What is the effect of suspension stiffness on tire contact and cornering?

• A. Stiffer suspension reduces body roll and keeps tires evenly loaded but can transmit more vibrations.
• B. Softer suspension reduces tire contact on bumps.
• C. Stiffer suspension always worsens grip.
• D. Suspension has no effect on tire contact.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how suspension stiffness shapes how the car sits on the road during cornering and how the tires stay in contact. When the suspension is stiff, it resists the body tilting outward in a turn. That resistance keeps the outer tires from taking too much extra load and helps the inner tires stay in contact rather than unloading, so the load is more evenly distributed across the tires. With more even loading, the tire contact patches stay more consistent, which improves grip and predictability in cornering. The trade-off is that a stiff setup can transmit more bumps and road texture to the chassis, so vibrations and harshness can increase.

If the suspension is softer, the body rolls more, which changes the load on the four tires during a turn and can lead to less even contact across the tires, potentially reducing grip and making the car feel less stable on uneven pavement. On bumps, a softer setup can also let the wheels move more, which can momentarily reduce tire contact or alter grip.

So the best choice captures the balance: stiff suspension reduces body roll and keeps tires more evenly loaded for better cornering, with the downside being more vibration transmission.