
On familiar roads,of course; memory kicks in.
On one road near where I live, there is a hap hazard positioning on manhole covers
scattered most in left 3rd of lane w 2 weirdly placed in right 3rd of lane soon after 3 manholes to the left. On a foggy rainy night, it is a challenge to remember the pattern
and execute the avoidance smoothly as to not look like a drunk driver if a car was following you!

It's not a matter of taking it too far- a smooth manhole cover isn't going to hurt the car, so I don't avoid it. But everything's a trade off. Taking a small hit with a bit of suspension movement and conserving kinetic energy may be better overall than bleeding off speed and throwing your suspension through its paces anyway.

But I'm generally on roads I know too well and already know what line I'm going to take so dodging isn't too sudden a movement.