I'm at 150k on stock shocks. I don't know if that's normal but still.
I swapped my springs for Swift springs like 5 years ago and had them change the hats/cups at the same time since they were cheap and needed to be taken apart anyway. But shocks still going strong.

 

My '05 shocks were very done and very leaking before 100k miles.

CA road quality varies widely. In the suburbs (especially the more affluent ones) the roads are almost too nice. But in LA city proper, 'nice weather' just means there's less justification for fixing broken stuff regularly until it's too bad to ignore.

edit: I like the Koni yellows I have on now. There's a section of washboard road where my car would heave and bounce uncontrollably and now it's much more sane.

 

I know the roads in LA aren't perfect.

However, comparing them to other places in the US that do see big swings in weather, they're still pretty damn good.

Meaning that even if something was tested in LA, it may not represent the rest of the country, apples to apples. Example...A bad road in LA is probably closer to a "medium" road in Chicago.

In my experience, LA roads are similar to those of some affluent suburbs in Chicago...but only *after* seasonal maintenance.

In spring, it looks like the surface of the moon around here.

The roads on the east coast get worse than that. Ever driven from Manhattan to Long island? It would bring a single tear to run down your cheek to show your pain.

Again...bottom line is...if it was tested in CA, I don't feel that it represents the conditions in the northern regions of the US.

 

Also, don’t Bilsteins have life time warranty as well?

 

The average LA road is better than the average road in the midwest or east coast, I'll grant you that. But my frustration is how bad local roads here get, without the seasonal damage, when there's nearly no maintenance on them until someone get maimed and/or killed. And no, I don't think Honda tests in these areas either ... my S is brutal on those roads, as was my old Acura RSX and TSX.

 

Hondas do usually have overly damped shocks. Its a way of tuning to make the car feel more light and nimble.

The Bilsteins round off all the bumps that the stock suspension crashes into.

 

hmmmm you may be correct

 

That's a good point. NJ roads get shitty, but then get fixed quickly. I was surprised to see California listed as WORSE than NJ. I guess because they are slow to fix roads since they don't get destroyed so often.
I drive over uneven roads, bumps regularly, but I don't often hit MASSIVE potholes.

I also make it a point to constantly scan the road and avoid bumps/holes. It's become second nature by now.

What state has the worst roads?

1. Rhode Island
2. Hawaii
3. Wisconsin
4. California
5. Massachusetts
6. South Dakota
7. New Jersey
8. Louisiana
9. Michigan
10. New York

 

I think the rating they're using also factors traffic and accidents, right? Not just straight out road conditions.

 

> We analyzed government reports and recent email surveys to score states on pavement roughness, road spending per capita and local sentiment.

I'd take it with a grain of salt but still somewhat interesting.