One thing I should have added in my previous post about the colder than normal winter but neglected to mention: frost heaves.
One of the major negative side effects of the colder winter has been the severity of the frost heaves that have been propagating throughout the northern climes. The freeze-thaw cycle really tears up the roads, turning otherwise smooth pavement into a sea of bumps, potholes, and gaping breaches in the pavement, even on the better highways and main roads. I can't recall a worse winter for frost heaves, both in the number and the magnitude of their rise (or fall). I think a lot of repair shops will be make maximum use of their alignment equipment come spring because there's no way anyone's steering is going to remain in alignment after the pounding the suspension has been taking.
The trusty F150 has certainly been taking a beating this winter and I have no doubt it will need new shocks and an alignment once we leave winter behind. Making the ride between work and home has become an adventure, dodging the frost heaves and potholes that seem to change location randomly. I have to pay much closer attention to the road and in many cases drop my speed to well below the speed limit in order to keep the F150 on the road. Even the state roads are in rough shape this winter.
I am looking forward to winter coming to an end if for no other reason that if it lasts much longer I/m afraid I'm going to start losing parts off of the truck.
