What is the role of anti-roll bars in handling, and what would be the effect of increasing their stiffness on cornering balance?

• A. Anti-roll bars limit body roll; increasing stiffness generally reduces roll on both axles, increasing cornering grip on the outside wheels but can introduce understeer or oversteer if mis-tuned.
• B. Anti-roll bars only affect braking performance.
• C. Increasing stiffness decreases grip on all wheels.
• D. Anti-roll bars do not affect cornering balance.

Answer: (A)

Anti-roll bars keep the car from leaning too much in a turn by linking opposite wheels on the same axle. When you corner, the chassis would otherwise roll, changing how much load each tire carries. By increasing stiffness, you limit that roll, which helps keep tire contact more consistent and adds stability during the turn. This adjustment also shifts how weight transfers between the front and rear tires, which can improve the grip of the tires that are loaded more in the turn. But if you tune the bars too stiff on one axle relative to the other, the balance changes and the car can favor understeer or oversteer, depending on which end is stiffer.