Anti-roll (stabilizer) bar — primary function in a front suspension system What is the main purpose of a front stabilizer (anti-roll) bar on a passenger vehicle?

Introduction / Context:
Stabilizer (anti-roll) bars are torsion springs linking left and right suspension members. They play a pivotal role in lateral dynamics and cornering feel.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Front stabilizer bar connected via end links to control arms or struts.
• Vehicle negotiating corners causing body roll.
• Other springs and dampers present as usual.

Concept / Approach:
When the vehicle corners, the outside suspension compresses and the inside extends. The stabilizer bar twists and resists the difference in vertical travel, reducing roll angle and improving tyre contact distribution. It also moderates transient weight transfer across the axle.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Cornering induces differential wheel travel.Bar experiences torsion proportional to roll gradient.Result: reduced body roll and more controlled suspension movement.

Verification / Alternative check:
Handling tests show lower roll angles and crisper response with appropriately sized anti-roll bars, albeit with trade-offs in single-wheel bump compliance.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Increase load capacity: governed by springs, chassis, and tyres, not primarily by the anti-roll bar.
• Softer ride: anti-roll bars can actually decrease single-wheel ride softness by coupling wheels.
• All of the above: overbroad; only roll control is correct.

Common Pitfalls:
Oversizing bars can cause inside-wheel lift and oversteer/understeer balance issues; tuning front-to-rear bar stiffness is critical.

Final Answer:
control suspension movement and body roll