IN A WORLD where cars have become so fiendishly complex, one key component of suspension systems still stands out for its relative simplicity. The anti-roll bar (known over the pond as a sway bar or stabiliser bar and not to be confused with a roll cage, which gives protection if the car inverts) is there to inhibit body roll in corners. In its purest form, it's a length of spring steel bar or tube, shaped like a square U, connecting to the suspension at each end of the axle. Some cars have two (front and rear axle), some just one and a few none at all. The idea of an anti-roll bar is to reduce body roll as the car corners independently and without significantly affecting the stiffness (rates) of the suspension springs. Fitting them to road cars allows spring and damper rates to be soft enough for comfort while keeping body roll in check. Too much roll is uncomfortable, and as the suspension moves to extremes, wheel and tyre angles change, affecting cornering stability.
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