Anti-roll bar explained

Question

An anti-roll bar, also known as a sway bar or stabilizer bar, is a component in an automobile's suspension system designed to reduce body roll during cornering or when the vehicle encounters uneven terrain. It is typically a metal bar that connects the left and right sides of the vehicle's suspension, often running horizontally between the two wheels on each axle.

History

The first stabilizer bar patent, awarded to Canadian inventor Stephen Coleman of Fredericton, New Brunswick, on April 22, 1919, marked its early use. While pre-WW2 cars typically lacked anti-roll bars due to stiff suspensions and accepted body roll, from the 1950s onward, production cars, particularly those with softer coil spring suspensions, commonly incorporated them.

Purpose

The primary purpose of an anti-roll bar is to minimize the vehicle's tendency to lean or sway from side to side when taking sharp turns or navigating uneven road surfaces. It does so by transferring some of the force and weight from one side of the vehicle to the other when the vehicle is subjected to lateral forces. This action helps keep all four wheels on the ground and maintains better tire contact with the road, enhancing stability and control.